Ryan Coogler has confirmed that Black Panther 3 is in pre-production, six years after the death of Chadwick Boseman. The director made the announcement at San Diego Comic-Con, revealing that David Jonsson, known for The Long Walk, will play the son of T'Challa.
Comic-Con Announcement
Welcoming David Jonsson on stage, Coogler said: “The last time we got to make a movie, we introduced a character who is the son of the character that the great Chadwick Boseman played – our T’Challa – in that film. And today, I want to tell you that in this next film, he grows up, he comes of age.”
Jonsson expressed his gratitude: “I want to say thank you so much. Thank you, Ryan. Thank you, [Kevin Feige]. Thank you to this amazing family that I honour, [it’s] a privilege and blessing to join. I don’t want to say too much because I want to let the screen do the talking, but believe me, the honour is entirely mine.”
Release and Cast Details
The film is slated for release in the US on December 15, 2028, with a UK date yet to be confirmed. Two years ago, Denzel Washington accidentally revealed that Coogler was writing a role for him in the upcoming movie. Washington said at the time that Ryan was “writing a part for me in the next Black Panther.” Coogler confirmed Washington's role the following year.
The first movie in the franchise was released in 2018, starring Chadwick Boseman as King T'Challa of Wakanda. After his death, Letitia Wright stepped up to lead in the 2022 sequel, Wakanda Forever. At the end of that film, Lupita Nyong'o's character Nakia revealed she had been raising her son with T'Challa in secret, and his Wakanda name is T'Challa.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly last February, Nyong'o said: “Honestly, I do not put any energy into trying to imagine a future that I have no control of. So we’ll see. And when we know more, we’ll know more.” Marvel producer Nate Moore told the same publication that month: “We don’t know what the story is, so I couldn’t tell you whether or not we’re open to recasting. It certainly wasn’t our instinct for Wakanda Forever. I’ll never say never to anything, but it’s too early to talk about any of that stuff. We have to figure out what the story’s going to be.”
