Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has confirmed that Ryan Coogler, not Feige, chose David Jonsson to play an adult T’Challa in Black Panther III. The announcement is significant because it establishes a successor to Chadwick Boseman’s character and signals Marvel’s intention to continue the Black Panther story with T’Challa as an adult.

The casting was revealed during Marvel’s Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic-Con, alongside confirmation that the film is due for release in December 2028. Feige said Jonsson had already been selected before the studio began its search for Boseman’s successor, suggesting the decision was driven directly by Coogler’s creative plans.