Black Panther 3 has cast the actor playing Chadwick Boseman’s son as T’Challa returns

Marvel has finally revealed who’s stepping into one of the MCU’s biggest roles, confirming that British actor David Jonsson will lead Black Panther 3 as the grown-up son of Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa.

The announcement came during Marvel Studios’ San Diego Comic-Con panel, where director Ryan Coogler took to the stage alongside Jonsson to unveil the long-awaited sequel. Coogler is returning to direct the third Black Panther film, while Letitia Wright will reprise her role as Shuri and Winston Duke is back as M’Baku.

Jonsson, 32, will play the next Black Panther, taking over as T’Challa Jr, the son of the original T’Challa, who was memorably portrayed by the late Chadwick Boseman.

Introducing Jonsson to the Comic-Con crowd, Coogler reflected on how the character was first introduced in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

“The last time we got to make a movie, we introduced a character who is the son of the character that the great Chadwick Boseman played – our T’Challa – in that film,” he said. “And today, I want to tell you that in this next film, he grows up, he comes of age.”

The character was first introduced at the end of 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, when it was revealed that T’Challa had secretly had a son before his death. The sequel followed Shuri taking up the Black Panther mantle after losing her brother, mirroring the heartbreaking real-life death of Boseman.

Boseman died in 2020 at the age of 43 after a private battle with colon cancer. Rather than recasting T’Challa, Marvel chose to honour the actor’s legacy by writing his death into Wakanda Forever and shifting the focus to Shuri.

Now, six years later, Marvel is moving the story forward by bringing T’Challa’s son into adulthood, with Jonsson set to inherit the iconic role.

Black Panther 3 is currently scheduled to hit US cinemas on 15th December 2028. A UK release date hasn’t yet been confirmed.

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Featured image credit: Marvel, John Salangsang/Shutterstock