Is Damson Idris Playing The MCU's Next Black Panther? Everything He's Said & Potential Evidence

After Chadwick Boseman's death in 2020, Marvel Studios and Ryan Coogler decided to honor his iconic portrayal of T'Challa by not recasting the role for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The Marvel Cinematic Universe instead gave Shuri the mantle, with T'Challa's son set up as Wakanda's next ruler and hero. But that has not stopped speculation from continuing that a new Black Panther is on the way.

Reports surfaced early last year that Marvel was open to recasting T'Challa. Now, it is widely believed that the MCU, which will experience a reset post-Avengers: Secret Wars, has already found this new Black Panther actor. F1 star Damson Idris has been heavily rumored to have joined the MCU and have a role in either or both of the upcoming Avengers films before returning to headline Black Panther 3.

Whether this would come as an alternate version of T'Challa from across the multiverse or a grown-up version of T'Challa's son is up for debate, but so is Idris' casting. No one involved with Marvel has confirmed he has the role, much less if a new version of Black Panther will appear. Notably, some concept art allegedly for Avengers: Doomsday featuring an actor who looked like Idris as Black Panther did circulate online last year.

This has left the actor in a position where he keeps getting asked about the possibility of joining the MCU and his interest in playing Black Panther. Here's everything Idris has said about his rumored Black Panther casting.

Damson Idris Confirmed His Interest In Playing Black Panther In July 2025

The first time Idris addressed the Black Panther casting speculation was in July 2025. During an interview with TODAY, he was asked to respond yes or no to a series of questions. The first was whether he had had any conversations about being the next Black Panther, to which he smiled, grunted, and said, "Yes-No".

The interviewer followed up that response by saying that meant yes, which Idris rebutted by saying, "It could mean no! [laughs]" However, the actor was then asked, "If they asked, would you say yes?" to which he said, "Yes."

Through that simple exchange, it was confirmed that, at the very least, Idris is open to playing the role and would accept the responsibility of following in Boseman's footsteps if Marvel asked. Based on the lack of a firm denial with his initial answer, it is understandable why so many are convinced he has spoken to Marvel about playing Black Panther and landed the role without a public announcement.

Damson Idris Takes Part In Black Panther-Themed Event In October 2025

Rather than shy away from the increasing speculation, Idris made headlines with his participation in Vogue World: Hollywood 2025. One of the sections spotlighted Black Panther costume designer Ruth E. Carter, with franchise vets like Angela Bassett and Danai Gurira participating in the fashion display by wearing Queen Ramonda and Okoye's recognizable costumes.

Notably, Idris was also featured in this section, as he walked alongside Bassett. He even posted a photo of the event on Instagram before deleting it. His inclusion added fuel to the fire of his casting. However, it should be noted that Teyana Taylor was also featured in a Dora Milaje suit that looked identical to Nakia's, even though that is Lupita Nyong'o's role, so the participation was not 100% reflective of MCU roles.

Still, his walking alongside Bassett could be seen as Ramonda welcoming a new T'Challa into the world, even if Idris isn't wearing a T'Challa-specific outfit. If he does wind up playing Black Panther in Avengers: Doomsday or a future film, this moment will look like the earliest piece of confirmation and a first glimpse of him surrounded by Wakandans.

Damson Idris Denies Knowing Anything About Black Panther Casting In November 2025

Months later, while attending the TIME100 Next Gala, Idris could not escape questions about potentially playing Black Panther. Time asked him directly, and while he verbally did everything he could to deny his involvement, his body language and emotive response suggest otherwise.

Idris immediately started smiling when asked about this subject. Whether this is the case or not, it comes across as having a bad poker face and smiling through what he knows is a lie. The denial, though, would make sense if he is Marvel's next Black Panther. After the earlier response, the MCU's top-secret nature could've prompted stricter media guidelines for future interviews, such as this.

Damson Idris Says He's Thankful For Marvel Fans' Support Amid Casting Rumors In January 2026

His latest response to these ongoing rumors came during the Golden Globes. As part of the pre-show red carpet, Idris spoke to Variety and was once again asked about the persistent speculation. More specifically, he was asked what it means to him that he's someone fans would welcome in such an important role. His response is quite interesting:

I am thankful to the fans. Of course, it's rumors, but I love the movie. I love that world. I'm glad that everyone's seeing the future of that too, cause its moving in a brilliant direction. And I'm excited for the third [Black Panther].

The idea of Idris playing Black Panther has created a lot of excitement among MCU fans. There's constant fan art and speculation about his involvement, and the strength of his past performances has provided plenty of confidence that he'd do the role justice. He's clearly seen all the support online, and it probably means a great deal to him if he is playing T'Challa as believed.

What I find most interesting is that he may have indicated knowing where things are going. Talking about the "brilliant direction" the Black Panther franchise is moving in could be based solely on the setup for the future done in Wakanda Forever. But with the chance he is playing T'Challa in the MCU going forward, it also comes across as him having inside information about what's coming next.

While we may still have nearly a year to wait and see if Damson Idris' Black Panther casting is legit if he's in Avengers: Doomsday, the actor is saying all the right things before a potential debut.