David Jonsson Is Marvel's New Black Panther; Third Installment in the Franchise Coming in 2028

One of the biggest questions surrounding the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was finally settled last night when Kevin Feige took the stage in Comic-Con’s Hall H and announced that Black Panther 3 will hit theaters on December 15, 2028.

While the existence of Black Panther 3 hasn’t exactly been a secret, the big revelation came when director Ryan Coogler announced that David Jonsson will portray Prince T’Challa II (Toussaint) in the film.

SDCC

The expectation is that he will assume the mantle of Black Panther.

In addition to Jonsson, Black Panther 3 will see Letitia Wright reprise her role as Shuri and Winston Duke return as M’Baku.

SDCC

Joining them will be Denzel Washington, who will make his MCU debut.

How We Learned About ‘Black Panther 3’

Unlike Ghost Rider, which was seemingly announced out of left field at Comic-Con, fans have known Black Panther 3 was coming for a while.

Photo: Variety

The third installment in the fan-favorite franchise was actually revealed by Denzel Washington, who let it slip that Ryan Coogler was writing a part for him in the next Black Panther film.

“I played Othello at 22. I am about to play Othello at 70,” he told Australia Today.

Photo: GQ India

“After that, I am playing Hannibal. After that, I’ve been talking to Steve McQueen about a film. And after that, Ryan Coogler is writing a part for me in the next ‘Black Panther.’ After that, I’m going to do the film ‘Othello,’ After that, I’m going to do King Lear. After that, I’m going to retire.”

While Washington later apologized to Coogler for letting the panther out of the bag, the director took it in stride.

Photo: The Hollywood Reporter

Eventually, he even confirmed that Black Panther 3 was on the way.

Director Ryan Coogler attends the Black Panther BFI preview screening on February 9, 2018 in London, England.

“There’s no fiction out there,” Coogler said. “Denzel is family at this point … I’ve been trying to work with him since day one. I think he’s the greatest living actor, and in terms of what he means to our culture, forget about it. I’ve been talking to him about this to him for a long time … I was surprised when he mentioned it, but it’s not like it’s not true.”

King T’Challa II

Outside of the film’s existence, much of the talk surrounding Black Panther 3 has revolved around the idea of recasting T’Challa.

Photo: Disney

In the aftermath of Chadwick Boseman’s tragic passing, Coogler opted not to recast the Wakandan king and instead transformed Black Panther: Wakanda Forever into a story about loss and grief.

Since then, however, rumors have percolated that Marvel would pivot and recast T’Challa, with David Oyelowo, Damson Idris, and Aldis Hodge all mentioned as possible successors.