Superhero movie fans will officially return to the world of Wakanda in Black Panther III, the newest entry in the Marvel film franchise, the studio has announced at Comic-Con in San Diego, California.
British actor David Jonsson will play the lead role in the film, due out on 15 December, 2028.
Known for his performances in the HBO television series Industry and the 2025 film The Long Walk, Jonsson steps into the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the son of T’Challa, the original Black Panther superhero played by actor Chadwick Boseman.
Boseman, who rocketed to fame in 2018’s Black Panther, died in 2020 at the age of 43 as a result of colon cancer.
Marvel announced the Black Panther ‘three-quel’ with Jonsson appearing in front of thousands of fans at Comic-Con’s famous Hall H in the San Diego Convention Center.
“Thank you to this amazing family that I have the honour and the privilege and the blessing to join,” Jonsson told the crowd.
“I actually don’t want to say too much because I want to let this screen do the talk,” he said.
Oscar-winning Sinners filmmaker Ryan Coogler, who directed the first two Black Panther films, will return to helm the third.
Returning director Ryan Coogler told the audience Black Panther III will follow T’Challa’s son as he comes of age and follows in his father’s superhero-sized footsteps
“Today is extra special,” Coogler said, joining Jonsson and Marvel executive producer Kevin Feige on stage.
Coogler told the audience Black Panther III will follow T’Challa’s son as he comes of age and follows in his father’s superhero-sized footsteps.
The first Black Panther film grossed $1.3 billion when it was released in 2018, starring Boseman alongside a cast including Michael B Jordan – who won this year’s Best Actor Oscar for Sinners – Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o, Forest Whitaker, Danai Gurira, and Letitia Wright, many of whom reprised their appearances in the 2022 sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Ghost Rider rides again
Another bombshell reveal was the welcome of Ryan Gosling to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, where he will take on the role of Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider, slated to hit cinemas in 2028.
“Is this really happening?” Gosling said onstage alongside Feige.
Ryan Gosling speaks onstage during the Marvel Studios Panel at 2026 San Diego Comic-Con
Marvel Studios returned to Hall H after skipping last year’s event, less than five months before the release of its highly anticipated Avengers: Doomsday.
The studio brought to the stage Anthony and Joe Russo, the directors of the film, as well as several of its stars, including Robert Downey Jr, who will play the villain Victor Von Doom.
The latest superhero film will pick up where 2019’s Endgame left off, bringing together heroes and villains from X-Men, Avengers, Black Panther, and Fantastic Four to duke it out once more.
Capes and masks of the nefarious Victor Von Doom were handed out before Marvel’s presentation, transforming the audience into a green army.
Robert Downey Jr, who will play the villain Victor Von Doom, charms the audience
Some fans had waited several nights to get into the venue to hear from their favourite studio.
“We’re all here for the same reason we love it, we love the feeling we get when we come to Hall H,” Wally, a man from neighbouring Orange County who slept outside the venue for two nights, told AFP.
“It was worth it; it was better than expected… I’m speechless,” he said after the presentation.
Apple TV’s debut
Earlier on Saturday, Apple TV made its debut in the coveted Hall H, offering a first look at its upcoming action-comedy Matchbox: The Movie.
The streaming platform unveiled some footage from the film, which stars John Cena, Jessica Biel, Sam Richardson, Teyonah Parris, and Arturo Castro.
Jessica Biel – “It’s like being a kid again”
The film is inspired by the famous toy cars, which Biel said she and her brother played with as children.
“It’s like being a kid again,” she said.
Apple TV also offered an early look at its science-fiction production Neuromancer, based on William Gibson’s 1984 novel, and Mayday, a comedy set during the Cold War starring Ryan Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh.
Source: AFP