The San Diego Comic-Con was the setting chosen for one of the most anticipated announcements of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Oscar-winning director Ryan Coogler confirmed that the third installment of “Black Panther” is officially in development, and that the franchise will have a new face to carry the mantle of the iconic superhero.

British actor David Jonsson, 32 years old and known for his work in “The Long Walk”, the series “Industry” and the recent “Alien: Romulus”, will play the new T'Challa. But it is not a direct replacement for Chadwick Boseman, who died in 2020.

The film, titled “Black Panther 3,” will feature Jonsson as the son of the original T’Challa and Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), a character fans were able to briefly meet at the end of “Wakanda Forever.”

“Thank you to this incredible family that I have the honor and blessing to join,” Jonsson said on the panel. “I don't want to say too much because I want the screen to speak for itself, but believe me, the honor is completely mine,” he said.

A premiere and a luxury cast

“Black Panther 3” will hit theaters on December 15, 2028. Ryan Coogler returns as director and co-writer, and the film will be shot in 70mm format, a detail that underlines the commitment to visual quality.

Along with Jonsson, the cast will feature the return of Letitia Wright as Shuri and Winston Duke as M'Baku.

Additionally, Hollywood legend Denzel Washington will join the franchise. Coogler confirmed that he wrote a role specifically for him, thus fulfilling a wish that the director had expressed on multiple occasions. This casting had already been anticipated by Washington himself in 2024, who later apologized to Coogler for the premature revelation.

The path to this third film has been marked by deep respect for the memory of Chadwick Boseman, who gave life to the first T'Challa in the acclaimed 2018 film. The first “Black Panther” was a cultural phenomenon that grossed more than $1.3 billion worldwide and earned an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, a milestone for superhero cinema.

“Wakanda Forever” (2022), which refocused its story after the loss of Boseman, grossed $850 million.