David Jonsson tapped to succeed Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther nearly six years following his passing

David Jonsson, a 32-year-old British actor, has been revealed as the new face of the Black Panther franchise, a role that was previously played by the late Chadwick Boseman, who first brought the character to life in the Marvel Cinematic Universe six years ago.

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The announcement of Jonsson's casting was made on Saturday at Marvel Studios' Comic-Con Hall H panel in San Diego, where it was also confirmed that "Black Panther 3" will hit theaters on December 15, 2028.

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Jonsson will portray Prince T'Challa II, also known as Toussaint, the son of T'Challa, played by Boseman, and Nakia, played by Lupita Nyong'o, a character who was introduced as a child in the final scene of "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" in 2022.

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The new film will follow Toussaint as he comes of age, marking a significant milestone in the Black Panther saga, with Jonsson bringing his own unique interpretation to the role.

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Jonsson's rise to prominence has been swift, with standout performances in "Alien: Romulus" and "The Long Walk", as well as notable roles in the BBC and HBO series "Industry" and the film "Rye Lane".

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Chadwick Boseman passed away in 2020 at the age of 43, after a private battle with colon cancer, which he had kept hidden from the public and the studio during filming, leaving a void in the franchise that has now been filled by Jonsson's casting.

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At the time of Boseman's death, Marvel was in the early stages of developing a sequel to the 2018 original, which had grossed $1.3 billion worldwide and made history as the first superhero film to be nominated for the Best Picture Oscar.

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Following Boseman's passing, Marvel decided not to recast T'Challa, instead opting to have Letitia Wright's character Shuri take up the Black Panther mantle in "Wakanda Forever", a storyline that earned Angela Bassett an Oscar nomination, a first for a Marvel film.

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Letitia Wright will reprise her role as Shuri in "Black Panther 3", alongside Winston Duke as M'Baku, with Denzel Washington also joining the cast in a role that has yet to be disclosed, marking his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

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Jonsson's casting brings an end to years of speculation over how Marvel would move the Black Panther franchise forward, with the decision to pass the mantle to Boseman's character's son, rather than recasting the original role, providing a sense of continuity and closure.

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Ryan Coogler will return to direct "Black Panther 3", completing the trilogy that he began in 2018, and bringing the story full circle with Jonsson at the helm as the new Black Panther.