Angela Bassett Just Gave David Jonsson Her Royal Seal of Approval as Marvel’s Next Black Panther

Wakanda has weathered its share of loss on screen, and few performances captured that grief more powerfully than Angela Bassett’s turn as Queen Ramonda across two ‘Black Panther’ films. Her work in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘ made history as the first performance in a Marvel movie to land an Oscar nomination, cementing her as one of the franchise’s most respected voices both on screen and off.

That history is exactly why fans have been watching closely for her reaction to Marvel’s next big move in the franchise. Back in July, director Ryan Coogler took the Hall H stage at San Diego Comic-Con alongside Kevin Feige to reveal that David Jonsson would step into the role of an adult Prince T’Challa II, the son introduced in the closing moments of ‘Wakanda Forever.’

Now, months after that announcement first broke the internet, Bassett has finally spoken publicly about the casting, and her response has fans buzzing all over again. Speaking on the red carpet for the ‘American Horror Story’ season thirteen premiere, Bassett told ScreenRant she was so over the moon to hear that, as a fan, adding that she knew audiences had reacted with the same excitement.

Bassett didn’t stop at simple enthusiasm. She went on to say she couldn’t wait to see what Jonsson brings to the role, calling the casting news exciting and making clear her support extends well beyond a passing compliment. When asked directly whether the newcomer has her approval as “auntie,” a nod to Michael B. Jordan’s iconic Killmonger line from the original ‘Black Panther,’ Bassett simply replied that yes, he does.

That “auntie” callback carries real weight for longtime fans of the franchise, tying Jonsson’s arrival back to one of the series’ most quoted moments. It also signals that Bassett, despite Ramonda’s death in ‘Wakanda Forever,’ remains emotionally invested in where the Wakanda story goes next.

Jonsson’s casting fills a role Marvel has been carefully building toward since Nakia revealed she and T’Challa secretly had a son before his death, a reveal saved for the closing moments of ‘Wakanda Forever.’ Rather than recasting the original T’Challa outright, the studio instead honored Chadwick Boseman’s legacy by having Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, take up the mantle in the interim, while quietly setting up the next generation to eventually take over.

Coogler, who returns to direct the threequel, teased at Comic-Con that the character introduced as a child has now grown up and come of age, setting the stage for Jonsson’s live-action debut in the role. Wright and Winston Duke’s M’Baku are both confirmed to return for the film, and Denzel Washington has also joined the cast in a role that hasn’t been detailed publicly.

Whether Bassett herself will appear alongside Jonsson remains an open question, since Ramonda’s death in ‘Wakanda Forever’ would require some kind of narrative workaround for her to return. Given that ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ is expected to reset elements of the MCU timeline rather than reboot it outright, some fans have speculated that could open the door for Ramonda to factor into the story in some form, though nothing has been confirmed.

‘Black Panther 3’ is currently set for a theatrical release on December 15, 2028, with no trailer date announced yet and filming not expected to begin until 2027. Jonsson, a RADA-trained actor known for ‘Industry,’ ‘Rye Lane,’ ‘Alien: Romulus’ and ‘The Long Walk,’ now carries the added pressure of stepping into one of Marvel’s most beloved franchises with the blessing of its reigning queen.

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