Coogler chose the next Black Panther in a secret hotel meeting, five months before Comic-Con reveal

Kevin Feige told Empire that Ryan Coogler held a secret hotel meeting with David Jonsson to offer him the Black Panther role before Marvel began a formal casting search. Feige said he "got chills" when told. The decision stayed hidden roughly five to six months until Jonsson and Coogler appeared together at Marvel's Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2026.