Who Is David Jonsson? Everything You Need To Know About The Actor Playing T’Challa In “Black Panther 3”

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So over the weekend, Marvel dropped an announcement at San Diego Comic Con in Hall H that caused the internet to explode. For the most part, everyone seems super excited that David Jonsson was announced as the new T’Challa in “Black Panther 3”. Yup, we’re getting a Black Panther 3!

But there are a few … questionable, for lack of a better word, folks out there with “interesting” thoughts. And even a few dumb enough to question Ryan Coogler’s genius. But we’ll get into that in a sec, because if you’re reading this, you’re probably still stuck on … “Who is David Jonsson?”

And if you’ve been living under a rock, that’s a fair question. I guess if you also hate rom-coms, BritBox, and the Aliens franchise, then that might explain why you don’t already know who David is.

But since I’ve seen both Rye Lane and Aliens: Romulus … I know exactly how deserving David Jonsson is of this moment, and this role, and I can not WAIT to see what he does with this character.

For those of you still skeptical, here’s why he’s ready for Wakanda’s next chapter.

Ryan Coogler Didn’t Pick David Jonsson For “Black Panther 3” By Accident

Okay … so first … who is David Jonsson?

Aside from being another Black actor I now need to add to my “Black Actors (Under 40) I’d Drop Everything To Go On A Date With“ list … because let’s face it, these photos are giving foine AF!

David Jonsson isn’t one of those actors who became famous overnight.

He’s actually been doing what a lot of really great Black actors do, and that’s showing up, putting in the work, and quietly stealing every scene they give him. Which honestly makes him a pretty fitting choice for the next chapter of Black Panther. And maybe you don’t know him, because he’s a British actor.

He began his career on the West End, winning a Black British Theatre Award, but this hardworking Virgo (Sept 4th) is also known for his performance in the HBO television series Industry, which premiered in 2020, and recently won the BAFTA 2025 EE Rising Star Award.

But what I love most about his career so far is that he hasn’t been boxed into one kind of role.

He’s gone from the West End stage, to prestige television, to a romantic comedy, to a major sci-fi horror franchise, and now Marvel. And baby … that doesn’t happen by accident. That’s what happens when directors keep trusting you with bigger and bigger opportunities.

So if you’re new to his work, and …

If you’ve never seen David Jonsson on screen before … start here.

Rye Lane

If you love rom-coms, Rye Lane NEEDS to be your introduction to Jonsson. (It was mine.) However, the film follows two youngsters reeling from bad break-ups who connect over a particularly eventful day in South London, and David spends almost the entire movie carrying this charming, funny love story alongside Vivian Oparah.

Not only is he insanely easy to root for, but he’s also funny without trying too hard, awkward in the most endearing way, and has the kind of natural chemistry that makes you forget you’re watching actors instead of two people genuinely getting to know each other. It’s a super cute film!

Alien: Romulus

Then he completely switches gears for this sci-fi horror film, where six downtrodden young space colonists encounter hostile creatures while scavenging a derelict space station from which they plan to steal cryostasis chambers to navigate to another planet. And I’ve never been more annoyed at a set of young adults in my life!

Read my Alien: Romulus review here for why!

But instead of charming us through a rom-com, Jonsson plays Andy, an android whose journey becomes one of the film’s most emotionally complicated storylines. Throughout the movie, he balances innocence, fear, loyalty, and heartbreak while everything around him falls apart.

It’s a performance that’s worlds away from Rye Lane, and that’s exactly what makes him so impressive.

Those two performances couldn’t feel more different.

One asks him to carry a romantic comedy almost entirely through charm and chemistry. The other asks him to carry a horror film through tension, vulnerability, and emotional weight. The fact that both performances work so well is exactly why Ryan Coogler’s casting doesn’t surprise me.

And once you’re done with those two, don’t forget to watch him in …

• The Long Walk: Adapted from a Stephen King novel, this horror film follows a group of teens who participate in a gruelling high-stakes contest where they must continuously walk … or be shot. Which I still think is an insane concept, and because of that, I still haven’t seen it yet.
• Industry: In this HBO financial thriller drama series, graduates from all walks of life compete for a limited number of available full-time employment opportunities at Pierpoint, a top investment bank in London. And I may have to binge this one this weekend!

Now … can we stop asking who “should’ve gotten” the T’Challa role?

This idea that … we should be fancasting, or submitting “other options” after a BLACK ACTOR just got picked for a MARVEL role is unbelievably insane, borderline idiotic, and honestly, it’s cruel.

Imagine getting hired for a job you’ve worked your ass off for, only to look at the work group chat and see that folks have been discussing who should have gotten hired instead. Like, what?!

Do you know how much backlash Black actors and actresses get on a daily basis from the rest of the world? Especially white folks? The executives! The producers. Why would you add to that conversation, and pretend like Ryan Coogler doesn’t know WTF he’s doing! The Ryan Coogler that just gave us Sinners? The same Ryan Coogler that picked Michael B Jordan?!

All because you’re unfamiliar with David’s work?

He’s not even NEW to the damn game, which is the funny part about this. We’re not discussing someone who’s never acted a day in his life!

And even if we were — did we not just watch Miles Caton body his first role under Coogler’s direction?

I get that the Black Panther franchise is special to a lot of people, but I don’t think it’s more special to the creator himself, who also lost a friend just a few years ago.

We’re talking about the same man who saw something special in Michael B. Jordan, Daniel Kaluuya, and Miles Caton … and you’re telling me this is where his judgment suddenly falls apart?

Maybe, just MAYBE, Coogler spent the last few years not only grieving his friend, but also figuring out a way to give the people exactly what they spent years asking for! There were SO many people who begged for T’Challa to be recast after Black Panther 2 premiered, and now that they’re getting a new actor to step into the role … it’s not enough? Please! Don’t be daft!

Now … Here’s Why I Think Ryan Coogler (And Marvel) Got This One Right

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For those of you who skipped to the end, rolled your eyes at my movie suggestions, and still think Ryan Coogler got this one wrong … let’s recap, shall we?

David Jonsson has already proven he can carry both a heartfelt romantic comedy and a major sci-fi horror film. One role showcases his charm and chemistry. The other demands emotional depth, vulnerability, and intensity. That’s exactly the kind of range I’d expect Ryan Coogler to be looking for.

And that’s before you even get to Industry and The Long Walk, two more projects where Jonsson continues to show us he’s not interested in playing the same character over and over again.

Plus, Ryan Coogler has never struck me as the kind of director who casts the fan favorite.

He casts the actor who best serves the story. Looking at David Jonsson’s career so far, this feels less like a shocking announcement … and more like the next logical step.

And maybe that’s because Jonsson’s Black Panther 3 role isn’t the same as the old role Chadwick Boseman played in film one. He’s not stepping into Chadwick Boseman’s exact shoes—he’s continuing the story through T’Challa Jr., which gives him an opportunity to make the character his own, instead of trying to recreate a performance that should never be recreated.

So if you were doubting our good friend Ryan Coogler …

Maybe start with the homework before questioning the assignment.

Watch Rye Lane. Watch Alien: Romulus.

Get familiar with David Jonsson’s body of work before assuming this casting came out of nowhere.

Because once you see him on screen, you’ll finally realize that David Jonsson isn’t just ready for Wakanda … he’s ready for a bigger spotlight. And now Marvel is giving him one.