Who Will Be the Next Black Panther? Polymarket Bettors Still Aren’t Sure

With Black Panther 3 officially in the works and set to release in 2028, who will play the titular Marvel hero?

Following the tragic death of star Chadwick Boseman in 2020, Shuri, played by Letitia Wright, officially became the new Black Panther in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever to honor the legacy of T’Challa.

Marvel is rumored to be aging up the character of T’Challa’s young son, who was introduced in Wakanda Forever, and making him the next Black Panther. Although no official casting announcements have been made, a few names have been churned out by the rumor mill to take on the legacy for future films.

Snowfall and F1: The Movie star Damson Idris has been floated as the next potential Black Panther, as has BlacKkKlansman star John David Washington.

Although the speculation is purely that as of this moment — speculation — it’s also important to note that Idris has addressed the rumors.

Speaking with Variety on the Golden Globes red carpet in January, Idris said, “I am thankful to the fans. Of course it’s rumor, but I love that movie. I love the world. I’m glad that everyone isi seeing the future of that too. It’s moving in a brilliant direction, and I’m excited for the third one.”

He also added fuel to the fire last year during an appearance on the Today show when co-anchor Craig Melvin asked directly if Idris had any conversations about being cast as the next Black Panther. Idris groaned and attempted to dodge the yes-or-no question by responding, “Yes-no!”

Melvin joked that the answer sounded like a yes, then asked if Idris would accept the role if Marvel offered it. Idris didn’t hesitate before giving a resounding “yes.”

Black Panther 3 producer Nate Moore shot down casting rumors in February 2025, telling Entertainment Weekly that “none” of the “chatter online about casting and villains” is true. “We just haven’t gotten there yet, to be honest, but I am very excited to start those conversations hopefully this year,” he said.

After years of playing T’Challa across multiple Marvel films, Boseman died at age 43 in 2020 following a private four-year battle with cancer.

A Polymarket scenario taking bets on which actor will be the new Black Panther currently has Washington in the lead with a 46% chance of being officially announced as the next Black Panther actor by Dec. 31. Idris is hot on his tail with a 44% chance. Of course, there’s always a chance the bet won’t play out at all if no Black Panther actor is announced before the end of the year.

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