It was a tough pill to swallow with the tragic loss of Chadwick Boseman in 2020, especially for fans of the Black Panther cinematic universe he helped spearhead into a billion-dollar franchise just two years prior. After a somber-yet-successful sequel in 2022, fans have been waiting patiently to find out who will finally be chosen to carry on the Black Panther moniker throughout the MCU moving forward.
The anticipation came to an end last week during San Diego Comic-Con when it was officially announced that rising star David Jonsson will take on the titular role for the upcoming release of Black Panther 3 in 2028.
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The 32-year-old British actor is slated to play an adult version of Prince T’Challa II ‘Toussaint,’ who was revealed at the end of the last film to be the son of Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) and Boseman’s late King T’Challa. It comes as a surprise to many who thought the role would surely be given to fellow Brit fave, Damson Idris, or even willing to wait it out for Divine Love Konadu-Sun, the young actor who introduced the character in Wakanda Forever, to age into the role.
While the latter option is admittedly too long of a wait for the average attention span, some are still feeling a bit salty that a dream fancasting fell through.
On the flip side, many others understood the decision from jump and have since been applauding both director Ryan Coogler and Marvel alike for not only getting it right talent-wise but also doing a convincing job in the looks department.
For those still in doubt, we believe that Jonsson’s previous film work does a great job in proving he’s a great fit for the role. From dynamic sci-fi thrillers and boundary-pushing television to respectable work on the stage, his choice of roles so far have been diverse and full of range. Although it may feel like he’s a bit green to take on such a coveted character, we think he has what it takes to step into the culturally iconic role.
