Angela Bassett publicly expressed support for David Jhonson playing the new T'Challa in Black Panther 3, but did not confirm whether she would return. Jhonson will portray the grown-up T'Challa, who appeared as a teenager in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Jhonson graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in the UK and has performed in London's West End. He also played the android Andy in Alien: Romulus and survivor Pete McFreeze in Long Long Way. Young T'Challa in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was portrayed by Divian Love Konadu-Sun; reports mention that this young actor is currently 11 years old, while Jhonson is 33. It remains unclear how the film will depict the character's experiences after growing up.
Bassett spoke about Jhonson on the red carpet at an American Horror Story-related event, saying she was thrilled to hear the news and couldn't wait to see his performance. Having appeared in the first two films of the Black Panther series, she portrayed Queen Ramonda in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and received an Oscar nomination for her performance.
Ramonda is T'Challa's grandmother, but this character passed away in the previous film. The Ancestral Plane of Wakanda has allowed deceased characters to reappear on screen, as seen with Michael B. Jordan's Erik Killmonger in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. However, Bassett only discussed Jhonson's casting this time and did not reveal whether Ramonda will appear in the third film.
The currently mentioned release date for Black Panther 3 is December 15, 2028. Letitia Wright and Winston Duke will continue to play Shuri and M'Baku respectively; Denzel Washington will also join the cast, though his role has not yet been announced.