Black Panther 3 now has an official release date, and Denzel Washington is making his debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Marvel Studios unveiled the update during its panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, confirming that Black Panther 3 will open in theaters on Dec. 15, 2028. Ryan Coogler is set to return and direct the film, completing the trilogy he began with 2018’s Black Panther.
Read on for everything to know about the third chapter to Coogler’s Oscar-winning franchise.
Release date
Black Panther 3 is set for Dec. 15, 2028. The film is one of several MCU titles slated to arrive after Avengers: Secret Wars.
Cast
Washington will make his MCU debut in Black Panther 3, though his exact role hasn’t been disclosed. The Oscar winner previously said Coogler was writing a part for him specifically. Letitia Wright is returning as Shuri, and David Jonsson has joined the cast as Toussaint, also known as T’Challa II, an adult version of T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) son whose mother was revealed to be Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o) in a post-credits scene at the end of Wakanda Forever. Jonsson is coming off breakout roles in Alien: Romulus and The Long Walk, plus credits including Rye Lane and HBO’s Industry. Winston Duke is confirmed to reprise his role as M’Baku.
Jonsson kept his own remarks brief at Comic-Con, thanking Coogler and Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige for the opportunity and calling it an honor to join the franchise. “I want to let this screen do the talking,” he told the crowd. “But believe me, the honor is entirely mine.”
Behind the Camera
Coogler returns to direct, having helmed both prior Black Panther films. He’s coming off a Best Original Screenplay Oscar win for Sinners, which also earned Michael B. Jordan the Best Actor award and earned a record 16 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director.
Plot
Story details for Black Panther 3 remain largely under wraps, though the film is said to follow Jonsson’s character as he comes of age into the role of T’Challa’s successor. Since the character was still a young child at the end of Wakanda Forever, some kind of time jump is likely involved.
“In this next film, he grows up, he comes of age,” Coogler told the Comic-Con crowd before introducing Jonsson as the new Black Panther.
Marvel is expected to share more about the film next year. The movie will be shot on 70mm.
Box office
The original Black Panther grossed $1.3 billion worldwide following its 2018 release, with a cast that included Chadwick Boseman, Wright, Michael B. Jordan, Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Duke, and Angela Bassett. Boseman died in 2020 after a private battle with colon cancer, before he could reprise the role in a planned sequel. Wakanda Forever shifted its focus to Wright’s Shuri taking up the Black Panther mantle, and the film brought in $859 million worldwide in 2022, including a $331 million opening weekend that ranked among the best of the pandemic-recovery era.
Oscar history
The Black Panther franchise has a strong track record with the Academy. The original 2018 film earned seven nominations at the 2019 ceremony and won three: Best Original Score for Ludwig Göransson, Best Costume Design for Ruth E. Carter (the first Black winner in that category), and Best Production Design for Hannah Beachler (the first Black nominee and winner in that category). Its other nominations were Best Picture — making it the first superhero movie to land a best picture nomination — Best Original Song (“All the Stars”), Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing.
Wakanda Forever followed with five nominations at the 2023 ceremony, winning Best Costume Design for Carter, marking her second win for the franchise. The film was also nominated for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Original Song (“Lift Me Up”), Best Visual Effects, and Best Supporting Actress for Angela Bassett, whose nomination was the first for any actor in a Marvel film.
Where Black Panther fits into Avengers: Doomsday
Shuri, played by Wright, is expected to have a major role in Avengers: Doomsday, continuing a storyline that has featured prominently in the film’s marketing. Trailers have teased conflict between Wakanda and the Talokans, led by Namor (Tenoch Huerta). Avengers: Doomsday is set to open in theaters on Dec. 18.
