Damson Idris Breaks Silence on Black Panther Rumors — Fans Think He Just Confirmed It
Damson Idris is once again in the middle of the Black Panther rumor storm, and his recent appearance on NBC’s Today show definitely didn’t quiet things down.
The 33-year-old F1: The Movie star was playing a quick “yes or no” game with co-host Craig Melvin when the topic of Marvel came up. Melvin asked him straight-up if he’s had any conversations about taking over the role of T’Challa in a future Black Panther film. Idris reacted with a groan and blurted out, “Yes-no!”
Melvin didn’t let it slide. “By the way, the yes-no means yes,” he said, to which Idris responded, “Uh, it could mean no!” But when asked directly if he’d accept the role if offered, Idris didn’t hesitate: “Yes.”
— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) June 18, 2025
That moment added more fuel to a fire that’s been burning since January. That’s when The InSneider reported that Marvel might actually be considering recasting T’Challa, even though the studio had said before that they wouldn’t replace Chadwick Boseman after his passing.
In the same month, Idris was dragged into the online conversation when a post on X claimed he had turned down the role. He replied with a sarcastic now-deleted post, saying, “Yes sir. I turned down 007, A co-lead film with Daniel Day Lewis and an Eddie Murphy biopic too. 🙃” That response only stirred the pot more.
While Idris’s possible involvement with Marvel remains unclear, we do know that Black Panther 3 is still in very early stages. Director Ryan Coogler hasn’t officially started work on it yet because he was up until recently focused on his other movie, Sinners.
Still, Coogler recently spoke about wanting to work with Denzel Washington in the third Black Panther film. He mentioned it during a chat with Shannon Sharpe and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, saying, “I’m dying to work with Denzel and I’m hoping we can make that happen. I got every intention of working with him in that movie and as long as he’s interested — it’s going to happen.”
Coogler also called Washington a “living legend and a great mentor,” adding, “He’s all about looking out for us.”
Even Denzel Washington hinted at a possible role. Last year, while promoting the Gladiator sequel, it was he who leaked that Coogler was writing a role for him in the next Black Panther movie.
Meanwhile, Marvel producer Nate Moore recently addressed all the casting rumors. He said Marvel hasn’t made any decisions yet about the future of T’Challa or a third film because Coogler isn’t even working on it at the moment.
Moore made it clear that for now, there are no talks about replacing Boseman’s character, but he didn’t completely shut the door either.
So is Damson Idris the next Black Panther? Nobody at Marvel is saying yes, but Idris definitely isn’t saying no.
