Ryan Coogler’s ready to go back to Wakanda. “Black Panther 3” was officially confirmed by Marvel Studios at its San Diego Comic-Con Hall H panel on Saturday, setting a theatrical release date of Dec. 15, 2028.
And when it arrives, there will be a new Black Panther with it. David Jonsson, who starred in Lionsgate’s adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Long Walk” and the BBC financial thriller series “Industry,” will join the cast as the son of King T’Challa, who was played by the late Chadwick Boseman.
T’Challa’s son, who bears his name, was introduced as a child in the final scene of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” in 2022. The character was seen with his aunt Shuri (Letitia Wright), who took on the mantle of the Black Panther in T’Challa’s place in the film. Wright will again appear as the Black Panther in the upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday” this December.
Though this is the first direct confirmation of Coogler’s trilogy capper from Marvel Studios, the film isn’t exactly a total surprise. Coogler said on the awards trail for “Sinners” (a film that won him his first Oscar, in the category of best original screenplay) that he intended to return to Wakanda as his next project (and after his coming “X-Files” reboot).
Perhaps even more loose-lipped about the project is Denzel Washington, who has said as far back as 2024 that he intends to act in a superhero movie for the first time in “Black Panther 3.” Washington even claims that Coogler wrote a part specifically for him.
Coogler followed his smash sensation “Black Panther” (the first superhero movie to ever be Oscar-nominated for best picture) with the 2022 sequel “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” The film’s storyline and production had to be massively restructured after Boseman, the original film’s star, died of colon cancer in August 2020.
But there had been speculation over the years that the Black Panther mantle might switch hands again, either through T’Challa’s son or via recasting of the part Boseman originated. While Coogler and Jonsson were scant on details of what lies ahead for Wakanda, the clarification of the actor’s role provides at least one clue on who will be next to take a bite of the Heart-Shaped Herb.
If an age-up of T’Challa Jr. is in Coogler’s head, the planned 2027 release of “Avengers: Secret Wars” could provide a roadmap for making that a reality. The original Jonathan Hickman/Esad Ribić comic book event on which that film is based features the dying Marvel multiverse reassembled into one patchwork reality known as Battleworld by an all-powerful Doctor Doom (who will be played in the MCU by Robert Downey Jr.). That comic ends with Reed Richards (aided by the Molecule Man) recreating the Marvel universe with some notable changes — such as the inclusion of Miles Morales, who previously resided in the Ultimate universe.
