Damson Idris Ignites Black Panther Casting Buzz With One Cryptic Answer
Fresh off his rookie turn opposite Brad Pitt in F1, Damson Idris is fanning MCU flames, addressing whispers that he could inherit the Black Panther mantle after Chadwick Boseman with a sly, suspiciously on-point response.
Damson Idris is having a moment. After sharing the screen with Brad Pitt in the racing movie F1, his name has been bouncing around one particular rumor mill: that he might be the next Black Panther. He finally addressed it in public, and the answer was... not exactly definitive.
What he said when asked point-blank
At the TIME100 Next Gala, Idris got hit with the question about those Black Panther whispers. His response was short, casual, and delivered with a grin.
'No, no. I don't know anything about it [Laughs].'
The clip made the rounds via TIME and a tweet from The Hollywood Handle on October 31, 2025. And yeah, the laugh stands out. We have seen that move before — see: Andrew Garfield denying, denying, denying during the Spider-Man: No Way Home era — so fans are reading between the lines a little.
This isn't the first wobbly answer
Earlier, on the TODAY show, Craig Melvin asked Idris directly if he'd been in talks with Marvel about the role. Idris replied with a very careful 'Yes-no,' and when pressed on whether he would want to play Black Panther, he said 'Yes.' TODAY posted the exchange on Instagram if you want to see the delivery for yourself.
Where the franchise is supposedly headed
Black Panther 3 was announced back in December 2024, with Ryan Coogler attached. After Wakanda Forever honored Chadwick Boseman and passed the mantle within Wakanda, it makes sense that Marvel could be eyeing a new Black Panther in some form — especially with all the chatter about a post-Secret Wars soft reset that could introduce fresh variants of major heroes.
How the timeline lines up
- December 2024: Black Panther 3 announced, with Ryan Coogler attached
- December 17, 2027 (USA): Avengers: Secret Wars is scheduled to hit theaters
- 2028: Black Panther 3 is widely speculated for this year
So, is Idris the new Black Panther?
It's plausible. The dates line up, Idris is on the rise after F1, and Marvel loves a tight-lipped tease. But until Marvel or Idris says it on the record, it's still just a rumor — a strong one, but a rumor all the same.
Avengers: Secret Wars is set for December 17, 2027 in the U.S.