Marvel Comics has set the fandom ablaze with its latest storyline twist in Marvel Knights: The World to Come.
The six-part miniseries introduces Ketema — a name now on every Marvel fan’s lips — as the son of T’Challa, a.k.a. Black Panther. But what’s really got people talking? Ketema is a white man with blond hair and blue eyes.
In this speculative future, an ageing T’Challa finds himself challenged for the Wakandan throne by none other than his estranged son.
While the comic hints at Ketema being the result of T’Challa’s early relationship, his appearance has sparked major fan debate and endless theories, from alternate universes to genetic tampering.
But the biggest ripple effect? The revival of the long-running internet meme featuring actor Ryan Gosling as a Wakandan hero.
Now, fans are convinced Marvel has finally “manifested” the joke. “Ryan Gosling Black Panther is now real,” one user declared on X. Another wrote, “We live in a universe where Gosling could actually be Black Panther.”
The meme, originally created in jest, has taken on a new life. With Gosling’s history of working with Disney, many believe the casting joke may not be so far-fetched anymore.
Despite there being no official connection between Gosling and the comic’s storyline, fans are calling for the actor to be cast as Ketema should the character ever appear in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Marvel has not commented on the speculation, but the bold introduction of a white heir to Wakanda has reignited conversations about legacy, representation, and multiverse possibilities.
