British actor David Jonsson has been praised by fellow actors and fans after he was named as the new Black Panther.

Director Ryan Coogler unveiled the new star on-stage at Comic-Con and revealed the third entry in the superhero blockbuster series was due to be released in December 2028.

Jonsson, a Bafta Rising Star winner who’s appeared in Industry, The Long Walk and Rye Lane, will play the son of T’Challa, king of Wakanda, the fictional African nation where the films are set.

US actor Chadwick Boseman, who died aged 43 in 2020, four years after a colon cancer diagnosis, played the character in the original Black Panther movie, two Avengers films and Captain America: Civil War.

Coogler told fans Jonsson’s character “grows up [and] he comes of age” – suggesting he will portray T’Challa II, the original king’s secret son seen during sequel Wakanda Forever.

British actress Letitia Wright, who will return to play Shuri, T’Challa II’s aunt, wrote “let’s go nephew” on the announcement post on Instagram., external

Anne Boleyn actress Jodie Turner-Smith described Jonsson as the “loveliest human” and said she was “seated” for his performance.

Jonsson said taking on the mantle was a “privilege” and “honour” in his own Instagram post., external

Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa, Brooklyn Nine-Nine actor Terry Crews and The Bear actress Ayo Edebiri were also among those who congratulated Jonsson.

Content creator Gerry Otim, who reviews films and TV shows on TikTok, told BBC Newsbeat Jonsson is a “really exciting young actor” who he sees as “one of the best” out there.

“When he performs, you can see there’s an emotional intelligence and subtlety to what he’s bringing to screen,” he said.

“Every performance feels deeply human, even though he might be playing different roles.

“From The Long Walk, where he’s such a sort of charming and charismatic character, to Rye Lane, where there’s a sort of emotional vulnerability to the character.

“He’s supremely talented.”

Some fans believed British actor Damson Idris, who starred alongside Brad Pitt in the F1 movie, would be selected for the Black Panther role.

Otim says he thinks Jonsson is a “more exciting” pick as he was more unexpected.

There had been hesitancy from Marvel and fans to replace Black Panther, but Otim feels the new character is a “great way of honouring, not just the memory of Chadwick, but also the character of T’Challa”.

“It’s a character that meant so much to so many people,” he added.

“It’s really cool just to see an African character who is so cool to watch on-screen.

“So I think this a great way of making sure that we don’t disrespect T’Challa’s legacy.”

Jonsson, who made history as the first black actor to lead an Agatha Christie screen adaptation, comes from a working-class background in east London.

Speaking to BBC Newsbeat last year, he said movies from black American film-makers, such as Love and Basketball, Friday and Mahogany inspired him “to dream a bit” and fuelled his own love of movies.

He said his family supported his career choice, even though he confessed it felt “impossible” at times to see a path for himself into the industry.

“My dad loved movies and he was a huge advocate for us watching and appreciating art,” he said.

“I’m eternally grateful for them taking a chance and saying ‘do what you want’.”

The news came amongst a slate of other announcements made at San Diego Comic-Con over the weekend.

US actor Ryan Gosling surprised fans by revealing he will join the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) as the title character in a new Ghost Rider film, due to be released in 2028.

An exclusive trailer of the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday film, which is lined-up for a 18 December release date, was also shown to attendees.

Johnny Depp also made a special appearance in costume as Ebenezer Scrooge ahead of the festive dark fantasy Ebenezer being released in November.

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