Industry star David Jonsson to play Black Panther in Marvel sequel
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- David Jonsson was unveiled as the new Black Panther at Marvel Studios' Comic-Con International presentation on Saturday, with director Ryan Coogler announcing the British actor will play the son of Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa in Black Panther III.
- Black Panther III is slated for US cinemas on 15 December 2028, directed by Coogler, who won the Oscar for best original screenplay for his vampire film Sinners earlier this year.
- Jonsson, 32 and London-born, won the 2025 Bafta rising star award and is known for Industry, The Long Walk, and Alien: Romulus, with upcoming roles in The Chaperones, Benn/Eubank and Scandalous.
- Ryan Coogler said at the panel that the character "grows up" and "comes of age" in this next film, with Jonsson joining co-stars Letitia Wright and Winston Duke onstage for the announcement.
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) introduced T'Challa's son and saw Letitia Wright's Shuri take over as protagonist after T'Challa's death, following Boseman's 2020 passing at age 43 from colon cancer.
- The original Black Panther (2018) won three Oscars and was set in the mythical African kingdom of Wakanda; Coogler also co-produced the 2025 series Ironheart and Eyes of Wakanda.
Why it matters: Marvel is handing one of its flagship franchises to a 32-year-old London-born Bafta rising star with indie and genre bona fides rather than an established Hollywood or MCU veteran — a casting bet that, per IndieWire's headline framing, raises the question of whether the studio is finally prioritizing actor talent over IP familiarity. The 15 December 2028 release locks in Wakanda's next chapter more than three years out.
