After delivering the cinematic masterpiece Sinners, Ryan Coogler is set to return to Marvel’s beloved Black Panther franchise.
At San Diego Comic-Con 2026, Academy Award-winning filmmaker Ryan Coogler took the stage to announce his return for the next Black Panther movie. He also revealed that the film is scheduled to be released on December 15, 2028.
Coogler revealed that David Jonsson (Alien: Romulus and The Long Walk) has been cast as T’Challa’s grown son, who will become the new face of Wakanda’s next generation of leadership.
He said, “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 comes of age.”
Coogler also highlighted David Jonsson’s latest film, The Long Walk, during Marvel Studios’ massive Hall H panel. Directed by Francis Lawrence, the psychological thriller earned an 88% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes and became a box office success, grossing $63.25 million worldwide against an estimated $20 million production budget.
Jonsson thanked Ryan Coogler, Kevin Feige, and the entire Black Panther family, saying.
”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.”
For Black Panther fans, David Jonsson’s casting is a fascinating change. After portraying the humanoid android Andy in Alien: Romulus, he is now set to play Wakanda’s future king. While many fans still can’t imagine the franchise without Chadwick Boseman, the story has continued following his passing, with Letitia Wright’s Shuri, the Princess of Wakanda, taking on the mantle of the Black Panther in the last film.
Coogler’s Black Panther Dominates Both Critics and Global Box Office
Before the film went into production, in October 2015, F. Gary Gray and Ryan Coogler were both considered to direct Black Panther. However, neither was officially attached at the time. Gray ultimately chose to direct The Fate of the Furious (2017), while talks with Coogler cooled. After the critical success of Creed (2015), discussions with Coogler resumed, and he was eventually hired to direct Black Panther.
This movie marked Ryan Coogler’s unforgettable MCU directorial debut and won 3 Oscars, 1 BAFTA, and 1 Grammy Award. The film became the sixth highest-grossing movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe worldwide, behind Avengers: Endgame (2019), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021), The Avengers (2012), and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).
Coogler’s second MCU film was Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the sequel to Black Panther (2018). This time, however, audiences did not see Chadwick Boseman reprise his role as T’Challa/Black Panther following his death from colon cancer on August 28, 2020. In November, executive producer Victoria Alonso confirmed that a ”digital double of Boseman would not be created for the film”, honoring the actor’s legacy.
However, Letitia Wright took on the mantle of Shuri/Black Panther, the Princess of Wakanda, in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, alongside Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, and Florence Kasumba. The film carried on the franchise’s legacy, earning five Academy Award nominations and winning one Oscar. It also received one British Academy Film Award, two Golden Globe Award nominations (winning one), and six Critics’ Choice Movie Award nominations (winning two). In addition to its critical success, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever became the sixth highest-grossing film of 2022 worldwide.
