Marvel Announces “Black Panther 3” Starring David Jonsson

San Diego – 07/26/2026: Marvel Studios announced the third “Black Panther” film at San Diego Comic-Con. Ryan Coogler, director of the first two installments, is also set to direct “Black Panther 3.” British actor David Jonsson will take on the lead role. The studio named December 15, 2028, as the theatrical release date.

Jonsson is set to portray T’Challa’s son, the king of Wakanda played by Chadwick Boseman in the first two “Avengers” films as well as in “Black Panther.” The child was first shown in 2022’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Marvel is thus continuing the royal line through a new generation rather than recasting T’Challa with another actor.

The 32-year-old Jonsson became known to a wider audience through the television series “Industry” and Fede Alvarez’s science-fiction film “Alien: Romulus.” His casting makes the franchise younger without severing its backstory: the new character remains directly connected to T’Challa. T’Challa’s story took on particular emotional significance after Boseman’s death in 2020.

With the third installment, Coogler can complete his Wakanda trilogy. The first “Black Panther” became an extraordinary cultural and commercial success in 2018. The film combined African-influenced Afrofuturism with major studio filmmaking and portrayed Wakanda as a self-assured, technologically advanced society with its own visual and musical language.

The sequel “Wakanda Forever” then faced the difficult task of addressing Boseman’s death without simply replacing his hero. Letitia Wright’s character Shuri took up the mantle of Black Panther. The announced third film shifts the perspective once again: the narrative of grief and loss now appears set to be followed by a story about origins and legacy.

At the presentation in Hall H, Comic-Con’s main event venue, Letitia Wright and Winston Duke joined Coogler and Jonsson on stage. Marvel initially did not disclose details about the plot, additional casting or the start of filming. Nevertheless, with its lead actor, director and release date, the studio has committed to the project unusually early.

For Jonsson, the role marks entry into one of contemporary blockbuster cinema’s best-known ensembles. Black Panther combines the roles of hero, monarch and protector. By continuing the story with T’Challa’s son, Marvel keeps the memory of Boseman’s character alive without bringing it to a narrative standstill. The worldwide theatrical release is scheduled for December 15, 2028.