The MCU’s new Black Panther gets an explanation from Kevin Feige.

Following Chadwick Boseman’s tragic death in 2020, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022) grappled with T’Challa’s legacy and featured Shuri (Letitia Wright) taking up the mantle of the titular hero. Black Panther 3 is confirmed to move forward with Ryan Coogler returning as director, and it was just recently revealed at San Diego Comic-Con that David Jonsson will take on the role of T’Challa’s son.

In an interview with ScreenRant‘s Ash Crossan, Feige addresses Jonsson stepping into the role of Black Panther, and what the casting process looked like. The President of Marvel Studios reveals that the casting has been solidified for the better part of half a year now, with Coogler sharing some strong feelings about Jonsson taking on the role.

“I mean, the truth is, this has been a secret. His deal’s been done,” Feige says. “Coogler had a secret meeting with him five or six months ago, then called me afterwards and said, ‘This is him, I feel and see it in his soul. He’s a good man. He’s a great man, and he’s going to bring the Panther to life.‘”

Feige continues: “So, we said, ‘That’s it!’ What more do you need when Ryan Coogler sees and feels that? And [David’s] movies are awesome! He’s awesome in his movies, and I think we’re just beginning to see what he’s capable of.“

Though Feige is careful not to reveal too many details about Jonsson’s new version of the MCU hero, he does praise his ability to keep the casting under wraps, saying “I’ll tell you what he is capable of: keeping a secret for about 6 months, until this very moment. And that was extremely exciting!“

T’Challa’s son, who is also named T’Challa, was introduced at the end of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. On stage at SDCC, it was revealed that the third installment will hit theaters on December 15, 2028, and that it will feature the younger T’Challa coming of age and attempting to earn the crown of Wakanda as he explores his father’s legacy. Coogler also shared that Black Panther 3 will be shot entirely on larger format celluloid film, a format no other MCU film has used.

Wright is expected to return as part of the Black Panther 3 cast, along with Winston Duke. As was previously revealed, Denzel Washington has also joined the film in an unknown role.

Before the third installment arrives, Wright will return as Shuri in Avengers: Doomsday, which releases on December 18 of this year. It’s likely that this upcoming film, along with the planned Avengers: Secret Wars for 2027, will set the stage for Jonsson’s introduction in the third Black Panther solo outing.

Jonsson’s casting as the new Black Panther comes as his star power continues to rise in Hollywood. He was widely considered one of the standouts in Alien: Romulus (2024), and he also was widely praised for his role in The Long Walk (2025). In addition to his feature film work, he also stars in the acclaimed Industry TV show.

Coogler, meanwhile, is coming off of the success of Sinners (2025), a film that grossed over $370 million worldwide and was critically acclaimed. Coogler’s previous Black Panther films have also been massive hits, with the original 2018 film grossing $1.349 billion and Wakanda Forever pulling in $859 million.

In an age when enthusiasm for the MCU seems to be waning, with the movies no longer as reliably bringing audiences to theaters, it remains unclear how the new Black Panther movie will fare. The upcoming Avengers movies will provide a better idea of what Marvel’s future actually looks like, but Jonsson evidently has big shoes to fill.

Created by

Ryan Coogler

Latest Film

Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Movie(s)

Black Panther, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Character(s)

Black Panther, Shuri, Okoye, Nakia, Ramonda, M’Baku, Erik Killmonger, Namor