SAN DIEGO July 25, 2026 — British actor David Jonsson has been cast as the new Black Panther, taking on the role of T’Challa’s adult son in the upcoming third installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise.
The announcement came during Marvel Studios’ panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, July 25, 2026. Director Ryan Coogler confirmed that Jonsson will play a grown-up version of the character first introduced as a young child in the post-credits scene of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). That boy is the son of the late Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa and Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia.
Jonsson, 32, best known for his roles in the HBO series Industry, the films Alien: Romulus and The Long Walk, appeared onstage alongside Coogler, Letitia Wright (Shuri) and Winston Duke (M’Baku). In emotional remarks, he thanked Coogler, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and the franchise’s cast and crew, calling the opportunity “a privilege and a blessing.”
Black Panther 3 is scheduled for theatrical release on December 15, 2028. Coogler will return to write and direct, and the film will be shot entirely on large-format 70mm film — a first for the MCU. Wright and Duke are confirmed to reprise their roles. Denzel Washington is also attached to the project in a previously announced capacity.
The original Black Panther (2018) became a global cultural phenomenon, grossing more than $1.3 billion and earning three Academy Awards. After Boseman’s death from cancer in 2020, Wakanda Forever focused on the aftermath and saw Shuri temporarily assume the Black Panther mantle. The new film is expected to center on the next generation of Wakandan leadership as T’Challa’s son comes of age.
Jonsson’s casting marks the first time an actor other than Boseman will portray a T’Challa as the primary Black Panther on screen.
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