Black Panther 3 is ready to claw its way into theaters.
Kevin Feige and director Ryan Coogler announced Saturday during Marvel Studios’ San Diego Comic-Con panel that the sequel will film on 70mm. The movie will hit theaters Dec. 15, 2028.
David Jonsson Joins the Franchise
Feige and Coogler also revealed that David Jonsson will star as an adult version of T’Challa’s son. The late Chadwick Boseman played T’Challa in the original 2018 film.
“Thank you to this amazing family that I have the honor and privilege and the blessing to join,” Jonsson said from the stage. The audience responded with screams and cheers, while sections of the crowd broke into Wakanda chants.
Jonsson will take up the mantle of Black Panther in the new film. His casting gives the franchise a new lead while continuing T’Challa’s legacy.
A Rising Star Steps Into Wakanda
Jonsson has emerged as one of Hollywood’s recent breakout performers. He has held key roles in Alien: Romulus and The Long Walk.
He also appeared as part of the main cast during the first two seasons of Industry. His move into Black Panther marks his entry into one of Marvel Studios’ biggest franchises.
T’Challa’s Son Moves to the Center
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever ended by revealing that Boseman’s T’Challa had a young son with Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia. The sequel will now feature that character as an adult.
Given Marvel’s storytelling approach, a time jump or another plot device could explain how the character ages before the next film. Black Panther 3 will also arrive after next year’s Avengers: Secret Wars, which could affect the larger MCU and the character’s story.
The Legacy of ‘Black Panther’
The Black Panther film franchise began with the 2018 blockbuster starring Boseman as T’Challa. The cast also included Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke and Angela Bassett.
The film earned $1.3 billion at the global box office. It also became the first superhero movie to receive an Academy Award nomination for best picture.
Boseman was expected to return for a planned sequel before his death in 2020 following a private battle with colon cancer. Marvel then shifted the story to Wright’s Shuri, who took up the Black Panther mantle after the death of her brother, T’Challa.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever arrived in theaters in 2022 and earned more than $850 million worldwide. The film received five Academy Award nominations and won one Oscar.
Bassett also made history with the sequel. She became the first performer nominated for an Academy Award for a performance in a Marvel movie.
