‘F1’ Star Is Ready to Take On The Mantle of Black Panther in the MCU

Damson Idris is getting a lot of attention right now, thanks to his lead role in the movie F1, which is currently filling up theaters. But even before that, he was already well-known for playing Franklin Saint in the FX crime drama Snowfall.

Now, rumors are swirling about Idris possibly joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the next Black Panther. USA Today brought this up in a recent interview with him.

When asked directly if he’s had talks with Marvel Studios, Idris answered, “Yes no,” which left people guessing. But when the interviewer asked if he would accept the role if Marvel called, Idris didn’t hesitate. He said yes.

A few months ago, Marvel producer Nate Moore has tried to cool down the rumors. Moore, who is Marvel Studios’ VP of Production & Development, recently said there are no current plans to recast T’Challa.

He explained that director Ryan Coogler hasn’t even started planning the future of Black Panther because he’s busy working on Sinners. Moore did say that a recast might be possible someday, but for now, the rumors are just rumors. He made it clear that no decisions have been made yet.

As for the next Black Panther film, it is happening. Kevin Feige, the president of Marvel Studios, confirmed during a press event for the upcoming Fantastic Four movie that Ryan Coogler is now focused on Black Panther 3.

Feige didn’t share a release date but said that Marvel already knows where the film will fit into their timeline.

Coogler has also been making plans of his own. Back in late 2024, reports said he was talking with Denzel Washington about joining Black Panther 3. Coogler later confirmed those talks in June 2025. In a recent interview, Coogler said, “I’m dying to work with Denzel and I’m hoping we can make that happen.” He added, “I got every intention of working with him in that movie and as long as he’s interested — it’s going to happen.” Coogler described Washington as a “living legend and a great mentor,” and said, “He’s all about looking out for us.”

There’s still a lot of mystery around Black Panther 3, including whether a new T’Challa will be introduced. But fans know that Coogler and Marvel are working on it. And now, thanks to Idris’ interesting answers, people are wondering if he could be the future king of Wakanda.

The video was first published by USA Today.

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