Winston Duke Says “Black Panther 3 ”Cast Is ‘So Happy’ to Have David Jonsson as Franchise’s New Lead (Exclusive)

Brian Anthony Hernandez, Tommy McArdleSat, August 1, 2026 at 7:30 PM UTC

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Winston Duke as M’Baku in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ (2022); David Jonsson at San Diego Comic-Con on July 25, 2026Credit: Disney+; Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty -

Winston Duke revealed to PEOPLE how he feels about David Jonsson being cast as the lead in Marvel’s Black Panther 3

Jonsson will play T’Challa II, the son of T’Challa and Nakia, who were played by Chadwick Boseman and Lupita Nyong’o, respectively

Black Panther 3 will film on 70mm and open on Dec. 15, 2028

Winston Duke is thrilled for new blood entering the Black Pantheruniverse.

After director Ryan Coogler announced at San Diego Comic-Con on July 25 that David Jonsson will be introduced as the next iteration of the titular Marvel hero in Black Panther 3, Duke revealed exclusively to PEOPLE that same day how he feels about the casting news and when he learned of it.

“I have not been clued in very long,” the 39-year-old actor said, adding that he met Jonsson, 32, on the day of the casting announcement. “I had a conversation with Ryan and that was it, like just right before, and it was a very new experience for me, just as much as these folks today.”

David Jonsson and Winston Duke at San Diego Comic-Con on July 25, 2026Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

Duke — who played Jabari Tribe leader M’Baku in 2018’s Black Panther and 2022’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever — continued, “It means as much to me as these folks today because we all love this franchise, we all love these stories, we all love these characters, and we all love Chadwick [Boseman]. So it’s one of those things that it means a lot, and we’re so happy that we can take this step forward together [with Jonsson].”

Jonsson will play T’Challa II, the son of T’Challa (Boseman) and Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o). T’Challa II was introduced during a Wakanda Forever mid-credits scene as a kid being raised by Nakia away from Wakanda.

Black Panther 3 will follow Jonsson’s character as he comes of age.

Boseman died of colon cancer at age 43 in 2020 while Coogler was writing the second film in the franchise. Mirroring real life, Boseman’s character also died in Coogler’s rewritten Wakanda Forever script, which then saw T’Challa’s sister, Shuri (Letitia Wright), becoming Black Panther.

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Letitia Wright, Ryan Coogler, David Jonsson and Winston Duke at San Diego Comic-Con on July 25, 2026Credit: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

Aside from Jonsson joining the cast as well as Duke and Wright reprising their roles, Coogler confirmed in June 2025 that Oscar winner Denzel Washington will also be part of the Black Panther 3 cast.

Duke also told PEOPLE how being part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe has changed his life since Black Panther came out eight years ago.

“So much has changed — I’ve changed in every way,” Duke said. “I’ve become someone that many more people know me than I know them.”

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The actor continued. “I’ve had a lot of beautiful things happen in my life, and I’m also supported by so many people all over the world just for something that I particularly love doing, you know what I mean? That was never guaranteed. So, I’ve changed fundamentally, right, from the ground up ... I’ve changed in so many ways, and I’m so grateful for it.”

Black Panther 3 will film on 70mm and open in theaters on Dec. 15, 2028.

on People

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”