Wakanda’s next chapter to star David Jonsson as new Black Panther
Developed over time first seen 3 weeks ago
Marvel Studios has confirmed Black Panther 3, announced at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, with Ryan Coogler returning to write and direct for a cinema release on 15 December 2028. The headline reveal is a generational shift in the lead role: David Jonsson, known for Alien: Romulus and The Long Walk, will play T'Challa's son as the new Black Panther, a character first introduced at the end of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, alongside Letitia Wright's Shuri, who also carries the mantle.
Coogler will shoot the film on large-format celluloid rather than digitally, and it marks the franchise's first new instalment since 2022's Wakanda Forever, which grossed $859 million worldwide and served as a tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman. Plot details remain scarce, and Coogler had been occupied with other projects, including an X-Files reboot and Sinners, before scheduling allowed production to move ahead. Denzel Washington, who hinted in 2024 that Coogler was writing him a role, was not confirmed as part of the cast during the panel, leaving his involvement unresolved. Shuri and other supporting characters will appear first in Avengers: Doomsday, out 18 December, ahead of Black Panther 3 following Avengers: Secret Wars and Ghost Rider in the release schedule.
- Black Panther 3 confirmed, out 15 December 2028, directed by Ryan Coogler
- David Jonsson cast as T'Challa's son, the new Black Panther
- Denzel Washington's rumoured role remains unconfirmed
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Wakanda's next chapter to star David Jonsson as new Black Panther is a Marvel Studios comic-book film franchise, following on from Black Panther (2018) and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022). The films are set in the fictional African nation of Wakanda and follow the Black Panther, a protector figure whose role has passed between characters after the death of actor Chadwick Boseman, who originally played King T'Challa. Wakanda Forever dealt directly with that loss, ending with Shuri, T'Challa's sister, taking up the mantle alongside a wider ensemble cast.
Ryan Coogler has directed all the main instalments and is central to the franchise's identity, shaping its story, visual style and cultural significance. Letitia Wright plays Shuri, while David Jonsson is a British actor who has drawn attention for his role in the film The Long Walk. The Marvel Cinematic Universe more broadly is a linked series of superhero films and television shows produced by Marvel Studios, in which Black Panther is one strand among many, including the Avengers series.
Casting decisions and creative choices for the franchise carry weight beyond a single film, given Black Panther's cultural importance as a major black-led superhero franchise and the emotional resonance of continuing the story after Boseman's death. Any changes to who plays the title character, and how the story moves forward, are therefore closely watched by fans and the industry alike.
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Originally published by Polygon as “Marvel casts a new Black Panther for Black Panther 3”.