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Hollywood & Entertainment ‘Black Panther 3’ Will Break A Longstanding Marvel Tradition By Hannah Abraham ,
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Hannah Abraham covers entertainment, culture and business. Follow Author Jul 28, 2026, 03:34am EDT --:-- / --:-- This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more . This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more . Summary Ryan Coogler announced at San Diego Comic-Con that 'Black Panther 3' will be filmed entirely on large-format celluloid, a historic first for Marvel Studios. David Jonsson is confirmed as the new Black Panther, with the movie slated for a December 2028 release. This production choice deviates from Marvel's usual digital pipeline, with large-format film capturing significantly more visual detail. Coogler, known for using this method in his acclaimed film 'Sinners', aligns with directors like Christopher Nolan in prioritizing a more visceral, realistic cinematic experience. Letitia Wright and Winston Duke reprise their roles, and Denzel Washington makes his MCU debut. The highly anticipated film will arrive after the next two Avengers installments.
Trust Ryan Coogler to break cinematic boundaries even in the MCU. At this year’s San Diego Comic Con, Coogler announced that Black Panther 3 will be shot entirely on large-format celluloid film , a first for Marvel Studios since it was founded in 2008. The announcement came alongside the confirmation that David Jonsson will star as the new Black Panther and that the film will release on December 15, 2028.
No MCU film has ever been shot on large-format celluloid, a choice that captures substantially more image area than 35mm film, allowing for exceptionally high resolving power and a distinctive large-format look. The franchise’s first four films — Iron Man , The Incredible Hulk , Iron Man 2 , and Thor — were shot on standard 35mm photochemical film . From Phase 2 onwards, starting with Iron Man 3 in 2013, the MCU moved to an entirely digital image capture and production pipeline. Iron Man 3 DOP John Toll told Shutterstock’s Premium Beat that “part of the whole attraction of the digital world is convenience, especially for big visual effects movies.” Eternals was the exception in terms of its cinematographic style and production methods, but it was still photographed digitally.
Coogler joins a small group of contemporary directors including Christopher Nolan and Paul Thomas Anderson who have continued to shoot on large-format film in an industry that has otherwise moved almost entirely to digital. Nolan’s The Odyssey was the first film ever to be shot entirely on native IMAX 70mm film cameras. Coogler’s Sinners , which won him the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay at the 98th Academy Awards and grossed over $370 million at the box office, was also shot on large-format film.
Coogler is returning to direct. David Jonsson is not exactly a new kid on the block, having already featured in HBO drama Industry , sci-fi flick Alien: Romulus, the wonderfully underrated romance Rye Lane and Francis Lawrence’s adaptation of Stephen King’s The Long Walk. In Black Panther 3, he will play T’Challa's grown-up son, taking on the Black Panther mantle as the adult T'Challa II, who was introduced as a child in Wakanda Forever.
Letitia Wright and Winston Duke are confirmed to return as Shuri and M’Baku. Denzel Washington will appear in a currently undisclosed role which would also be his MCU debut, which he had confirmed himself back in 2024. Black Panther 3 releases December 15, 2028, arriving after both Avengers: Doomsday (December 18, 2026) and Avengers: Secret Wars (December 17, 2027).
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