Who is David Jonsson? Meet the man getting ready to take on the role of ‘Black Panther’
TheGrio...
Ryan Coogler announced that actor David Jonsson will carry on Chadwick Boseman’s legacy in “Black Panther III.”
The throne of Wakanda has a new heir. At Marvel Studios’ Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, director Ryan Coogler took the stage to reveal that British actor David Jonsson will assume the role of Black Panther in “Black Panther 3,” which is set to release in December 2028.
Jonsson won’t be playing T’Challa, the hero originated by the late Chadwick Boseman, but his son. Jonsson’s character, Prince T’Challa II, was introduced as a child in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” and the new film will follow him as he comes of age. His character was first introduced as Toussaint in a “Wakanda Forever” post-credits scene featuring Lupita Nyong’o.
“The last time we got to make a movie, we introduced a character who is the son of the character that the great Chadwick Boseman played, our T’Challa, in that film. And today, I want to tell you that in this next film, he grows up [and] he comes of age,” Coogler shared.
‘He’s the guy, he’s the guy, I felt it. I felt it in my soul,” Coogler added. “He’s a good man, and he is the next Black Panther.’ And I got chills, and I got a little welled-up and said, ‘Let’s do it’. So we’ve been sitting on this secret for a good five or six months.”
Boseman, who had led the franchise since 2018, died of colon cancer at age 43 in 2020, while Coogler was working on the sequel. Since the actor had passed before production began, Letitia Wright’s Shuri took on the responsibilities of the Black Panther in “Wakanda Forever.” Now, ahead of his debut, Jonsson said little about what fans can expect.
“Thank you to this amazing family that I have the honor and the privilege and the blessing to join,” Jonsson told the San Diego Comic-Con crowd following the announcement. “I actually don’t want to say too much because I want to let the screen do the talking. But believe me, the honor is entirely mine.”
The 32-year-old British actor, who is also of Nigerian heritage, will join the franchise as T’Challa’s son. Growing up the youngest of four siblings in London, the “Black Panther III” star began his acting career in school plays, which ultimately earned him a scholarship to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts at age 16, and later received a degree from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) in 2016.
However, long before his name went viral for his association with the fan-favorite Marvel series, Jonsson had built a name for himself in the acting world, starring in hit shows like “Industry” and movies like “Rye Lane,” “The Long Walk,” and “Alien Romulus.”
In addition to “Black Panther 3,” Jonsson is expected to star in Frank Ocean’s untitled directorial debut film as well as the “The Chaperones.”