The story from Wakanda Forever is set to continue, as director Ryan Coogler announced at San Diego Comic-Con that British actor David Jonsson has been cast as T’Challa’s grown son—the character introduced at the end of Wakanda Forever—making him the new Black Panther.
Since 2022, following the release of Wakanda Forever, fans have been speculating about who would take up the mantle of the next Black Panther. The closing scene revealing T’Challa’s son fueled widespread theories, with many fans rooting for Damson Idris, who was long considered the frontrunner in persistent rumors. The announcement of David Jonsson as the new Black Panther came as a surprise to those who had set their hopes on Idris, adding an unexpected twist to the highly anticipated sequel.
David Jonsson, who won the 2025 Rising Star Award at the British Academy Film Awards, expressed his excitement about joining the Black Panther franchise, saying, “Thank you to this family that I have the honor and the blessing to join. I don’t want to say too much, because I want to let the screen do the talking.”
In 2018, David Jonsson made his television debut with appearances in two episodes of the ITV detective drama Endeavour. He went on to write, direct, and star in a short film titled Gen Y. The following year, Jonsson played the recurring character Isaac Turner in the second series of the Fox UK espionage thriller Deep State.
Black Panther 3 is set to hit theaters on December 15, 2028. Director Ryan Coogler has also revealed that this sequel will be shot entirely on larger format celluloid film—a groundbreaking first for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
