Marvel boss Kevin Feige has already confirmed that Black Panther 3 is in development behind the scenes. So far, it is known that Ryan Coogler, who wrote and directed the first two installments, will return, and Denzel Washington has reportedly been offered a role in the project. Between the 2018 first film and the 2022 sequel, Chadwick Boseman, who played the titular superhero, passed away, meaning T'Challa did not appear in the sequel—though his memory deeply influenced the film. However, recent industry rumors suggest that the studio is now looking to bring the character back, leveraging the possibilities offered by the multiverse.
Jeff Sneider, a well-informed insider journalist, claims that Marvel approached an actor to replace Boseman a few months ago, but the individual ultimately declined the offer. "Marvel is reshuffling its deck before Avengers: Kang Dynasty and Avengers: Secret Wars, bringing back Robert Downey Jr., but not as Iron Man—as Doctor Doom. And I’ve heard they’ve opened the door wide to having a new actor play T'Challa, thanks to the magic of the multiverse," Sneider’s newsletter was quoted by Screenrant.
"I heard that a specific actor was offered the role last fall, a few months after Downey's big Comic-Con reveal, but the actor turned it down because he didn’t want to jeopardize his career by stepping into Boseman’s immense shoes—a challenge perhaps too great even for Hollywood's most talented Black actors. It’s currently unclear if T’Challa will appear in Avengers: Kang Dynasty or Avengers: Secret Wars, but I think it’s fair to assume that whoever they choose will likely appear in Black Panther 3, which everyone is already buzzing about, from Ryan Coogler to Denzel Washington," Sneider added.
Chadwick Boseman debuted as T'Challa in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War. After his acclaimed solo film in 2018, he joined the Avengers in Infinity War and Endgame. The actor passed away in 2020 at the age of 43 due to cancer. Following his death, Marvel decided to continue the Black Panther franchise without recasting his role, incorporating the king's death into the story. However, the sequel’s post-credit scene revealed that T'Challa and Nakia had a son named Toussaint, at least in Haitian terms. Played by Divine Love Konadu-Sun, the boy introduces himself to Shuri as Prince T’Challa, meaning the MCU technically already has a new T’Challa.
