Certain leaks and rumors have sparked speculation about Marvel Studios’ possible plans to recast late Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther in the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. They suggested that the studio was allegedly considering new actors for portraying T’Challa in future MCU projects. John David Washington’s name was among the top rumored choices. Despite the leaks and rumors, the Black Panther producer recently set the record straight on these ongoing speculations.
Here’s all you need to know about why fans believe Black Panther would be recast.
Is Marvel recasting Chadwick Boseman’s Black Panther in Avengers: Doomsday?
Marvel is not confirmed to be recasting Boseman’s Black Panther in Avengers: Doomsday or Secret Wars. However, the movie’s latest leaks and rumors have made fans think about T’Challa’s recasting.
In January 2025, MyTimeToShineHello, a popular scooper, allegedly claimed on X (formerly Twitter) that Marvel Studios was seeking “light-skinned Black actors” for the portrayal of new T’Challa. Their post read, “Marvel has met with light-skinned Black actors for the role of the new T’Challa.” In another post, the scooper disclosed current rumored choices to be John David Washington, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Aaron Pierre.
It was reported that the new Black Panther could feature in Avengers: Doomsday, set to hit theatres on May 1, 2026. However, Marvel has not officially confirmed this.
Previously, in an interview with ComicBook, Black Panther producer Nate Moore, who announced his departure from Marvel Studios back in December 2024, debunked T’challa’s recasting claims.
He said, “The truth is, there’s no truth to those rumors. Never say never to anything, we haven’t really had a lot of creative conversations with (director) Ryan Coogler yet, because he’s finishing his film Sinners, which comes out this year.”
He added, “We’ll get into it later this year, but everything you read online is not true, if for no other reason than we just haven’t started [working on it].”
His latest remarks confirm that recasting rumors remain mere speculation as of yet. Notably, Marvel Studios gave an emotional sendoff to Boseman’s character in Black Panther 2, handing over his legacy to Shuri. Moreover, at the end, it also introduced the viewers to T’Challa and Nakia’s child, Toussaint.
