"They Did The Ryan Gosling Meme" - Fans React To Marvel Comics' Controversial BLACK PANTHER Reveal

"They Did The Ryan Gosling Meme" - Fans React To Marvel Comics' Controversial BLACK PANTHER Reveal

Yesterday's news that Marvel Comics has introduced a white guy as the new Black Panther was met with about as much backlash as you'd expect, and fans have been sharing their thoughts on social media...

By MarkCassidy - Jun 05, 2025 05:06 PM EST
Filed Under: Marvel Comics

We're not sure if there's much point in even putting a spoiler tag here since the news is now all over the internet, but just in case, major spoilers for issue #1 of Marvel Knights: The World to Come follow.

As we reported yesterday, the six-issue series from Christopher Priest, Joe Quesada, Richard Isanove and Richard Starkings begins with the death of T'Challa as an old man, before we flash back to the events that led to his demise, and the emergence of a new Black Panther... who just so happens to be a white guy named Ketema.

Though we're sure there are a few twists and turns to come in this story, we are led to believe that the "Caucasian son" T'Challa had with Monica Lynne (how that works is anyone's guess) grew up with some unresolved daddy issues, and ultimately ended up challenging and defeating his father to claim the throne of Wakanda.

This is obviously a future-set tale, but is it officially part of Marvel Comics 616 continuity? The blurb in the first issue would certainly suggest so, but these quotes from a recent interview with Priest seem to tell a different story.

“Our Black Panther is our world to come. It’s completely our own vision of the near future. It is not tied into any other bit of Marvel continuity, which gives us enormous freedom to do things like have Lockjaw show up, so we’re very happy about that. I’m glad that’s finally coming out. It’s been a long and interesting journey.”

Either way, the big reveal has come in for a lot of backlash. You can check out just a few of the reactions below.

You get the idea. While some are taking this a lot more seriously than others, most can agree that it's a... bold move from the legendary publisher.

What do you make of this development? Have you read the issue in question? Be sure to let us know in the comments section.

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KennKathleen
KennKathleen - 6/5/2025, 5:01 PM
User Comment Image
Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 6/5/2025, 5:14 PM
@KennKathleen - its ok we won COMICBOOKMOVIE fans in general won , next STOP HUNTER SHAFFER COMFIRMED AS ZELDA
KennKathleen
KennKathleen - 6/5/2025, 5:19 PM
@Malatrova15 - Oh Malatrova, you never disappoint! 😆
MakeAmericaGrea
MakeAmericaGrea - 6/5/2025, 6:26 PM
@Malatrova15 -

Zelda's pecs aren't that big.

And if you washed her makeup off, Zelda would be more attractive than Hunter.
Lisa89
Lisa89 - 6/5/2025, 5:05 PM
I’ve got him blocked, but I’m sure @MakeAmericaGrea is cumming.
Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 6/5/2025, 5:15 PM
@Lisa89 - thats aneough dude...be civil or be gone, and what if is cumming'? thats a good thing, a tasty , protein full thing, so please dont spread hate
RolandD
RolandD - 6/5/2025, 5:31 PM
@Lisa89 - 16 comments in and nothing.
RolandD
RolandD - 6/5/2025, 5:32 PM
@Lisa89 - Maybe because he’s busy.😂🤣😂🤣
Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 6/5/2025, 5:34 PM
@RolandD - he Is in a Neil Young meet AND greet
BaddestOptics
BaddestOptics - 6/5/2025, 10:01 PM
@Lisa89 - when you go 40 years without using your dick for anything other than peeing you no longer produce jizz. He's nacho cheesing right now.
Lisa89
Lisa89 - 6/5/2025, 10:09 PM
@BaddestOptics - 🤮🤮🤮
ProLife
ProLife - 6/6/2025, 12:08 AM
@Malatrova15 - Gross. I work in surgery so I know exactly where that comes from. Trust me when I say, humans are disgusting on the inside.
Malatrova15
Malatrova15 - 6/6/2025, 12:31 AM
@ProLife - i just think Is pretty neat
HashTagSwagg
HashTagSwagg - 6/5/2025, 5:09 PM
It's happening
MakeAmericaGrea
MakeAmericaGrea - 6/5/2025, 6:35 PM
?si=DWs-DpvBjVNgMIcS
harryba11zack
harryba11zack - 6/5/2025, 5:11 PM
MakeAmericaGrea
MakeAmericaGrea - 6/5/2025, 6:36 PM
"I showed Ketema to my son and he said 'Mama, Black Panther looks like me!'"
Killuminatic
Killuminatic - 6/5/2025, 7:23 PM
@MakeAmericaGrea - That shit was so bad. You didn’t have to remind us, Mal
BaddestOptics
BaddestOptics - 6/5/2025, 10:02 PM
@MakeAmericaGrea - it's funny because you've never had consensual sex with a woman 🤣
MakeAmericaGrea
MakeAmericaGrea - 6/5/2025, 10:12 PM
@BaddestOptics -

Ay yo, why are you sexually harassing me and making serious and destructive accusations against me?
KaptainKhaos
KaptainKhaos - 6/5/2025, 5:15 PM
You can really tell tourists only know one white actor.

