The reaction to English actor David Jonsson being cast in Black Panther III as the new T’Challa, a.k.a. Toussaint, a.k.a. T’Challa II, has generally been positive. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art with stage experience from London’s West End, Jonsson has impressed genre fans as Andy the android in Alien: Romulus, and survivor Pete McVries in The Long Walk. Both demonstrated his range with accents and personality types; he has yet to play a superhero showing off a muscular physique, but certainly demonstrated stamina and physicality in the parts. Divine Love Konadu-Sun, who has not acted onscreen before or since, played the junior T’Challa in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever; he is currently 11 years old, while Jonsson is 33. Evidently some kind of multiverse shenanigans will age him up.
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Jonsson may already have fan support, but it’s been an open question how the actors who worked with the late Chadwick Boseman in previous films, might accept him. Letitia Wright as Shuri the current Black Panther, will be returning, as will Winston Duke as M’Baku. Denzel Washington is cast in an unknown role, so Jonsson will be working with the best. Both Wright and Duke have previously expressed support, but now the biggest name from the first two Black Panther films has weighed in.
Angela Bassett Approves
The Queen herself, Angela Bassett, who scored a rare comic-book movie Oscar nomination for her performance in Wakanda Forever, is excited for Jonsson, per ScreenRant. On the red carpet for American Horror Story, she said, regarding the actor, “I cannot wait. I was so over the moon to hear that, as a fan. I know the fans were happy as well. It’s exciting!” What fans might also want to know, though, is whether she’s saying this just as a fan — or a future costar. Her character of Queen Ramonda would, after all, be his grandmother, and likely to have some thoughts about the kid’s sudden growth spurt. Ramonda, of course, died in the last Black Panther film, but that hasn’t been an obstacle to previous character returns. Loki and Vision have made entire new storylines post-death, but the Black Panther franchise doesn’t even need their godlike power levels to bring back the dead onscreen.
That’s because the Wakandan Ancestral Plane is right there, existing not just as an in-story afterlife, but also a narrative device to bring back some of the best actors whose characters died. Michael B. Jordan’s Killmonger appeared there last time; Ramonda certainly should be there based on all the rules we know about their theology. If she’s going to show, though, Marvel may want to keep it a surprise; Jordan’s cameo was not revealed prior to Wakanda Forever‘s release. (Jordan, for the record, approves of Jonsson.) We may have to wait until the third film’s release on December 15th, 2028, where it’s set to be the third film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase 7, following X-Men in May of 2028 and Ghost Rider in July. And now that the only actor ever nominated for an acting Oscar from a Marvel film approves, the rest of us should be excited too.
We want to hear from you in the comments: Are you hoping to see Bassett return via the Ancestral Plane for Black Panther 3? Or do you think she’s done with the franchise?
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