Marvel has set a Black Panther 3 release date of Dec. 15, 2028, and cast David Jonsson as the new lead. Jonsson will play Prince T’Challa II, the son of T’Challa, in the franchise’s third installment. The studio confirmed the casting and date at Marvel’s Comic-Con Hall H panel, alongside news that Ryan Coogler returns to direct.
Letitia Wright reprises her role as Shuri, and Winston Duke returns as M’Baku. Wright took over the Black Panther mantle from her late co-star Chadwick Boseman in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Shuri became the character’s successor after Boseman died partway through that film’s production.
Black Panther 3 release date and new lead explained
Jonsson’s character was introduced as a child in Wakanda Forever, where he appeared as the son of T’Challa and Nakia, played by Lupita Nyong’o. Black Panther 3 will follow Prince T’Challa II as he comes of age. He steps into a role his father once held, before Boseman’s death reshaped the franchise. Marvel has set the release date more than two years ahead of the film’s arrival in theaters. Jonsson recently starred in Alien Romulus and in the adaptation of Stephen King’s The Long Walk, and Black Panther 3 marks his highest-profile role yet.
A sequel years in the making
Boseman played T’Challa in the original Black Panther. He died of colon cancer in 2020 at age 43, while Coogler was still working on the sequel. Wright told Variety in January 2023, shortly after Wakanda Forever’s release, that she believed a third film was already taking shape. There was no confirmed timeline at that point. “We need a little bit of a break, we need to regroup and Ryan needs to get back into the lab, so it’s going to take a little while, but we’re really excited for you guys to see that,” Wright said at the time. More than three years later, that break has produced a release date and a new lead actor.
Box office and awards history
The first Black Panther, released in 2018, earned $1.3 billion worldwide and starred Boseman alongside Wright, Nyong’o, Forest Whitaker, Michael B. Jordan, Danai Gurira and Angela Bassett. It received seven Oscar nominations, including best picture, becoming the first superhero film nominated in that category. The movie won three Oscars, for costume design, production design and original score.
Wakanda Forever grossed $859 million worldwide in 2022 and posted one of the strongest post-pandemic opening weekends, taking in $331 million globally. The film earned five Oscar nominations. Bassett’s nod for best supporting actress marked the first Academy Award nomination for an actor in a Marvel film.
Wright’s next Marvel appearance
Marvel fans will see Wright back as Black Panther before the third film arrives. She is part of the ensemble cast of Avengers: Doomsday, which the studio says will reach theaters on Dec. 18, though Marvel has not specified the year for that release. Doomsday’s timing remains unconfirmed even as Black Panther 3’s Dec. 15, 2028 date is locked in, giving Wright two very different Marvel roles on the calendar.