Marvel Studios confirmed that one major MCU character is going to be gender-swapped in its next solo movie, marking a historic occasion considering the same character was already gender-swapped in the past. The MCU is full of heroic characters and superhero monikers/mantles, and no matter how powerful these individuals are, they can never last forever. In some cases, Marvel Studios chooses someone of a different gender to replace them and take up the same title, but one 2028 film is going to make history with that decision.
Marvel Studios confirmed at San Diego Comic-Con 2026 (SDCC) that Black Panther 3 will be released on December 15, 2028. Of every upcoming MCU movie, Black Panther 3 has most likely received the most rumors and speculation about what direction Marvel Studios will go in regarding its lead character and the Black Panther moniker, but Marvel has already confirmed which direction it will go with that.
At SDCC, Marvel brought out actor David Jonsson to the Hall H stage and introduced him to the crowd. Jonsson will portray T'Challa II in Black Panther 3 (Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa's son) and will take up the Black Panther mantle from Shuri.
Notably, this will be the first time in live-action MCU history where a superhero title will be gender-swapped for a second time. For reference, the Black Panther name was held by Boseman's T'Challa for multiple MCU movies, but after the actor's tragic passing, Marvel Studios introduced his female successor.
Specifically, that successor was Letitia Wright's Shuri, who was the Black Panther in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. She will also appear as the superhero in Avengers: Doomsday, and likely in Avengers: Secret Wars. Therefore, Marvel gender-swapped the character when the mantle passed from T'Challa to Shuri.
In Black Panther 3, the character will be gender-swapped again, reverting to a male (Jonsson's T'Challa II). As mentioned, this will be the first time the franchise has gone from one gender to another and back to the original, all with the same superhero mantle.
It is also worth mentioning that, after Black Panther 3 is released, a different actor and character will have portrayed the Black Panther in each entry.
While this is a historic moment, it is not the first time the MCU has gender-swapped a superhero, and it likely won't be the last. While no one knows for sure what is going to happen, there are a few characters from the comics who could be brought into the MCU as the successors to some of the franchise's biggest names.
MCU Superheroes Who Could Be Gender-Swapped in the Future
Daredevil
Daredevil is a relatively new character in the MCU. Charlie Cox portrayed Matt Murdock (aka Daredevil) in Netflix's Marvel universe, but he didn't officially show up in the MCU until 2021's Spider-Man: No Way Home. Due to the storyline of Daredevil: Born Again, it seems as though he won't be going anywhere anytime soon, but if the franchise follows some of Marvel Comics, fans could see a female version of Daredevil sometime in the future.
In Marvel Comics, Matt Murdock passes the Daredevil mantle to Elektra. In short, Matt is imprisoned for manslaughter, and Elektra takes on the Daredevil title to protect Hell's Kitchen while Matt is locked up. She also does so to prove to Matt that she has changed her ways and has moved past being an assassin.
Elektra also played a role in the Netflix universe, and actress Elodie Yung was spotted in set photos for Daredevil: Born Again Season 3, seemingly confirming that she and the Elektra character will return and be featured in the MCU.
Iron Fist
Iron Fist is a mantle portrayed by many different characters on-screen over the years. For reference, Danny Rand was Iron Fist in Netflix's Marvel universe, and then a character named Jorani took on the moniker in the MCU's Eyes of Wakanda.
However, it is important to note that Colleen Wing became Iron Fist at the end of the second season of the character's solo TV show. It is possible that Colleen could appear in the MCU as Iron Fist, and if so, she could pass it on to Lin Lie. In the comics, Lin Lie was one character who became Iron Fist, so if Marvel wanted, it could introduce him at some point and change the Iron Fist moniker from Colleen to Lin.
However, based on multiple reports and set photos, Danny Rand's version of Iron Fist will be in Daredevil: Born Again Season 3, so Colleen may not even show up.
Hulk
The Hulk mantle has already changed hands (and genders) in the MCU. Specifically, Bruce Banner operated as the Hulk for a long time (and still does, as seen in Spider-Man: Brand New Day), but She-Hulk established that Jennifer Walters became She-Hulk, another version of the giant green monster.
In the future, the Hulk moniker could pass to Amadeus Cho, a young man who became another version of the Hulk (often referred to as Totally Awesome Hulk) in the comics. If that were to happen, the Hulk name would follow in Black Panther's footsteps as another superhero to be gender-swapped multiple times.
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is another character who could be gender-swapped in the MCU, and it is possible that the franchise already set up Peter Parker's female successor. There are a couple of characters who could take Spider-Man's place in the future. One of those is Spider-Woman, often recognized as the female Jessica Drew. If the MCU wanted a female Spider-Man, that would be one way to go, as it lines up with the comics.
However, it is also possible that Spider-Man could be succeeded by Silk, whose real name is Cindy Moon. This option is a bit more interesting, as Spider-Man: Brand New Day (the most recent Marvel project released) introduced a character named Cindy. When Peter Parker goes to talk to Dr. Bruce Banner, a girl named Cindy asks Banner a question. Her last name isn't given, but the character bears a striking resemblance to popular Cindy designs in the comics. It is possible that Marvel could be setting this character up to take over the Spider-Man mantle, even if she goes by Silk.
