BLERD ALERT! Is A ‘White’ Black Panther On The Horizon?

When it comes to Black superheroes, many tend to hold King T’Challa, aka the one and only Black Panther, to the highest of standards — he’s right up there with Statik Shock, Blade, John Stewart’s Green Lantern and his often-depicted wifey, Storm, just to name a few.

It’s one of the main reasons why Blerds everywhere have been making quite a ruckus lately in reaction to the release of Marvel Knights: The World To Come #1, a polarizing plot that sees our beloved T’Challa dying on the throne and a whole white son named Ketema stepping up to take his place on the throne.

…say what?!

Take a look below at a semi-spoilers description of The World To Come #1 by way of the well-informed duo curating @MastersOfComicBooks:

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As the official description given by Marvel reads, “With T’Challa gone, the future of the Marvel 616 Universe will be determined by a final tribal challenge for the Wakandan throne and the mysterious victor who will change Wakanda, and the Marvel Universe, forever.” With Earth-616 being the primary universe that most Marvel comics pass through, the events of Marvel Knights: The World To Come could prove to be permanent. With that said, many are wondering if art will imitate life and result in a white actor filling the role of Black Panther in place of the late Chadwick Boseman, who helped bring the character to the big screen back in 2018. In the five years since his untimely death due to colon cancer, which also led to his exclusion from the 2022 sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, the question has lingered as to whether BP will be recasted (likely), reworked in CGI form (very unlikely) or even retired to the bleachers as a tribute to Boseman (bittersweet). Could the introduction of Ketema be just what Hollywood execs were hoping for in order to get golden boys like Timothée Chalamet, Jacob Elordi or any of the many white counterparts to Michael B. Jordan and Jharrel Jerome a leading role in Wakanda?

This brief deep dive by Screen Rant sums things up quite well:

“Having a white man under the Black Panther mask obviously won’t sit right with many readers, and it would seem that is exactly Marvel’s intention. Even without hints that Ketema’s actions cause shockwaves through the future, his heinous actions should be enough to make people uncomfortable. The fact that the character is seemingly a Caucasion son of two Black parents only raises more questions. So the question now becomes, will the arrival of T’Challa’s son mean a new king, or a new villain? Time will tell.”

Could you see A-list Hollywood white actor Ryan Gosling portraying T’Challa as some rumors have suggested? We’ll be keeping a big Blerd eye on this one for sure, but in the meantime see what others are saying on social media about the possibility of a “white” Black Panther:

1. If you have no problem with a black Severus Snape, then don’t say anything about a White Black Panther

via @bardbaker777

2. Can’t nobody be happy for a white black panther when yall sat up there and did Halle the way yall did for being a black mermaid … I normally would’ve said we some hypocrites but then I think about all the times racism was shown when black people were casted for certain roles

via @ChiefMiyKeef

3. So @Marvel gave T’Challa a white son and made him Black Panther. (Shock Value 101) Insert dumb Ryan Gosling jokes here. I’m seeing more comments about how we can’t be upset about a White Black Panther if there’s a Black Captain America. News flash: IT’S NOT THE SAME THING. T’Challa’s identity and mantle are rooted in Blackness. T’Challa isn’t just wearing a suit—he’s the king of an African nation, a symbol of Black power and culture. Captain America is a MANTLE meant to represent the aspirational ideals of America. Anyone can carry that shield (unless you think only white men qualify… which says more about you) Stop using fake “gotchas” to ignore context. One is a culture. The other is a title. Do better. https://youtu.be/CbQHkSdD1aQ

via @EmansReviews

4. Alot of these content creators are so LOUD with the white black panther news, but be silent when black led books drop they didn’t say nothing when black lightning dropped, or Earth M, DC Power Company, or when Ultimate Black Panther dropped but they so LOUD now.

via @YoANerd

5. i just woke up to white black panther rumors

via @81aep

6. Never thought I would see white black panther at my work

via @redcoatraccoon

7. I still can’t believe that real, living, human beings thought it was a good idea to give T’Challa a white son Then have that son beat him in combat and become the new Black Panther

via @naMnaSYt

8. Recasting black panther with a white actor? No. Just no. The character’s African heritage is non-negotiable.

via @JeremiahMuyagu

9. People literally realising that a white black panther exists, and they’re making a big deal out of him. Like there was a white black panther that existed before this whole controversy started. #BlackPanther #white #comic #marvel #wtf

via @Orksonlauri

10. This is how you will know who are comic book fans. There was a white black panther before him, but I’m loving the meltdowns though. The constant race swapping and gender building for these past few years was exhausting, we were told to shut up, called a racist, self hater, and “It’s just fiction” and now see these people seeth at this shows the hypocrisy. I don’t want this either but it’s funny to see the REEE and screaming from these kinds of people.

via @MugenLord