David Jonsson: the London rising star handpicked to be the new Black Panther

Jonsson has come a long way from east London’s Docklands, winning accolades on stage and screen Few characters carry the cultural weight of Black Panther. Since 2018, the Wakandan king has become a global symbol of Black excellence, credited with reshaping expectations of representation on screen. The first film grossed more than $1.3bn (£1bn) worldwide, won three Oscars and became the first superhero movie nominated for best picture. Now, six years after the death of the film’s star, Chadwick Boseman, Marvel has found its next T’Challa: British star David Jonsson, who will play Boseman’s son in Black Panther 3. The character’s grip on fans is so huge that when Jonsson was introduced on stage by director Ryan Coogler at Comic-Con in San Diego at the weekend, the crowd erupted into chants of “Wakanda forever”. According to Marvel, Coogler first suggested Jonsson for one of Hollywood’s most coveted blockbuster roles six months ago. “He called me and said: ‘I found him’,” Marvel Studios president, Kevin Feige recalled. “‘He’s this guy, David Jonsson.’” It is a remarkable ascent for an actor who grew up in the east London Docklands, was expelled from school, and, only a few years ago,