David Jonsson Named New Black Panther — SkimNews
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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 film in the series set for a December 2028 release.
- Jonsson will portray T'Challa II, the secret son of the original king first glimpsed in Wakanda Forever, with Letitia Wright returning as Shuri (T'Challa II's aunt) and Jonsson calling the role a "privilege" and "honour."
- The original T'Challa actor Chadwick Boseman died in 2020 at age 43, four years after a colon cancer diagnosis; TikTok reviewer Gerry Otim told the BBC the casting is a "great way of honouring" Boseman's legacy rather than disrespecting it.
- Jonsson, a Bafta Rising Star winner and the first Black actor to lead an Agatha Christie screen adaptation, grew up in a working-class family in east London and previously starred in Industry, The Long Walk, and Rye Lane.
- Celebrities including Jodie Turner-Smith ("the loveliest human"), Ncuti Gatwa, Terry Crews, and Ayo Edebiri congratulated Jonsson, while some fans had expected F1 star Damson Idris for the role.
- Other Comic-Con Marvel reveals included Ryan Gosling cast as Ghost Rider (2028), an Avengers: Doomsday trailer with a December 18 release date, and Johnny Depp appearing in costume as Ebenezer Scrooge.
Why it matters: The casting gives Bafta Rising Star Jonsson, from working-class east London, his biggest franchise role to date, with the December 2028 release extending the Black Panther series after Chadwick Boseman's 2020 death. Marvel passed over fan-favorite Damson Idris for Jonsson, and the article notes Otim's view that the unexpected pick is the "more exciting" choice.
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