David Jonsson to play T’Challa’s son in ‘Black Panther 3’, arriving December 2028
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David Jonsson has been cast as T’Challa’s son in “Black Panther 3,” set for release Dec. 15, 2028, with Ryan Coogler returning to direct.
Wakanda is officially returning to the big screen, and it’s arriving with a new face under the mask. Marvel announced that David Jonsson has been cast as the next Black Panther in “Black Panther 3,” taking on the role of Prince T’Challa II, the son of the late T’Challa.
According to Variety, the film is slated for release on Dec. 15, 2028, and will follow T’Challa II as he comes of age. The character was first introduced as a young child in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” where he was revealed as the son of T’Challa and Nakia, played by Lupita Nyong’o. The news was unveiled during Marvel’s Comic-Con Hall H panel.
Director Ryan Coogler is set to return for the third installment, as are Letitia Wright, reprising her role as Shuri, and Winston Duke as M’Baku. Wright had stepped into the Black Panther mantle in “Wakanda Forever” following the death of Chadwick Boseman, who originated the role of T’Challa and died of colon cancer at 43 in 2020 while Coogler was developing the sequel.
Jonsson arrives on the heels of a rising run that includes “Alien Romulus” and the adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Long Walk.” Variety noted that Wright had hinted at the third film’s development as far back as January 2023, telling the outlet shortly after “Wakanda Forever” that she believed the project was “already in the works,” while acknowledging the team needed time to regroup and let Coogler “get back into the lab.”
The franchise carries considerable weight behind it. The 2018 original grossed $1.3 billion worldwide and became the first superhero film to earn a best picture Oscar nomination, ultimately winning three Academy Awards. Its 2022 follow-up brought in $859 million globally and notched five Oscar nominations, with Angela Bassett becoming the first actor in a Marvel film to receive an Academy Award nomination.
Fans won’t have to wait until 2028 to see Wright back in the role, though. As Variety pointed out, she’s part of the ensemble for “Avengers: Doomsday,” which hits theaters Dec. 18.