‘Every Role I Do, I’m a Black Man First’: New ‘Black Panther’ Star David Jonsson Explains Acting Philosophy

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Meet the new Black Panther.

British actor David Jonsson will step into the shoes of the late Chadwick Boseman in the next Black Panther film. Director Ryan Coogler made the surprise announcement during <a href=”https://www.marvel.com/articles/live-events/marvel-studios-san-diego-comic-con-2026-hall-h-recap”>Marvel’s Hall H presentatio</a>n on July 25 at San Diego Comic-Con.

<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-david-jonsson-joins-mcu-for-black-panther-3″>David Jonsson joins MCU for ‘Black Panther 3’ </h2>

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Jonsson will play T’Challa II / Toussaint, the son of Boseman’s T’Challa character, in Black Panther 3, Coogler told the audience.

“The last time we got to make a movie, we introduced a character who is the son of the character that the great Chadwick Boseman played, our T’Challa, in that film. And today, I want to tell you that in this next film, he grows up [and] he comes of age,” the Sinners director said.

Jonsson said he was excited – and a bit overwhelmed – to be joining the Marvel family for the new movie, which is set for release on December 15, 2028. A younger version of his character was introduced briefly in an end credits scene in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

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“I want to say thank you so much,” the actor told the crowd. “Thank you Ryan, thank you Kevin [Feige], thank you to this amazing family that I have the honor and the privilege and the blessing to join. I actually don’t want to say too much because I want to let the screen do the talking. But believe me, the honor is entirely mine.”

Jonsson, 32, grew up in London’s East End and started his career on the stage before landing his first major TV role in the HBO drama Industry in 2020. He also starred as an awkward, lovestruck young man in the <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/rye-lane-movie-review-sundance-2023.html/”>rom-com Rye Lane</a>, an android named Andy in Alien: Romulus, a Nigerian man caught up in a murder mystery in a 2023 TV adaptation of Agatha Christie’s Murder Is Easy, and one of the walkers in the 2025 dystopian thriller The Long Walk. In addition, he’s been tapped to play Rat Pack icon Sammy Davis Jr. in <a href=”https://www.cheatsheet.com/news/kim-novak-sydney-sweeney-too-sexy-biopic-totally-wrong.html/”>the upcoming Scandalous!</a>, about Davis’ affair with Kim Novak.

<h2 class=”wp-block-heading” id=”h-alien-romulus-star-realizes-he-has-a-role-in-defining-what-black-is”>‘Alien: Romulus’ star realizes he has a ‘role in defining what Black is’</h2>

Jonsson has played a wide variety of roles, but he’s said that his race – for better or for worse – will always be front and center in viewers’ minds. (A <a href=”https://deadline.com/2026/01/bbc-color-blind-casting-doctor-who-review-1236702132/” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>2026 BBC report</a> on diverse casting and storytelling called out Murder Is Easy as an example of a “clunky” attempt to impose commentary on Britain’s colonial past on a traditional murder mystery. Jonsson has said he’s “<a href=”https://www.gbnews.com/celebrity/david-jonsson-agatha-christie-colourblind” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>not a big fan of color-blind casting</a>” and was initially reluctant to take on the role of the first Black detective in a Christie adaptation.)

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“Every character I do, no matter what, I’m going to be a Black man first,” he told <a href=”https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/feb/15/david-jonsson-actor-interview-wasteman-prison-drama-alien-romulus-industry-long-walk” target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>The Guardian</a> in a 2026 interview. “Until we change what it is [to be a Black man], everyone’s going to have a certain view on it, you know what I mean? But I think that is evolving.”

Now, Jonsson is preparing to follow in the footsteps of Boseman, who made history as the first Black man to lead an MCU movie. It’s a big responsibility, and based on previous comments, it’s one Jonsson takes seriously.

“Growing up, I had the Denzel Washingtons and Idris Elbas, but they’re not me,” he told The Guardian. (Washington will have a role in Black Panther 3, <a href=”https://ew.com/ryan-coogler-announces-new-black-panther-star-for-third-movie-12026998″ target=”_blank” rel=”noreferrer noopener”>Coogler has confirmed</a>.) “There’s not enough space for diverse talent in this industry. I realize I have an important role in defining what Black is.”

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