One of the big announcements coming from Marvel Studios’ Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2026 was the news that Ryan Coogler was returning to direct Black Panther 3, arriving in December of 2028. But even more importantly, it would feature the debut of Alien: Romulus star David Jonsson as our new Black Panther, a grown-up version of King T’Challa’s son, Prince T’Challa, or Toussaint, or T’Challa Jr. Last seen in Wakanda Forever as a little boy, Black Panther III will be T’Challa Jr.’s coming-of-age story, as he takes the throne. Will there be a big time-jump? Some Secret Wars-related timey-wimey stuff? Or something else altogether? We don’t know. But we do know that a multiversal variant of T’Challa had a son in Marvel’s Black Panther comics, and his story might inform the MCU version.
T’Challa’s Son Debuted in the Marvel Animated Film Next Avengers
In the main 616 timeline of the Marvel Universe, King T’Challa of Wakanda has no official heir. Yes, he married Storm of the X-Men, but that marriage ended in annulment, leaving no offspring. However, there are other Marvel timelines where King T’Challa and Queen Ororo did have a child, a son they named Azari. But T’Challa’s son didn’t have his first appearance in any of Marvel’s comics, Black Panther or otherwise; he actually came from animation. Marvel introduced him in the animated film Next Avengers: Heroes of Tomorrow, which came out in 2008. In that film, the villainous A.I. Ultron conquers the world and kills most of the Avengers. Only Iron Man survives, and Tony Stark takes the children of his teammates and raises them in secrecy. One of those kids is Azari Munroe, the son of Black Panther and Storm.
In the Marvel animated movie, Azari is close friends with the other children of the Avengers, who are like his siblings. T’Challa’s son inherits the enhanced speed, strength, endurance, and agility that his father gained from ingesting the heart-shaped herb to become the Black Panther. Usually, the power the heart-shaped herb grants to Wakanda rulers is not hereditary. A prospective ruler must take it themselves to receive the powers their ancestor had. But since Azari is a mutant with an X-gene, he inherited his father’s enhancements. T’Challa and Storm’s son didn’t inherit all of his mother’s weather-controlling powers, but he did inherit Storm’s electrokinesis, or her control of lightning. Azari can also create electric force fields, and has “energy vision,” which allows him to see the physical world as pure energy.
Azari T’Challa Becomes Marvel Comics Canon in 2010’s Avengers #1
In 2010, a slightly older version of T’Challa’s son, Azari, now named for his father, Azari T’Challa, appeared in the mainline Marvel Comics as Black Panther. T’Challa’s son first appeared in Marvel Comics in Avengers (vol.4) #1. Although he still only existed in an alternate future. Much like the animated film, Azari is part of a group of next-generation Avengers, who take up the fight against Ultron from their parents. Once Ultron is defeated, Azari T’Challa takes the throne of Wakanda, becoming the new Black Panther. The Earth this version of the character is from is alternately given as Earth-61616 or Earth-10943. It’s unclear if there are two Azaris in the comics, as he only made a handful of appearances. A different adult version of T’Challa’s son also appears as the Black Panther in the recent Aliens vs Avengers comic series.
We should note that there is another son of T’Challa, Ketema. He is the white-presenting adopted son of T’Challa in yet another alternate-future. But it’s safe to say MCU Prince T’Challa will not draw inspiration from that character, for obvious reasons.
Does Azari T’Challa Have an MCU Future as T’Challa Jr.? Or Is T’Challa’s Son Totally Different in Black Panther 3?
So, will Marvel Comics’ Azari T’Challa inspire MCU’s T’Challa Jr. at all? Well, for starters, we know his mother is not Storm. The mother of T’Challa’s son in the MCU is Nakia, played by Lupita Nyong’o. So if T’Challa Jr. is a mutant and has electric powers, we would be genuinely surprised. Although we have heard Ryan Coogler wants to introduce mutants into Black Panther III, and so we suspect he means Storm herself will appear in the movie. Since Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa never had a relationship with Storm in the Black Panther movies, they will likely pass that romance on to his son. So we think it’s more likely that Azari T’Challa will actually enter the MCU as the eventual son of T’Challa II and Storm. But that’s way down the line.
However, the adult Azari T’Challa has a very cool futuristic Black Panther suit in Marvel Comics, and we could see that informing T’Challa Jr.’s MCU look. So there may be some inspiration found in the comic book son of Black Panther yet. Kevin Feige recently said that they have a rough outline for the MCU up to 2042. Maybe we’ll see Azari T’Challa in live-action somewhere during the later part of that timeline. But we wouldn’t expect to see him before that in live-action. But when it comes to the MCU, who knows what the future may bring.
Who Plays T’Challa’s Son in Black Panther 3?
As mentioned, David Jonsson will play T’Challa Jr. in Black Panther 3 when the film releases on December 15, 2028.