David Jonsson Named New Black Panther at Comic-Con
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- David Jonsson was unveiled as the new Black Panther by director Ryan Coogler at San Diego Comic-Con, with the third entry in the superhero franchise set for December 2028 release.
- Jonsson will portray T'Challa II, the secret son of T'Challa — king of the fictional African nation Wakanda — seen during sequel Wakanda Forever; Coogler said the character "grows up and comes of age."
- The original Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman died in 2020 at age 43, four years after a colon cancer diagnosis; he played the role in the first Black Panther film, two Avengers films, and Captain America: Civil War.
- Letitia Wright will return as Shuri (T'Challa II's aunt) and posted "let's go nephew" on Instagram; Jodie Turner-Smith, Ncuti Gatwa, Terry Crews, and Ayo Edebiri also congratulated Jonsson.
- Jonsson, a Bafta Rising Star winner from working-class east London, made history as the first black actor to lead an Agatha Christie screen adaptation and credits films like Love and Basketball and Friday for inspiring his career.
- Comic-Con also revealed Ryan Gosling will join the MCU as Ghost Rider (2028 release) and an exclusive Avengers: Doomsday trailer tied to an 18 December release.
Why it matters: Marvel handed one of its biggest franchises to a British Bafta Rising Star winner over fan-favorite pick Damson Idris, choosing to age up T'Challa's secret son from Wakanda Forever rather than recast the late Chadwick Boseman's role — a December 2028 tentpole now anchored by an actor who made history as the first Black lead in an Agatha Christie screen adaptation.
