David Jonsson to star as new Black Panther in Marvel sequel

Marvel Studios handed the Black Panther mantle to David Jonsson during its Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con, announcing on July 25, 2026 that Jonsson will star in Ryan Coogler’s third Black Panther film. Marvel set Black Panther 3 for theaters on Dec. 15, 2028, and brought Coogler back to direct, keeping the franchise tied to the filmmaker who helped make Wakanda one of the studio’s most important worlds.

The casting puts Jonsson into a succession story built around Chadwick Boseman’s legacy. Jonsson is being introduced as the son of Boseman’s T’Challa, and other coverage has described the character as T’Challa’s grown son, Toussaint, also called T’Challa II. Jonsson appeared on stage with Coogler, Letitia Wright and Winston Duke as Marvel made the announcement in front of the Hall H crowd.

Marvel reinforced the message in a social post on X, writing, “David Jonsson is your new Black Panther,” while again pointing to the Dec. 15, 2028 release date. That framing makes the handoff unmistakable: Marvel is not rebooting Black Panther so much as asking audiences to accept a new heir who carries forward the title, the symbolism and the expectations Boseman left behind.

Winston Duke, who has been part of the franchise’s core ensemble, said he trusts Jonsson to take on the role and told Variety, “I think it’s going to be great.” His support adds a measure of continuity to a transition that has to satisfy longtime fans, preserve representation at the center of the series and give Marvel a way to refresh a marquee property after Boseman’s death.

Black Panther has carried unusual cultural weight since Boseman died, and Marvel’s choice of Jonsson signals that the studio plans to keep Wakanda at the center of its 2028 release calendar with a new lead who inherits the role from within the story rather than outside it.