A new viral photo may have potentially revealed the MCU's next Black Panther, and fans are eating it up. After the untimely passing of former Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman in 2020, the future of the character in the MCU was unclear. The character then returned in 2022's Wakanda Forever, with Letitia Wright's Shuri stepping in to take on the moniker. Some have wondered, however, if Shuri would permanently be the iconic comic character, or if Marvel could opt for a full-on T'Challa recast sometime soon.
One name that has come up in the Black Panther recast conversation time and time again lately is F1 star Damson Idris, and he is doing nothing to downplay the rumors. Idris has fans raving as he appeared alongside Black Panther star Angela Bassett during the recent Vogue World Hollywood event.
The 34-year-old's appearance alongside Bassett (who plays the mother of Boseman's T'Challa, Queen Ramonda) has sparked the Black Panther recast train to life again for many (especially considering the seemingly Wakanda-inspired wear of Bassett and those around her).
Damson Idris took another group photo next to Basset, alongside other stars from the Vogue World Hollywood event. These include other MCU stars such as Laura Harrier (Liz Allan), Jeff Goldblum (The Grandmaster), Elizabeth Debicki (The Soverign) and Danai Gurira (Okoye).
Various fans took to social media in response to the image, sharing their support for the young star in potentially taking over for the role Boseman once held. One commenter wrote, "Welcomg home, T'Challa," while another cheered, "My king."
Idris was previously asked if he had any interest in becoming the MCU's next Black Panther, to which he replied that if they asked, he would say, "yes."
Black Panther, as a character, is next set to appear in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday in 2026. This take on the Wakandan hero will again be played by Letitia Wright, coming off her MCU hero taking on the role at the end of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. There have also been rumors of a potential Black Panther 3 in the works from Marvel Studios, set to debut sometime after Avengers: Secret Wars.
How Could Marvel Make a Black Panther Recast Work?
There has been plenty of conversation had over the delicate situation of introducing another new Black Panther into the MCU. Passing the torch to Shuri meant that the Black Panther character could live on through his in-universe sister following Chadwick Boseman's tragic passing.
That has not stopped people from wondering if Marvel would ever completely recast Boseman's T'Challa for the super-powered universe. At this point, it seems unlikely, even given the Multiversal shenanigans the franchise can pull, but that does not mean Idris' case to play a Black Panther is entirely null and void.
One popular theory among MCU fans is that the actor could play an aged-up version of T'Challa's son introduced in Wakanda Forever's lone post-credits scene. He, too, is named T'Challa (T'Challa II) and could be another exciting way to honor Boseman's legacy as the character.
There are several ways the franchise could age Prince T'Challa to resemble Idris. One way could be by way of a rift in the Multiverse, taking the young child sometime during Avengers: Doomsday, only for him to emerge in Secret Wars as a grown man.
If Idris is in the cards for Marvel Studios, having him play Boseman's in-universe son feels like the best way to go about it.
