By LESLIE AMBRIZ
Contributing Writer
SAN DIEGO (AP) — Marvel Studios used its Comic-Con International show to announce David Jonsson as the new Black Panther — the son of Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa — and that “Black Panther III” is set for release Dec. 15, 2028.
Jonsson joined Oscar-winning “Black Panther” franchise director Ryan Coogler on stage alongside Letitia Wright and Winston Duke, holding his hand to his chest in tribute and smiling broadly.
“Thank you to this family that I have the honor and the blessing to join,” said the 32-year-old actor, known for roles in “Industry,” “The Long Walk” and “Alien: Romulus.” “I don’t want to say too much, because I want to let the screen do the talking.”
Boseman died in 2020, and ever since 2022’s “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” revealed that T’Challa had a son, fans have been playing a guessing game of who might take over the mantle, with Damson Idris and Wright in the mix.
The original 2018 “Black Panther” became the first superhero film to earn a best picture Oscar nomination and made more than $1.3 billion worldwide, while the sequel earned $850 million.
Marvel Studios hopes the ever-popular Comic-Con presentation will act as a reset for its brand, which has been diluted by an overabundance of Disney+ series and critics’ disappointment in films like last year’s “Captain America: Brave New World.”
Though audience interest in superhero films has waned in recent years, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” — released by Sony in coordination with Marvel — is set to dominate the summer box office when it is released July 31 and ticket pre-sales have been strong for “Doomsday.”
Leslie Ambriz writes for the Associated Press.
