Letitia Wright is delighted by <em>Black Panther 3</em>‘s new hero casting.
Development on a third installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise has been quietly in the works since Wakanda Forever‘s success, with Denzel Washington revealing at one point that Ryan Coogler was writing a role for him. Black Panther 3 was officially confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con 2026, with Wright and Winston Duke being confirmed to return and The Long Walk‘s David Jonsson being cast as an adult Toussaint/T’Challa II.
Now, in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Wright has offered her first thoughts on Jonsson’s casting for Black Panther 3. The Shuri actor described the news as “really beautiful to hear,” sharing that she has “a personal connection” to the new star and praising him as a “special person” with a “good heart.”
Further calling Jonsson’s casting a “full circle” moment for them, Wright acknowledged that she is “still living” in the moment of the Black Panther 3 news, sharing that the two are “still checking in with each other about it,” but teases that Shuri will undergo a lot of growth in Avengers: Doomsday to build toward T’Challa II taking on the mantle. Check out the rest of Wright’s comments below:
Letitia Wright: In terms of what Shuri means to him, you know, Shuri’s gone through so much. And in this film Doomsday, we see her growth. We see her fully in this position as Black Panther. But also like, just a renewed woman, and powerful and strong. And that leadership quality that she’s grown up around with Ramonda, her mother. T’Challa, her brother. She now has that mantle to pass on and that guidance and that wisdom to pass on.
The announcement of Jonsson’s casting initially came as something of a surprise to some as it confirmed a massive time jump for Black Panther 3‘s story. T’Challa II/Toussaint was introduced in the mid-credits of Wakanda Forever when Shuri ventured to Haiti, where Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia revealed that she had been raising her son in secret, and was roughly five or six years of age.
Though the alum likely won’t play T’Challa II at his real-life age, with him being 32 years old, it would likely point to Black Panther 3 taking place at least two decades after the events of Wakanda Forever. It wouldn’t be the first time that the MCU has seen any kind of time jump, as Captain America: The First Avenger‘s post credits brought Chris Evans’ character from 1945 into 2011, while Avengers: Endgame picked up five years after Thanos’ population-halving snap.
While the two may not have starred in any projects together previously, it does make sense that Wright and Jonsson found themselves bonding with each other well before he joined the cast. Both stars grew up in London and attended their respective acting colleges around the same time, and as such were likely crossing paths as they steadily honed their crafts in screen and stage productions.
Wright isn’t the only one who is thoroughly enthused by Jonsson’s casting either, as both Marvel boss Kevin Feige and franchise vet Michael B. Jordan have similarly shared exciting responses to the news. Feige actually revealed to ScreenRant that Coogler met with Jonsson in secret for the role before approaching him with his vision for having the star take on the mantle, while Jordan recently described the decision as “amazing” and one he “can’t wait to see.
With there still being two years untilBlack Panther 3‘s December 2028 release date, there is bound to be plenty of questions as to the actual nature of Shuri passing the torch of the titular hero to her nephew, particularly after the events of the next twoAvengers movies. However, withSecret Wars expected to be a soft reboot of the MCU, his arrival also serves as the best path for launching a new era for the Wakanda superhero.
