The new Black Panther is here: David Jonsson takes on Marvel's iconic role

Marvel Studios has announced that Black Panther 3 will arrive in theatres on December 18, 2028, with David Jonsson set to play the new Black Panther. The update was shared by Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and director Ryan Coogler during the studio’s Hall H presentation at San Diego Comic-Con 2026 on July 25.Jonsson, known for Alien: Romulus, will take on the mantle as Prince T’Challa II, also known as Toussaint, the son of the late T’Challa. Coogler will return to direct the film, which marks the next chapter in the series after Chadwick Boseman originated the role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Letitia Wright later led the franchise as Shuri.David Jonsson is your new Black Panther.Black Panther 3, directed by Ryan Coogler, arrives in theaters December 15, 2028. pic.twitter.com/JILHDOelQE— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) July 26, 2026In the MCU, Toussaint is the son of T’Challa and Nakia, played by Lupita Nyong’o. He was raised in Haiti by his mother so that he could stay away from the pressures of the Wakandan royal family and the throne. Before her death, Queen Ramonda, played by Angela Bassett, was the only member of the royal family who knew about him. That changed when Toussaint met Shuri and told her his other name.Jonsson’s casting also points to a possible time jump in the story. The character was last seen as a child at the end of Black Panther 2, while Jonsson will play an adult version of Toussaint. Marvel has not shared any details about the plot or timeline of the new film so far. Original plans for Black Panther 2Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Coogler earlier said the original plan for the second film was centred on T’Challa and his son. He described a Wakandan tradition called the “Ritual of 8”, saying, “When a prince is 8 years old, he must spend 8 days in the bush with his father.” He added that during those eight days, “the prince can ask the father any question, and the father must answer.”Coogler said the story would have followed that ritual as Namor launched an attack. “He had to deal with someone who’s insanely dangerous, but because of this ritual, his son had to be joined at his hip the whole time, or else they’d violate this ritual that had never been broken,” he said. “It was insane. Chadwick was going to kill it, but life goes as it goes.”When Coogler remembered Chadwick Boseman He also spoke about Boseman after the actor’s death in 2020 at the age of 43 from colon cancer. Coogler said, “He meant a lot to me,” and added that he had later learnt from Boseman’s family and friends how much he meant to the actor as well.In another interview with Deadline, Coogler had hinted that Black Panther 3 would be his next project and said Denzel Washington may join the cast. For now, Marvel has confirmed the release date, Coogler’s return and Jonsson’s casting as Toussaint.- EndsPublished By: Priyanka SharmaPublished On: Jul 26, 2026 09:55 IST