Marvel just introduced a new Black Panther following the death of T'Challa. The six-issue limited series Marvel Knights: The World to Come covers the events that unfold after T'Challa’s passing, including the reveal of his successor as Black Panther.
However, fans were not pleased when the character removed their mask and their identity was revealed.
Spoiler warning: This article contains spoilers for the ending of The World to Come Issue #1.
Who is the New Black Panther?
There’s a new Black Panther in town, and he has turned out to be a polarizing figure who shocked many fans.
Readers of The World to Come #1 were taken on a rollercoaster of emotions after witnessing the death of Wakanda’s leader and protector, T'Challa. His role as Black Panther is then taken up by none other than his son, Ketema.
Ketema is the one who kills his father in a tribal challenge. And right after he is appointed ruler of Wakanda, he removes his mask and reveals that he’s Caucasian.
That’s right, Ketema, a white male with blonde hair, is now the leader of the golden city. It’s implied in the comic that Monica Lynne is his mother, as there’s a scene showing her getting married to T'Challa.
Ketema also appears to despise T'Challa, though the reason has not yet been revealed. All that’s known about his childhood is that he was raised by Wakandan clerics. Perhaps not being raised by his father made him feel estranged and rejected.
Although the former King of Wakanda called him his own, there’s also speculation that T'Challa might not be his biological father.
There’s a flashback scene in which Monica leaves her partner at the time for T’Challa when he returns to propose to her, and that particular man happens to be Caucasian too.
The limited series, created by Joe Quesada, Christopher Priest, Richard Starkings, Richard Isanove, and Tyler Smith, was released on June 4, 2025.
Fans' interest was piqued by the premise of a white male ruling over the fictional African country of Wakanda. Those who have read it have become invested in Ketema’s identity and curious about how the story will progress.
However, some were not happy about it and took to social media to express how they feel about the new Black Panther.
What Do Fans Say About the New Black Panther?
Several Black Panther fans have mixed opinions on Ketema. Among them are frustration and confusion over Marvel’s decision to make him Caucasian.
"You know we reach where we going in the world when they make Black panther a white man lol," one user said, retweeting a post from Cosmic Marvel on X.
"A white Black Panther in the comics?! What the f*** is Marvel doing?" wrote one user on the same platform.
"So interesting how easy and joyful it is for certain people to accept a white Wakandan in Black Panther but any time more than one Black character appears on a page or in a book together, it’s 'forced,'" another user said, commenting on how some people quickly embraced the new King of Wakanda.
Some fans were open to the idea of "race-swapping" Black Panther and believe it brings interesting developments to the series.
"This is fine. Hopefully there is a future for an Eastern Asian black Panther. That would be an additional step to improving diversity. I’m all for it." one commenter on Reddit said.
Another Redditor urged readers to calm down: "Can we let the story play out and stop with reaction culture? It’s Priest, 9 out of 10 this will be fire."
Several people found the choice to make Black Panther white amusing, as there have been posts circulating for a while joking about Ryan Gosling being cast as the character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
A user on X referenced this: "Ain't no way... aint no f*cking way they did the meme! We got a White Black Panther before GTA6."
"It has come to my attention that Black Panther had a white son who is now the King of Wakanda?" wrote one X user in a post. "Which I personally think is hilarious. Marvel leaned into what many comic fans have been saying for a while now."
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