Marvel Studios has been working on the highly anticipated sequel to the hit film ‘Black Panther,’ with Ryan Coogler at the helm as director. The film, which is expected to release in 2028, has been generating a lot of buzz in the entertainment industry, with fans eagerly waiting to see who will play the next Black Panther. According to a recent interview with Empire at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, Marvel Studios knew David Jonsson would be the next Black Panther six months ago, thanks to a secret meeting between Coogler and Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) boss Kevin Feige.

In the interview, Feige revealed that Coogler had been searching for the perfect actor to play the role of the son of the late Chadwick Boseman’s character, T’Challa. Although Coogler was busy working on his film ‘Sinners’ at the time, he had David Jonsson in mind for the role and had already met with him in secret. ‘I’ll give you the real scoop,’ Feige said. ‘We hadn’t started a search yet. Ryan was working on Sinners, and when Ryan works on a project, he’s all in. So the presumption very much was we would sit with him after Sinners came out, after the Academy campaign.’

Feige explained that Coogler had called him a month and a half before the official search for the actor began, and told him that he had found the perfect person for the role. ‘He goes, ‘I found him. He’s this guy, David Jonsson,’ Feige recalled. ‘I said, ‘What do you mean?’ He goes, ‘I’m going to meet him.’ I watched more of his movies, and I was impressed.’

David Jonsson is a British actor who has been making a name for himself in Hollywood in recent years. He has appeared in a number of films and TV shows, including ‘Endeavour,’ ‘Deep State,’ ‘Alien: Romulus,’ and ‘The Long Walk.’ His performance in these roles caught the attention of Coogler, who believed that he had the potential to play the next Black Panther.

‘He had a secret meeting with him under cloak of darkness in a hotel somewhere, and called me afterwards and said, ‘He’s the guy, he’s the guy, I felt it. I felt it in my soul. He’s a good man, and he is the next Black Panther,’ Feige added. ‘And I got chills, and I got a little welled-up and said, ‘Let’s do it.’ So we’ve been sitting on this secret for a good five or six months.’

The casting choice for the next Black Panther was a deliberate decision made by Coogler and the rest of the Marvel team. They wanted to find someone who not only had the acting chops but also had the right qualities to play the role. ‘He’s a good man, and he is the next Black Panther,’ Feige said. ‘We’re excited to see him bring this character to life.’

The Black Panther sequel is expected to be a highly anticipated film, with fans eagerly waiting to see who will play the next Black Panther. With David Jonsson set to take on the role, fans can expect a thrilling and action-packed film that will leave them on the edge of their seats.

Feige also revealed that the film will be joined by Letitia Wright as Shuri and Winston Duke as M’Baku. The film is expected to release in December 2028, giving fans plenty of time to speculate and guess who will be the next Black Panther.