Is Damson Idris (F1, Snowfall) Marvel Studios’ new Black Panther? The internet has been going wild with rumors that it could be so for some time now. This week brought another wave of buzz that Idris is going to be taking on the role of T’Challa in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, after the role was vacated by the tragic passing of actor Chadwick Boseman in 2020. Marvel has been sensitive about recasting T’Challa – and the fan base has been divided over the idea as well – so a side-step was made: The sequel film, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, passed the mantle of “Black Panther” onto Princess Shuri (Letitia Wright), while killing off the T’Challa character. However, with the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars event films, Marvel Studios has an opportunity to reset the Black Panther franchise for a new future, with a new T’Challa.
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Given the shenanigans of the MCU “Multiverse Saga” story arc, many fans expect Secret Wars to be a soft reboot of the franchise, resetting the status quo and recasting some key roles. That’s an easy opportunity for a T’Challa from another reality (a younger king) to become the new MCU Black Panther. The other possibility the franchise has introduced is Damson Idris playing T’Challa II, the young boy revealed at the end of Wakanda Forever as King T’Challa and former Wakandan “War Dog” operative Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o). Again, whether through in-universe time progression or timeline hijinks, Damson Idris could step into the role of the Prince T’Challa character, entering a pivotal stage of adult life.
Damson Idris Responds to MCU Black Panther Rumors (And Gives Fans Hope)
While attending the TIME 100 Next Gala, Damson Idris (one of Hollywood’s quickest rising stars) was interviewed by the hosting outlet about his career. That, of course, led to questions about those Black Panther rumors, and Idris (ever the pro) gave one verbal answer, but also conveyed something in his body language that a lot of fans are taking as a hopeful tease, behind the veil of non-disclosure.
We can only tell you that Idris verbally responded, “No, no. I don’t know anything about it,” when asked about joining Marvel Studios as the new Black Panther; although we must point out: what about the MCU, the Black Panther movie phenomenon and franchise, or the deafening buzz from years of rumors about him taking over for Chadwick Boseman would Damson Idris not “know anything about”?
The verbal response is what it is; you can take a look at this photo from the interview HERE and then tell us: does that coy smile look like Damson Idris is already towing the company line?
To be clear, for months now, scoopers have been hinting that Marvel Studios already has the new T’Challa locked into the franchise. While no one has concretely confirmed it’s Damson Idris, no one has been able to debunk the idea, either. “I think that they know who they want for T’Challa,” reporter Jeff Sneider said on his podcast, back in late summer. He added, “For T’Challa, I don’t know if it’ll be Damson Idris … I think David Jonsson is really looking pretty good for that.”
Damson Idris and his fellow UK actor David Jonsson (Alien: Romulus) both had big movies drop in the Summer of 2025. It would be hard to argue that Jonsson’s role as a street-tough kid with a heart of gold in the Stephen King adaptation The Long Walk is a better image of T’Challa than the hotshot athletic race car driver that Idris played in F1 (opposite Brad Pitt, no less). In fact, the entire arc of Idris’s F1 character was a new superstar stepping up to replace an old lion; he’s performed a soft audition for everything he’d be taking on in Black Panther 3.
Most importantly, Damson Idris is probably the actor most fans would be most at peace with taking the mantle from Chadwick Boseman – and is probably best-equipped to handle the public scrutiny around it. This TIME interview may just be his first rounds of doing so…
Black Panther 3 is in development at Marvel Studios. Would you accept Damson Idris as the new MCU T’Challa? Let us know on the ComicBook Forum!
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Image Courtesy of Ufotable -
Image Courtesy of Marvel Comics
