- Primary Subject: David Jonsson's casting in Black Panther 3
- Key Update: Kevin Feige revealed how David Jonsson was cast to play T'Challa's son in Black Panther 3.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: July 27, 2026
- Quick Answer: Ryan Coogler personally selected David Jonsson after seeing his work, locking in the Black Panther 3 lead months before official casting even started.
Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige revealed how David Jonsson was cast to star in the third Black Panther movie.
During their Hall H presentation last Saturday, the studio announced that The Long Walk star will be playing the grown-up version of T'Challa's son in Black Panther 3. The casting was met with excitement by fans at both San Diego Comic-Con and on social media, and looking forward to seeing what he will bring to the role.
How David Jonsson Became the Star of Black Panther 3
Speaking with Empire after the Hall H presentation, Kevin Feige was asked how they decided to cast David Jonsson as the star of the next Black Panther movie.
He credited director Ryan Coogler with the idea of casting him in the role after seeing his performance in The Long Walk. He also revealed that his casting had been kept secret for six months.
"We hadn’t started a search yet. Ryan was working on Sinners, and when Ryan works on a project he’s all in. So the presumption very much was we would sit with him after Sinners came out, after the Academy campaign. We were waiting ’til after the Academy Awards to sit with Ryan and begin that process," the Marvel Studios boss shared
"A month and a half or so before that process, he called me and said, ‘I found him’. I said, ‘What do you mean?’ He goes, ‘I found him. He’s this guy, David Jonsson.’ He mentioned his movies. I had seen some of them. I watched more. He goes, ‘I’m going to meet him.’"
Feige continued, "He had a secret meeting with him under cloak of darkness in a hotel somewhere, and called me afterwards and said, ‘He’s the guy, he’s the guy, I felt it. I felt it in my soul. He’s a good man, and he is the next Black Panther.’ And I got chills, and I got a little welled-up and said, ‘Let’s do it.’ So we’ve been sitting on this secret for a good five or six months."
Jonsson's casting was met with excitement by the crowd in the panel, which prompted his message to them: "I want to say thank you so much. Thank you Ryan, thank you Kevin [Feige], thank you to this amazing family that I have the honor and the privilege and the blessing to join."
What to Expect in Black Panther 3
So far, the plot details regarding Black Panther 3 are still under wraps, but it is expected to take place after Avengers: Secret Wars and explore the grown-up version of T'Challa's son. Ryan Coogler is directing.
The filmmaker teased during the Hall H panel, "The last time we got to make a movie, we introduced a character who is the son of the character that the great Chadwick Boseman played, our T’Challa, in that film. And today, I want to tell you that in this next film, he grows up [and] he comes of age."
Aside from David Jonsson, the film will also star Letitia Wright (Shuri) and Winston Duke (M'Baku). Denzel Washington has also reportedly been cast in the project, but there is no official confirmation at the moment.
Black Panther 3 is currently slated for release in theaters on December 15, 2028.
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