Marvel just dropped one of the biggest surprises of San Diego Comic-Con 2026, and it came with barely any warning. Right after confirming Ryan Gosling as the MCU’s new Ghost Rider, Kevin Feige pulled out one more reveal that sent Hall H into chaos.
Ryan Coogler walked onto the stage to confirm Black Panther 3 is officially happening, and that the film has already found its new hero. The role belongs to David Jonsson, a name casual fans might not know yet, but one that has been building serious momentum in Hollywood.
David Jonsson Is Playing T’Challa’s Grown Son
Jonsson has been cast as a grown-up version of Prince T’Challa II, the son introduced in the closing moments of 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. That film revealed Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa had secretly fathered a child with Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia before his death, setting up a mystery about what role the boy might eventually play in Wakanda’s future.
Coogler is returning to direct, and the film is set to release on December 15, 2028. Marvel also confirmed the movie will be partially shot on IMAX 70mm, continuing Coogler’s commitment to large format filmmaking after Sinners.
Letitia Wright is returning as Shuri, who took up the Black Panther mantle following T’Challa’s death in Wakanda Forever, and Winston Duke is back as M’Baku.
Given that T’Challa II was a young boy just a few years ago, Marvel will likely need to explain the age jump, whether through a time skip or another narrative device, to bring him into adulthood in time for the sequel.
From The Long Walk to Wakanda
For those unfamiliar with Jonsson, the British actor has quietly become one of the industry’s most talked-about rising stars. He grew up in East London and broke through internationally with a scene stealing turn in Alien: Romulus, followed by a widely praised performance as Pete McVries in the Stephen King adaptation The Long Walk.
Before either of those roles, Jonsson spent two seasons on the HBO drama Industry, building a reputation as an actor who could hold his own in an ensemble long before Marvel came calling. That track record is clearly what caught Coogler’s attention, and fans reacting to the news have already pointed to his work in The Long Walk as proof he was destined for a major franchise.
His casting also raises an obvious question for Shuri’s future in the MCU. Wright is confirmed to return as Black Panther in Black Panther 3, and she is also part of the massive ensemble for Avengers: Doomsday, out December 18. Whether Jonsson’s T’Challa II is being set up to eventually take the mantle from her remains one of the biggest open threads coming out of this announcement.
For now, all fans know is that Wakanda’s story is far from finished, and Jonsson is about to become a very big part of it.