Marvel Fans Are Convinced They’ve Found Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther Successor

So this happened: Damson Idris walked the Vogue World: Hollywood runway alongside Angela Bassett, and now a whole corner of the internet is convinced Marvel just soft-launched its next T'Challa. Marvel, to be clear, has announced nothing. But the optics? Loud.

What actually went down

Photos and video from the event show Idris in a black suit escorting Bassett, who was styled very much in her Queen Ramonda era: a royal purple gown, a towering headdress, gold jewelry, all the ornate detailing. They were on a bright runway blasted with spotlights, with cheering crowds, photographers, and performers in red and purple moving around them. Other shots from the night have the pair posing with folks in both suits and traditional looks under the stage lights.

• Multiple social posts labeled the moment a 'soft launch' for Idris as the next Black Panther.
• One clip with the caption 'yeah that’s T'challa' cracked 1.5 million-plus views.
• Another post bluntly said 'Don't forget about the new T'Challa!' because subtlety is dead.
• Timing note: a bunch of these posts hit on Oct. 27, 2025, which is why your feed probably felt like Wakanda TikTok for a minute.

Why fans are connecting these dots

This has been simmering for a while. Ever since Chadwick Boseman's passing, there have been repeated rumors that Marvel could recast or reimagine T'Challa down the line. Idris' name keeps popping up in those reports, and he has leaned into the speculation without actually confirming anything.

In a TV interview cited by Entertainment Weekly, when asked if he'd had 'any conversations' about being the next Black Panther, Idris answered with a coy 'Yes-no!' He also made it clear that if Marvel called, he would take the role. On social, he has also joked about pretending to pass on everything from 007 to a Daniel Day-Lewis co-lead and an Eddie Murphy biopic, so keep a sense of humor about it.

Where the story could go

One path fans (and some reporting) keep pointing to is Toussaint, aka Prince T'Challa, who was introduced at the end of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. That gives Marvel a way to honor the character while moving the narrative forward, with or without a clean recast of the original T'Challa.

'I hope people are still making movies about Wakanda long after we’re gone.'

That was director Ryan Coogler to The New York Times, and it feels like the guiding principle here: keep the world alive, even if the mantle changes hands.

So, is Damson Idris the new T'Challa?

Officially: no announcement. Unofficially: Marvel let one of its most iconic on-screen queens stride a high-profile runway arm-in-arm with the guy everyone thinks is next in line, and the internet did exactly what you think it would. Could be runway theater. Could be Marvel having fun with us. Could be both.

For what it's worth, SuperHeroHype helped kick this latest wave of chatter into gear, and Entertainment Weekly's interview keeps the speculation burning. Until Marvel says something out loud, consider this a very glossy clue board with Idris' photo pinned in the middle.