The new Black Panther actor has officially been found, and after years of rumors, it turns out the newest Black Panther MCU actor won’t be Damson Idris.
Who is the new Black Panther MCU actor?
During Marvel Studios’ San Diego Comic-Con 2026 panel, they closed out the show with a big surprise. The studio revealed more information about Coogler’s highly anticipated third entry in the Black Panther series, which will release in theaters on December 15, 2028.
After revealing the movie’s release date, Marvel surprised fans even more by announcing that David Jonsson will play T’Challa’s son, also named T’Challa, a role teased at the end of 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Jonsson rose to superstardom following his role in 2024’s Alien: Romulus, and then became an even bigger star after his role in 2025’s The Long Walk. The actor is also set to star in India Donaldson’s next movie, a crime comedy drama titled The Chaperones.
Rumors surrounding what Black Panther 3 would be about have been swirling for years now. Specifically, who will play the character has been a big source of contention for fans online. Now we know a lot more about the movie, but we will still have to wait for more information as to what the movie will be about. As for Coogler, it’ll be his next project following his massively successful foray into horror with 2025’s Sinners.
As for the rest of the cast of Black Panther 3, we know that Shuri/Black Panther star Letitia Wright will be in Avengers: Doomsday. Winston Duke’s M’Baku and Tenoch Huerta Mejía’s Namor, the latter of whom was the main villain of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, will also star in Doomsday, though it’s unclear if Namor will return for a third Black Panther.
