Ryan Coogler to Direct Black Panther 3, David Jonsson Cast as T’Challa’s Son

Oscar winner Ryan Coogler is coming back to Wakanda — the Sinners helmer will be directing Black Panther 3, set to be released on December 15th, 2028.

The movie will feature rising star David Jonsson (Industry, Alien: Romulus, The Long Walk) as the adult son of Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa, who will inherit his father’s mantle. Previously, in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Shuri (Letitia Wright) had taken on the role. Given that Jonsson’s character was a young boy when revealed at the end of Wakanda Forever, a time jump seems likely.

This news does raise questions about the status of Coogler’s reboot of The X-Files, starring Danielle Deadwyler and Himesh Patel, which just wrapped production. However, while Coogler wrote and directed it, that doesn’t mean he’d be directly involved with every episode if the show was greenlit to series.

For a reminder of why Coogler’s an Oscar winner, revisit our review of last year’s Sinners.