David Jonsson named new Black Panther six years after Boseman’s death

British actor David Jonsson has been cast as the new Black Panther, stepping into the iconic Marvel Cinematic Universe role six years after the passing of Chadwick Boseman. The announcement came Saturday during Marvel Studios’ Comic-Con Hall H panel in San Diego.

Jonsson, 32, will embody Prince T'Challa II, also known as Toussaint, the son of Boseman's original T'Challa and Lupita Nyong'o's Nakia. The character was first introduced as a child in the final scene of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" in 2022. The upcoming film will focus on his coming-of-age journey.

"Black Panther 3" is slated for a December 15, 2028 theatrical release. Ryan Coogler, who directed the first two installments, will return to helm the trilogy's conclusion. Letitia Wright is expected to reprise her role as Shuri, with Winston Duke also returning as M'Baku. Denzel Washington will make his MCU debut in an undisclosed role.

Boseman died in 2020 at age 43 after a private battle with colon cancer. His death occurred as Marvel was developing the sequel to the 2018 original, a film that grossed $1.3 billion worldwide and earned a Best Picture Oscar nomination. Marvel chose not to recast T'Challa, instead shifting the mantle to Shuri in "Wakanda Forever," a storyline that garnered Angela Bassett an Oscar nomination, the first for any Marvel film actor.

Jonsson's casting resolves years of speculation about how Marvel would continue the Black Panther legacy. The studio opted to pass the mantle within Boseman's character's bloodline, rather than recasting the original role.