Black Panther 3: David Jonsson To Play T'Challa, 2028 Release Date Confirmed [SDCC 2066]

Huge news just broke out about the long-awaited Marvel Cinematic Universe "Black Panther 3" — including news that David Jonsson will play the hero T'Challa.

After Chadwick Boseman originated the role in "Black Panther" and was mourned in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" when he died in 2020, Jonsson, who has appeared on shows like "Industry" and films like "The Long Walk," will take over the role. It looks like Jonsson will play T'Challa II, the son secretly fathered by T'Challa and his lover and fellow fighter Nakia (Lupita Nyong'o), who we meet as a child at the very end of "Wakanda Forever."

Not only that, but thanks to this announcement — which came courtesy of "Sinners" director Ryan Coogler, who's returning to direct his third "Black Panther" movie just months after winning an Academy Award for best original screenplay — we also have a release date. "Black Panther 3" releases on December 15, 2028.

In 2018, writer-director Ryan Coogler made a major splash in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with "Black Panther," centering around Chadwick Boseman's Wakandan prince T'Challa (who was first introduced in the 2016 crossover film "Captain America: Civil War"). After T'Challa's father, the king of Wakanda, dies in "Civil War," T'Challa is expected to take his place on the throne ... but the emergence of Erik "Killmonger" Stevens (Michael B. Jordan), T'Challa's long-lost cousin who wants to control Wakanda, presents a brand new hurdle.

Tragically, Boseman passed away suddenly in August of 2020 due to complications from colon cancer, a diagnosis the actor kept hidden from the public (and, for that matter, Coogler). Besides being one of the toughest losses that Hollywood has endured in recent memory, Boseman's death created a quandary for the "Black Panther" sequel. Ultimately, the 2022 sequel "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" featured T'Challa's funeral, giving his mother Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett) and younger sister Shuri (Letitia Wright) room to grieve and passing the proverbial torch to Shuri.

The "Black Panther" series is undeniably fraught; nobody will ever capture the spirit of T'Challa quite like Boseman did, though Jonsson is sure to do an amazing job. Plus, with Coogler back as the director for "Black Panther 3" and this news out of San Diego Comic-Con today, we know it's in steady, capable hands.