Marvel fans wasted no time putting Ryan Gosling at the top of their dream cast list for Black Panther 3 after the latest comic storyline introduced a white version of the iconic superhero.
The premiere issue of Marvel Knights: The World to Come, which dropped Wednesday, introduces a new character named Ketema—the son of T’Challa, prince of Wakanda and the original Black Panther.
In a dramatic twist, Ketema grows to resent his father and eventually challenges him for the throne. After defeating T’Challa in battle, Ketema removes his mask—revealing blond hair, blue eyes, and distinctly Caucasian features.
The role of T’Challa was famously portrayed by the late Chadwick Boseman in the first two Black Panther films.
Now, with Black Panther 3 reportedly in development and the character’s legacy evolving in the comics, fans have taken to social media to suggest Gosling—best known as Barbie’s Ken—as a potential successor.
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Marvel fans wasted no time putting Ryan Gosling at the top of their dream cast list for Black Panther 3 after the latest comic storyline introduced a white version of the iconic superhero
The role of T’Challa was famously portrayed by the late Chadwick Boseman in the first two Black Panther films
‘Please say Ryan Gosling is going to be the Black Panther!’ one fan posted alongside a photo of Ryan as Ken, while another begged, ‘PLEASE Marvel and Disney I want this.’
And one concluded, ‘The “maybe Ryan Gosling should be Black Panther” fans have won.’
One chimed in, ‘I guess that Ryan Gosling is the new Black Panther and people are pissed that it’s being whitewashed and are threatening to boycott Avengers: Doomsday.’
While there has been no official word on Gosling joining the Black Panther cast, fans have speculated for years about the Canadian heartthrob finally entering the MCU.
When asked about rumors of playing a Marvel superhero in a 2022 MTV News interview, Gosling joked, ‘I was waiting for the Captain Canada call.’
The actor later told MTV News’ Josh Horowitz that he is interested in playing Ghost Rider.
It’s a character he’s long been familiar with, since his longtime partner, Eva Mendes, starred in Ghost Rider back in 2007.
Meanwhile, when the Black Panther news dropped Wednesday, social media instantly went into meltdown mode.
Now, with Black Panther 3 reportedly in development and the character’s legacy evolving in the comics, fans have taken to social media to suggest Gosling—best known as Barbie’s Ken—as a potential successor
‘Please say Ryan Gosling is going to be the Black Panther!’ one fan posted alongside a photo of Ryan as Ken, while another begged, ‘PLEASE Marvel and Disney I want this’
‘They looked at this and thought it was a good idea?’ one user fumed.
Another quipped, ‘Life is a horror movie in 2025.’
Boseman’s Black Panther was celebrated for honoring African culture and representation.
Now, some fans are questioning whether the latest storyline undermines that legacy.
‘Black Panther having a white son would be ridiculous,’ one person posted, while another raged, ‘Black Panther is WHITE! Marvel actually did the unthinkable and it’s INSANE!’
Some even speculated about which actor might play the character in a future film.
‘I guess he looks a little like Ryan Gosling,’ one fan wrote.
The reveal sent social media into meltdown
Another added, ‘What if Ryan Gosling is coming into Marvel to play the Black Panther after all?’
Meanwhile, others online were quick to clarify that the writer behind the new comic is Black.
‘Lol stop letting these non-Black people touch Black Panther. They do silly stuff like this,”’ one critic commented—prompting another to respond: ‘The writer is Black.’
Indeed, Christopher Priest—who co-created Marvel Knights: The World To Come alongside Joe Quesada, Richard Isanove, and Richard Starkings—is widely recognized as the first Black writer-editor in mainstream comics.
He previously served as editor of Spider-Man in the mid-1980s and later penned major titles at DC, including Green Lantern.
Still, one disgruntled fan claimed: ‘If there would be any writer who would try to give the Black Panther mantle to a white person, of course it would be Christopher Priest—the man who made it his job to shove white characters into Wakanda’s mythos lol.’
The Marvel Knights: The World To Come issue kicks off with T’Challa’s death, but the real twist comes as the story rewinds to reveal how he got there, according to ComicBookMovies.com.
After the death of his wife Storm, T’Challa attempts to preserve his legacy by fathering a child with Lynne, one of his earliest love interests in the comics.
Meanwhile, others online were quick to clarify that the writer behind the new comic is Black; (Chad Boseman as Black Panther)
Regardless of how the lineage shakes out, one thing has stunned readers across the board: the Black Panther mantle now appears to belong to someone who presents as white; (Cast member Chadwick Boseman speaks on behalf of the cast of Black Panther after the film won Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture in 2019)
That child, a son named Ketema—whose name means “fortified encampment”—grows up to challenge his father for the throne of Wakanda.
Wearing the full Black Panther suit, Ketema defeats T’Challa in combat but spares his life.
Then comes the jaw-dropping reveal: he removes his mask to show that he is, in fact, white.
The big question lingering for fans is how T’Challa could possibly have a white son.
Some readers are now speculating that Monica Lynne might not be the boy’s mother after all, per the outlet.
Instead, attention has turned to Nicole Adams—a character who seems to appear on the cover of Issue #3—as a more likely candidate.
Although Nicole was believed to have died back in 2000, long-time comic fans know that death is rarely permanent in the Marvel universe.
Regardless of how the lineage shakes out, one thing has stunned readers across the board: the Black Panther mantle now appears to belong to someone who presents as white.
