Marvel Studios officially confirmed the return to Wakanda on Saturday, announcing Black Panther III during its Hall H panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego.
The third film in the franchise will focus on the next generation, following T’Challa’s son as he steps into his father’s legacy. British actor David Jonsson has been cast in the lead role. The film is scheduled for release on December 15, 2028.
Oscar-winning director Ryan Coogler will return to direct, and Marvel president Kevin Feige joined Coogler and Jonsson on stage to unveil the news to thousands of fans.
Jonsson, 31, is best known for his work in HBO’s Industry and the 2025 film The Long Walk. On Saturday he made his Marvel debut in person, telling the Hall H crowd he was honored to join the franchise.
“Thank you to this amazing family that I have the honor and the privilege and the blessing to join,” Jonsson said.
“I actually don’t want to say too much because I want to let this screen do the talk,” he added, as Marvel showed the first concept art for the film.
According to Coogler, Black Panther III will follow T’Challa’s son as he comes of age and takes on the responsibilities of the Black Panther mantle.
The character of T’Challa was first played by Chadwick Boseman, who became a global star with 2018’s Black Panther. Boseman died in 2020 at age 43 from colon cancer.
The second film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in 2022, honored his legacy and saw Letitia Wright’s Shuri take up the mantle. The new film shifts the story forward to the next generation.
Coogler, who directed both previous Black Panther films, said the new story will explore legacy, leadership, and what it means to grow up in the shadow of a hero.
“Today is extra special,” Coogler said on stage. He did not reveal plot details, but described the film as both an action epic and a coming-of-age story.
The first Black Panther in 2018 grossed $1.3 billion worldwide and became a cultural landmark. It starred Boseman alongside Michael B. Jordan, Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, and Letitia Wright. Many of those actors returned for the 2022 sequel.
Marvel has not confirmed which returning cast members will appear in Black Panther III, but Feige said the film will remain deeply connected to Wakanda and its people.
Marvel returned to Hall H this year after skipping Comic-Con in 2025. The studio used the panel to set up its next phase of films, less than five months before Avengers: Doomsday hits theaters.
Alongside the Black Panther news, Marvel announced that Ryan Gosling will join the MCU as Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider, due in 2028. Gosling appeared on stage with Feige and joked, “Is this really happening?”
The Russo brothers, Anthony and Joe, also appeared to discuss Avengers: Doomsday. Robert Downey Jr. was revealed as Victor Von Doom, the film’s central villain. Before the panel, staff handed out green masks of Doom to the audience, turning Hall H into a sea of the character.
Some fans had camped outside the San Diego Convention Center for two nights to secure seats.
“We’re all here for the same reason — we love the feeling we get when we come to Hall H,” said Wally, a fan from Orange County. “It was worth it. I’m speechless.”
Black Panther III is now one of Marvel’s anchor films for late 2028. With Coogler returning and a new lead stepping in, the studio appears to be passing the franchise to the next generation while keeping its core themes of identity, power, and responsibility.
The announcement also signals Marvel’s continued investment in African-inspired storytelling. Wakanda, introduced in the comics decades ago and brought to life in 2018, remains one of the MCU’s most popular settings.
For Jonsson, the role marks his biggest project to date and places him at the center of one of Marvel’s most important franchises
Comic-Con runs through Sunday, July 26. Earlier in the day, Apple TV made its first Hall H appearance, showing footage from upcoming films including Matchbox: The Movie starring John Cena and Jessica Biel, and series such as Neuromancer and Mayday with Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh
With Avengers: Doomsday set for release first, and Black Panther III and Ghost Rider both slated for 2028, Marvel is laying out a multi-year roadmap that blends legacy characters with new faces.
