Los Angeles: San Diego Comic-Con 2026 just shattered the internet! In a blockbuster Hall H presentation that left fans breathless, Marvel Studios dropped two of its biggest bombshells yet: officially unveiling the brand-new Ghost Rider and revealing who will take up the legendary mantle in Black Panther 3.
Marvel Studios announced at Comic-Con International that David Jonsson will play the new Black Panther in "Black Panther III", scheduled for release on December 15, 2028. Actor David Jonsson, best known for his roles in "Alien Romulus" and "The Long Walk", will be the new Black Panther as T'Challa's son in "Black Panther 3".
The Ryan Coogler-directed movie will follow Jonsson as Prince T’Challa II as a young adult after his introduction as a child in 2022's "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever", reported Variety.
Coogler and Marvel Studios Chief Kevin Feige announced Jonsson as MCU's next Black Panther at the San Diego Comic-Con. The third film will be a coming-of-age story, following the young heir's journey in claiming his right to the throne of Wakanda while managing the heavy weight of his late father's legacy.
Franchise co-stars Leticia Wright and Winston Duke were also present at the presentation at Marvel's Comic-Con Hall H panel and will return as Shuri and M’Baku, respectively.
After Chadwick Boseman's death from colon cancer in 2020, Wright took over the role of Black Panther in “Wakanda Forever”. The character T'Challa II was introduced as T’Challa and Nakia’s (Lupita Nyong’o) son in the movie.
At the panel, Feige said a "secret meeting" between Jonsson and Coogler led to his casting as the next Black Panther.
"We hadn’t started a search yet. We were waiting ’til after the Academy Awards to sit with Ryan and begin that process,” Feige said.
"He (Coogler) had a secret meeting with him (Jonsson) 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,’ said Feige.
Marvel launched the first “Black Panther” in 2018 to overwhelming acclaim. It grossed USD 1.3 billion at the worldwide box office and earned seven Oscar nominations, including best picture. Boseman's death during the pandemic led Coogler to rewrite the story with Wright stepping into the role of her on-screen brother.
Marvel fans won’t have to wait long to see Wright back in action as Black Panther, as she's part of the sprawling “Avengers: Doomsday” cast. The film will hit theatres on December 18.
The studio also confirmed that Ryan Gosling will portray Ghost Rider in a separate Marvel film. Jonsson joined director Ryan Coogler on stage alongside Letitia Wright and Winston Duke during the announcement. Actor Ryan Gosling will feature in the role of Johnny Blaze in Marvel's film "Ghost Rider".
The film is directed by Shawn Levy and is scheduled for release in 2028, according to entertainment news outlet Deadline.
Ghost Rider is a supernatural antihero in Marvel Comics centred on a human bonded with a Spirit of Vengeance. Blaze trades his soul to save a loved one and transforms into a flaming skeletal rider who punishes the guilty.
Previously, Nicolas Cage portrayed the character in the 2007 film "Ghost Rider" and its 2011 sequel, "Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance". The first film earned more than USD 200 million at the global box office, while the sequel grossed nearly USD 150 million worldwide.
Gosling's latest work is "Hail Mary", in which he portrayed Ryland Grace, a middle-school science teacher turned astronaut who wakes up alone aboard an interstellar spaceship with amnesia. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the film has grossed more than USD 600 million at the global box office.
