Kevin Feige says Ryan Coogler found next Black Panther
Kevin Feige says Ryan Coogler cast David Jonsson as the next Black Panther after a secret hotel meeting about six months ago. The Marvel boss told Empire he got chills when Coogler declared Jonsson “the guy,” ending plans for a formal search after Sinners and the Oscars.
Key Takeaways
- Feige says Coogler called him with Jonsson’s name before Marvel started a casting search.
- The pair met in a “secret meeting” under “cloak of darkness” at a hotel.
- Jonsson will play Prince T’Challa II in Black Panther 3, due Dec. 15, 2028.
- Letitia Wright and Winston Duke are returning; Marvel revealed the news at Comic-Con Hall H.
- Feige said Marvel sat on the casting secret for five or six months.
How did Kevin Feige say Ryan Coogler found David Jonsson?
According to Variety, Feige recounted the casting story to Empire. Marvel had not opened a search. Coogler was deep into Sinners, and the studio presumed it would sit with him only after that film’s release and Academy campaign, waiting until after the Oscars to begin.
About a month and a half before that planned process, Coogler phoned Feige and said he had “found him”: David Jonsson, star of The Long Walk. He cited Jonsson’s movies. Feige had seen some and watched more, then learned Coogler planned to meet the actor.
What happened in the secret Black Panther 3 meeting?
Coogler held what Feige called a secret meeting “under cloak of darkness in a hotel somewhere.” Afterward, he told Feige Jonsson was “the guy,” that he “felt it in [his] soul,” and that Jonsson is “a good man” and “the next Black Panther.”
Feige said he got chills, welled up, and replied, “Let’s do it.” The Oscar-winning director had quickly identified Jonsson as his next leading man. Marvel kept the decision quiet for “a good five or six months” before going public.
Why does this Black Panther 3 casting matter?
Jonsson will portray T’Challa’s son as Prince T’Challa II comes of age and takes up the Black Panther mantle. Black Panther 3 is set for theaters on Dec. 15, 2028. Marvel announced the news during its Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con, with Wright and Winston Duke returning for the new chapter.
Wright became the first actor to assume the Black Panther role after Chadwick Boseman died of colon cancer at age 43 in 2020, leading 2022’s Wakanda Forever. The 2018 original grossed $1.3 billion worldwide and earned seven Oscar nominations, including best picture.
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