David Jonsson will wear the mantle. Marvel Studios confirmed the British actor as the new Black Panther at its San Diego Comic-Con presentation on 26 July 2026, with director Ryan Coogler making the announcement on stage (The Guardian).

Jonsson, 32, will play the son of Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa in Black Panther III, picking up a character first introduced in the 2022 sequel Wakanda Forever. Coogler told the Comic-Con crowd that the young character "grows up" and "comes of age" in the new film (The Guardian). Marvel published its own announcement on Marvel.com, and Disney's corporate site carried the news as part of its wider Comic-Con coverage (The Walt Disney Company).

Boseman died in 2020 at 43, four years after being diagnosed with colon cancer. The first Black Panther (2018) and Wakanda Forever (2022) were both written and directed by Coogler, who won the best-picture Oscar earlier in 2026 for his film Sinners (The Guardian).

Jonsson was born in London and built his name on the HBO finance drama Industry, the sci-fi horror Alien: Romulus, and the Stephen King adaptation The Long Walk. He won the Bafta rising star award in 2025 (The Guardian). Coogler singled out The Long Walk when introducing his new lead to the Hall H audience (Deadline).

Joining Coogler and Jonsson on stage were returning cast members Letitia Wright and Winston Duke, plus Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige (Deadline). Duke, who plays M'Baku and for whom the first Black Panther was his very first film, had met Jonsson for the first time earlier that same day. His message to the new Panther was simple: "Come play" (Deadline).

Black Panther III opens in US cinemas on 15 December 2028 — a holiday-corridor slot that Marvel and parent studio Disney have used repeatedly to launch their biggest titles (The Guardian; Deadline). That puts the film just over two years away, with production details yet to be confirmed.

For fans, the announcement closes a question that has hung over the franchise since Boseman's death: who carries the suit forward. Jonsson's casting hands the role to a performer still early in his film career, stepping into a property that has grossed over $1.3 billion across two releases worldwide.