Updated

Updated · Hollywood Reporter · Jul 26

Black Panther 3 Casts David Jonsson as T'Challa's Son, Sets Dec. 15, 2028 Release

Updated

Updated · Hollywood Reporter · Jul 26

Black Panther 3 Casts David Jonsson as T'Challa's Son, Sets Dec. 15, 2028 Release

Q: What mysterious role will Denzel Washington play, and could he be the villain challenging Wakanda's new legacy?

Denzel Washington’s role in *Black Panther 3* has not been revealed, and there is no official confirmation that he is playing the villain. What is confirmed is that Ryan Coogler has publicly said Washington is in the film and that he had been trying to work with him for years. Beyond that, Marvel has kept the character under wraps. The announced story centers on Toussaint, or T’Challa II, played by David Jonsson, as he comes of age and faces Wakanda’s royal legacy after the setup in *Wakanda Forever*. That secrecy has naturally fueled speculation that Washington could play a major antagonist. One comic-book possibility often mentioned by fans is Achebe, a manipulative and politically dangerous enemy of Black Panther who has tried to destabilize Wakanda from within. If Coogler is building a story about succession, legacy and a young heir contending for the throne, a strategist like Achebe would fit thematically. Still, there is no reporting in the announcement tying Washington to Achebe or any villain role. He could just as plausibly play an elder statesman, rival power broker, spiritual figure, or another original character connected to Wakanda’s transition. Rumors about supernatural elements and the Ancestral Plane remain unconfirmed. The safest reading is that Washington is expected to play a significant, likely authoritative role in a film about Wakanda’s next generation, but whether he is the force threatening that legacy is, for now, only speculation.

3 articles · Updated · Hollywood Reporter · Jul 26

David Jonsson will play an adult T'Challa's son and take up the Black Panther mantle in Marvel's third film, announced Saturday at San Diego Comic-Con.
Dec. 15, 2028 is the release date, with Kevin Feige and Ryan Coogler also saying the sequel will be shot on 70mm.
T'Challa's son was introduced as a young child in 2022's Wakanda Forever, signaling a time jump or other MCU device to age the character up.
The film arrives after 2027's Avengers: Secret Wars and is expected to shape the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Black Panther remains one of Marvel's biggest franchises: the 2018 original grossed $1.3 billion worldwide, while Wakanda Forever topped $850 million after Chadwick Boseman's 2020 death.