David Jonsson Named Marvel’s New Black Panther in Ryan Coogler’s Third Film

Ryan Coogler has finally announced who will succeed Chadwick Boseman as the Black Panther. The highly anticipated third installment follows the first two movies that earned more than $2 billion combined at the global box office.

At San Diego Comic-Con earlier this week, Coogler revealed that British actor David Jonsson would be the next Black Panther. Jonsson will portray an adult Prince T’Challa II, also known as Toussaint, in Black Panther 3, scheduled for release in December 2028. 

The film follows Toussaint’s coming-of-age journey. Letitia Wright and Winston Duke are confirmed to return. Joining them is veteran actor Denzel Washington, whose role has yet to be disclosed.

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A Franchise that made History

As Marvel’s first Black superhero, Black Panther’s 2018 release was a culturally significant moment for Black people across the globe, and the box-office numbers reflected it. The 2018 original grossed roughly $700 million domestically and $1.3 billion worldwide. This made it the sixth-highest domestic finish in box office history at the time. It became the first superhero movie to be nominated for Best Picture Oscar and Marvel Studios’ first Best Picture nod overall. 

At the 91st Academy Awards, the film took home three Oscars from seven nominations. Ruth Carter won for Best Costume Design, Hannah Beachler and Jay Hart won for Best Production Design, and Ludwig Göransson won the Best Original Score award. Carter and Beachler each made history as the first Black winners in their respective categories.

Boseman, who starred in the first movie, died of colon cancer in 2020, while the sequel was in the works. Wright’s character, Shuri, took on the responsibilities of the Black Panther in Boseman’s place. 

The result: Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, which was released in 2022. It opened with $181 million domestically, earning the title of the biggest November opening of all time. It finished earning roughly $859 million worldwide. The sequel earned five Oscar nominations, with Carter winning Best Costume Design again. Angela Bassett was also nominated as Best Supporting Actress for her performance as Queen Ramonda. 

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Introducing David Jonsson

Jonsson was born in London and grew up in Custom House in East London. Despite being expelled from school as a teenager, Jonsson was introduced to acting and went on to join the National Youth Theatre. At 16, he won a scholarship to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, where he spent two years before returning to London. He later trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), graduating in 2016. He made his acting debut the following year in Mary Stuart. 

Jonsson slowly built his career playing Gus Sackey in the first two seasons of HBO’s Industry. His breakthrough role was in the 2023 Sundance hit Rye Lane, a Black British rom-com directed by Raine Allen-Miller. After, he went on to play roles in Alien: Romulus and Stephen King’s The Long Walk.

Jonsson was recognized with a Black British Theatre Award in 2021 and the BAFTA Rising Star Award in 2025. Now he goes on to play one of the most iconic roles of all time, a superhero in the Marvel Universe. 

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A Story of Generational Black Mentorship

Jonsson’s appointment as the next Black Panther is the story on the headlines. Behind the scenes, there’s another story worth recognizing, a full-circle mentorship moment. 

In 1998, Chadwick Boseman was studying directing at Howard University. That summer, he was accepted into a prestigious summer theatre program at Oxford, run by the British American Drama Academy. He couldn’t afford the tuition. Luckily, his professor, Phylicia Rashad, reached out to her network and helped raise funds for him and his classmates. Denzel Washington quietly paid the bill, remaining anonymous until after the program ended. 

Now Jonsson, our next Black Panther, will share the stage with the man who propelled Boseman’s career forward. All eyes are on Jonsson as he carries Boseman’s legacy forward in the Marvel Universe. 

Main image: David Jonsson, captured by Gage Skidmore