Reports are coming thick and fast over the future of T’Challa and the Black Panther role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Marvel Studios’ Phase Four wrapped up with Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022), a film that carried a massive emotional weight—not only as a tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman but also as the closing chapter of a phase riddled with ups and downs.
While Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021) smashed records and stole the spotlight, the rest of Phase Four struggled to hit the same highs both in terms of fan reception and at the box office.
Originally, Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023) and The Marvels (2023) were slated to conclude the phase, but the honor ultimately fell to Wakanda Forever.
The tragic passing of Chadwick Boseman in 2020 left a mark on Hollywood and Marvel fans alike. As King T’Challa, Boseman brought a captivating presence to the screen, and when Marvel announced they wouldn’t recast the role, it sparked heated conversations about the franchise’s direction.
At San Diego Comic-Con 2022, the emotional teaser for Wakanda Forever left fans with more questions than answers about Wakanda’s future.

The decision not to recast T’Challa sparked widespread controversy. Some fans saw it as a disservice to the character’s legacy, with a vocal minority calling it “the biggest attack in Marvel history” and even threatening to boycott the sequel. Despite the drama, Wakanda Forever stood its ground at the box office, pulling in $859 million globally—falling short of the original’s $1.346 billion but still respectably closing out the muddled Phase Four.
Fast-forward to now, and Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has confirmed that Black Panther 3 is officially in development. Nate Moore, who will exit the studio after Captain America: Brave New World (2025), will return to produce.
According to reports, Marvel is reportedly open to recasting T’Challa through a Multiversal twist, opening up the door for a fresh take on the legendary Wakandan king. This may likely be in the upcoming Avengers movies, Avengers: Doomsday (2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (2027), when Robert Downey Jr. returns—not as Iron Man, but as Victor Von Doom.

Conflicting reports suggest Marvel may instead introduce an older version of T’Challa’s son, AKA Toussaint, a character introduced in Wakanda Forever as the child of T’Challa and Lupita Nyong’o’s Nakia. Names being tossed around for the potential “New T’Challa” include John David Washington, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Aaron Pierre.
However, a new name has now emerged in the form of Cross and Black Adam (2022) star Aldis Hodge. The actor, who played Hawkman in DC’s flop Black Adam, was named as a performer who Marvel is reportedly eyeing for the role. Marvel News (@Marvelnewszz) wrote:
Marvel Studios is reportedly eyeing Aldis Hodge to play the iconic role of Black Panther in an upcoming MCU film
Marvel Studios is reportedly eyeing Aldis Hodge to play the iconic role of Black Panther in an upcoming MCU film pic.twitter.com/2ulCF5RTGP
— Marvel News (@Marvelnewszz) January 17, 2025
Hodge is just the latest in a string of names tied to the T’Challa role, but as stated earlier, this may not even be a Multiversal version of the T’Challa Boseman created, but Earth-616’s Toussaint, AKA Prince T’Challa.
As development on the future of the Black Panther franchise seemingly gets underway, a new report from scooper My Time To Shine Hello suggests that the studio has only met with “light-skinned” actors thus far.
The controversial information has drawn scrutiny, but it should be noted that neither Marvel Studios nor The Walt Disney Company has confirmed this.
With speculation running wild, one thing’s for sure—Wakanda’s story is far from over.
How do you think Marvel should handle T’Challa’s future in the MCU? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!