British Actor David Jonsson Unveiled as the New Black Panther for 2028 Threequel

​Marvel Studios electrified San Diego Comic-Con’s Hall H over the weekend, delivering a blockbuster surprise by naming British breakout star David Jonsson as the incoming lead for Black Panther 3.

​Director Ryan Coogler, joined by Marvel chief Kevin Feige, took the stage on Saturday, July 25, to announce that the 32-year-old BAFTA Rising Star Award winner will step into the franchise’s iconic mantle. Jonsson is set to portray an adult incarnation of Prince T’Challa II—also known as Toussaint—the young son of King T’Challa, originally immortalized by the late Chadwick Boseman.

​Boseman tragically passed away at age 43 in 2020 following a private, four-year battle with colon cancer. In the wake of his death, Marvel shifted the narrative focus for 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, with Letitia Wright’s character, Shuri, temporarily assuming the protective mantle.

​Audiences were first introduced to Prince T’Challa II as a child during Wakanda Forever’s emotional mid-credits sequence. Jonsson’s casting points to a dramatic time jump and a coming-of-age arc for the young prince, who was raised away from the pressures of the throne in Haiti by Nakia.

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​A visibly moved Jonsson addressed the roaring crowd during the panel, stating, “Thank you to this amazing family that I have the honour and privilege and the blessing to join. 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.”

​Jonsson’s meteoric rise includes acclaimed turns in the sci-fi thriller Alien: Romulus, the Stephen King adaptation The Long Walk, and the hit television series Industry. Franchise veterans Letitia Wright (Shuri) and Winston Duke (M’Baku) joined Coogler on stage, confirming their return for the upcoming installment.

​Coogler also revealed that Black Panther 3 will break modern Marvel traditions by being shot entirely on large-format celluloid film. The highly anticipated feature is officially slated to hit theaters worldwide on December 15, 2028.