We all know deep down that Robert Pattinson would be a great Black Panther
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 6/5/2025, 5:29 PM
@KaptainKhaos - The character is half black and half white. Which means it would need to be a half black and half white actor who looks the part.
MakeAmericaGrea
MakeAmericaGrea - 6/5/2025, 6:28 PM
@KaptainKhaos -

He's a clown in an anti President movie, Mickey 17.

And The Batman kidney of sucks.
WhatIfRickJames
WhatIfRickJames - 6/5/2025, 7:02 PM
@MakeAmericaGrea -

“And The Batman kidney of sucks.”

Gross, no thank you.
MakeAmericaGrea
MakeAmericaGrea - 6/5/2025, 7:09 PM
@WhatIfRickJames -

I had his liver with some kidney beans and a nice chianti.

Fhfhfhfhfhfhfh.
Supercat6376
Supercat6376 - 6/5/2025, 5:15 PM
Lmao it’s fantastic. As someone who’s been saying marvel has been pushing nonsense for years , this is hilarious. I can say I don’t want my black panther white. It’s funny and all but nope.
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 6/5/2025, 5:30 PM
@Supercat6376 - That's like making Cyclops have one eye because his name is offensive towards mythology lol.
DarthAlgar
DarthAlgar - 6/5/2025, 5:36 PM
@SonOfAGif - Hehe. You are low-key pissed. Don't even try and deny it.
SonOfAGif
SonOfAGif - 6/5/2025, 6:19 PM
@DarthAlgar - I'm not. And that's me being honest because at the end of the day this character is created for a market that isn't me. I have T'Challa. If Gen Z wants this character then the free market will determine it. If Marvel Studios believes this character deserves a movie role, Then so be it. It's not my company dude. You folks fail to understand that you don't have to watch a character you don't like. The problem is you folks spend hours upon hours bashing a character and then making that your identity and still watching it on Disney+.
MakeAmericaGrea
MakeAmericaGrea - 6/5/2025, 6:29 PM
@Supercat6376 -

Why do you not want White Black Panther?
ProLife
ProLife - 6/6/2025, 12:15 AM
@MakeAmericaGrea - Remember, liberals are only ok with white, men, normal sexual "behaving,"(straight, whatever that even means), being recast. Don't you dare ever recast a black, Hispanic, women, or person who sexually "behaves" gay with a normal white man. Liberals hate white, normal, men. Especially fathers.
MakeAmericaGrea
MakeAmericaGrea - 6/6/2025, 8:06 AM
@ProLife -

You're right. 🙂

🤝
Spiderfan2226
Spiderfan2226 - 6/6/2025, 11:37 AM
@Supercat6376 - exactly. I love the ridiculous meta trolling of it all, but I don’t ACTUALLY want a white BP, just like i don’t want a non Peter Parker Spider-Man or non Steve Roger’s cap.
Spiderfan2226
Spiderfan2226 - 6/6/2025, 11:44 AM
@MakeAmericaGrea - I don’t like it because the entire idea of the character is a prince of a fictional African nation that blends tradition with modernity. That’s done best by having an ethnically black African BP. Plus, I don’t like stunt writing. I don’t like a white BP just like I don’t like a non white Peter as Spider-Man and etc.
WakandaTech
WakandaTech - 6/5/2025, 5:16 PM
Is this reverse DEI?

😂
KennKathleen
KennKathleen - 6/5/2025, 5:25 PM
@WakandaTech - It's Iconaclasm!!!

Like this:

User Comment Image

being Moses.

This:
User Comment Image


being Christ. Nothing new under the sun.

Check out Russian Icons by Vladimir Ivanoff.

To the law:

1 Maccabees 3:48 kjv
And laid open the book of the law, wherein the heathen had sought to paint the likeness of their images.


🪙🪙
EskimoJ
EskimoJ - 6/5/2025, 5:51 PM
@WakandaTech - No, that would mean white women were losing out on opportunities they were most deserving of.
MakeAmericaGrea
MakeAmericaGrea - 6/5/2025, 6:32 PM
@EskimoJ -

It's typed as White.

What do you mean?

Women?

Are you suggesting

Didn't
Earn
It

hires are most deserving of their jobs?
Pictilli
Pictilli - 6/6/2025, 2:35 AM
@KennKathleen - Except Jesus and Moses were white, so no, not the same.
AgentofSH1ELD
AgentofSH1ELD - 6/6/2025, 6:25 AM
@Pictilli - UM. probably not? What what people live in the middle east? they were olive at best.
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