In a twist that’s shaking up both comic book canon and Marvel fan circles, a white character named Ketema has officially stepped into the Black Panther suit in Marvel’s Knights: The World To Come — and the internet immediately did what it does best: cast Ryan Gosling in the role.
Yep, “Ryan Gosling Black Panther” memes are back, and this time they’ve got comic book backup.
Who Is Ketema?
In Marvel Knights: The World To Come #1 (2025), a miniseries by Christopher Priest and Joe Quesada, readers learn that T’Challa is dead, and Wakanda’s future is in flux. In a flashback, T’Challa engages in ritual combat with a masked Black Panther who turns out to be Ketema — a white man with blonde hair and pale skin.
The shocking moment ends with Ketema unmasking and declaring:
“I am king now. Wakanda is mine.”
It’s implied that Ketema may be T’Challa’s son, though that’s still murky. The comic notes that T’Challa reconciled with Monica Lynne after splitting from Storm, but both are Black, leaving the origins of Ketema’s whiteness unexplained — at least for now.
Why Is Ryan Gosling Trending?
The resurfaced memes casting Ryan Gosling as Black Panther began as satire years ago — poking fun at Hollywood whitewashing and overreliance on A-listers like Gosling. But now, with Ketema canonically existing in the Marvel universe, fans are wondering:
Could this joke actually become real?
Reddit lit up immediately after the comic dropped:
“Guys… the meme is real now,” one user posted, attaching a Gosling edit in the Black Panther suit.
And while there’s zero confirmation from Marvel Studios that Gosling is in talks for the MCU (let alone this role), the existence of Ketema opens the door for future multiverse or legacy stories where this kind of casting isn’t totally out of the question — especially in a post-Secret Wars, post-multiverse era.
But Will It Actually Happen?
Let’s get one thing straight: Marvel is not replacing T’Challa or Shuri with a white character in the main MCU timeline.
This new Black Panther arc exists in a Marvel Knights continuity — often darker, more speculative, and outside traditional canon. Think of it like Marvel’s sandbox for complex or alternate timelines, much like What If…?
Plus, Marvel Studios is still grappling with how to move forward after Chadwick Boseman’s passing. With Letitia Wright’s Shuri currently holding the mantle and fans deeply protective of Black Panther’s cultural importance, the idea of a white Black Panther in the MCU remains highly unlikely — and deeply controversial.
The Bigger Picture: Legacy, Identity & What’s Next
Whether Ketema turns out to be a biological son, a clone, or something stranger, the storyline is clearly designed to challenge the legacy of T’Challa and what it means to inherit Wakanda’s most sacred role.
Expectations are high for The World To Come miniseries to explore race, succession, and cultural gatekeeping — and possibly stir up more memes, casting debates, and comic store discourse along the way.
Fan Reaction So Far
- “Marvel is trolling us with the Gosling meme.”
- “If this ends with Ryan Gosling in the MCU, I’ll actually scream.”
- “Ketema better be a fakeout. We’re not ready for White Panther discourse.”
Bottom Line: Ryan Gosling’s Black Panther meme may have started as a joke — but Marvel’s latest comic twist has turned it into a conversation. Whether it ever translates to the big screen is a different story, but one thing’s for sure: the internet never forgets, and neither does fandom.
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