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“I’m Waiting For Brad Pitt To Play MLK”: Outrage After Marvel Reveals New Black Panther Is White
Actor Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther in a ceremonial outfit, highlighting Marvel Black Panther character controversy.
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“I’m Waiting For Brad Pitt To Play MLK”: Outrage After Marvel Reveals New Black Panther Is White

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It’s going to be the comic book controversy of the summer. The first issue of the new six-part Marvel Knights Black Panther series, called The World To Come, has just dropped.  

The much-anticipated new series by Marvel titans Christopher Priest, Joe Quesada, Richard Isanove, and Richard Starkings reveals a stunning detail about the successor to the main character, T’Challa.

Highlights
  • The newest comic in the latest Marvel Knights Black Panther series reveals a white character
  • The son of T’Challa from a previous love interest, Ketema, has come for the throne of Wakanda
  • Netizens have various responses, some suggesting that people are past hot-button race issues
  • The cultural significance of the Black Panther franchise is once again a topic of social media conversation

The story begins with the passing of T’Challa as an old man, and then flashes back to the events that led to his passing. At the very end, we see that his long-lost son, Ketema, is actually white.

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    Comic book controversy that stuns the Marvel universe

    Image credits: Disney / Marvel Studios / imdb

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    The much-anticipated release and subsequent major spoiler of the new series have the internet on fire.

    Many people claimed to be confused. 

    “So T’Challa walked in the joint years ago like ‘Where the white women at?!'” one person asked.

    Another said: “God no. Dude he wasn’t white in the comics either…. What is this?” Others said, “Methinks Disney/Marvel be stirring the pot.”

    Image credits: Sama Kai / Winston Duke / Getty Images

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    Yet another said, “If this is true it’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen.”

    But other comments online were more relaxed and seemed to want people to chill out over the whole thing. 

    One person said: “It’s a comic book people chill out. There’s a larger story at least let it play out.” 

    This person said: “Imagine being mixed and seeing all of y’all acting insane over a biracial kid….. like, chill.” 

    And still others noted that “it’s a fictional character so it shouldn’t matter, right?”

    The issue of race is central to the success of the Black Panther franchise

    Image credits: Marvel

    But there is no escaping the issue of race. When the first film Black Panther was released in 2018, the media lauded the film for breaking down Hollywood’s racial barriers.

    A review in Time Magazine at the time said: “It’s a movie about what it means to be black in both America and Africa—and, more broadly, in the world. Rather than dodge complicated themes about race and identity, the film grapples head-on with the issues affecting modern-day black life.”

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    The BBC said: “Having a plot based around a black superhero with a predominantly black cast is a first for Marvel, but the film builds on this concept in a massive way.”

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    Another article written in Vox about the first Black Panther movie called it “a cultural phenomenon that sparked conversation all over social media.

     “The conversation about the film has evolved from discussions about the importance of representation into something grander: a rather groundbreaking celebration of black culture,” the Vox article said.

    “Wakanda got gentrified”: Netizens’ comments ranged from supportive to cheeky

    Image credits: Marvel

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    Some netizens were caught off guard with the decision to include a caucasian in the Black Panther storyline, and had cheeky suggestions for other race-swapping roles.

     “Tell me it’s Will Ferrell!” said one person.

    Another said they’re “waiting for Brad Pitt to play Martin Luther King.”

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    Image credits: YellowFlashGuy

    “Why not? Let’s talk about the Little Mermaid… Why get offended?” another asked.

    “Wakanda got gentrified,” another person said.

    And still others suggested to Marvel: “Please make Thor chinese.”

    According to Comicbookmovie.com, the story shows in the flashback that Storm is murdered in the Race War. To preserve his legacy, he has a child with an old flame named Monica Lynne. The boy, named Ketema, grows up resenting his father, which leads to him challenging his father for the rule of Wakanda.

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    “I’ve been typing to work with him since day one”: Black Panther director says Denzel Washington is in

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    The third movie in the film series could be coming out soon, according to writer and director Ryan Coogler, and legend Denzel Washington will likely be in it.

    Recently, Coogler gave a podcast interview discussing his desire to get Washington on board. 

    “I’ve been trying to work with him since day one,” Coogler said

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    On the latest episode of 7PM in Brooklyn With Carmelo Anthony, Coogler said he wrote a role specifically for Washington because: “I think he’s the greatest living actor. And in terms of what he means to our culture, forget about it. I’ve been talking to him about this for a long time, and I was surprised when he mentioned it. But it’s not like it’s not true.”

    Washington did, in fact, let it slip last year during an interview on an Australian morning news show that he would be making a trip to Wakanda in the near future.

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    Black journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates played an important role in the first Black Panther film

    Image credits: Marvel Entertainment / YouTube

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    Image credits: Marvel Entertainment / YouTube

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    Ta-Nehisi Coates, the Black activist and journalist from the U.S., played an integral role in writing the first Black Panther film. According to an interview with Vice, the inclusion of Coates on the project was a perfect pairing. 

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    “Ta-Nehisi Coates is not just a self-described comics fan but the premier writer on blackness and anti-blackness in America. Meanwhile Black Panther is not just king of Wakanda, an Afrofuturist African nation, but also the first black superhero to appear in mainstream American comics,” the article said.

    Image credits: Marvel Entertainment / YouTube

    Image credits: Marvel Entertainment / YouTube

    The article continued: “Some may point to Marvel’s efforts to represent blackness on the page, but Coates remains one of only two black writers working at Marvel Comics, and the institution has drawn fire in the last year for its handling of black issues.”

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    Netizens have mixed reactions to the fact that T’Challa’s son is white 

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    Donata Leskauskaite

    Donata Leskauskaite

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    Hey there! I'm a Visual Editor in News team. My responsibility is to ensure that you can read the story not just through text, but also through photos. I get to work with a variety of topics ranging from celebrity drama to mind-blowing Nasa cosmic news. And let me tell you, that's what makes this job an absolute blast! Outside of work, you can find me sweating it out in dance classes or unleashing my creativity by drawing and creating digital paintings of different characters that lives in my head. I also love spending time outdoors and play board games with my friends.

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    Donata Leskauskaite

    Donata Leskauskaite

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Hey there! I'm a Visual Editor in News team. My responsibility is to ensure that you can read the story not just through text, but also through photos. I get to work with a variety of topics ranging from celebrity drama to mind-blowing Nasa cosmic news. And let me tell you, that's what makes this job an absolute blast! Outside of work, you can find me sweating it out in dance classes or unleashing my creativity by drawing and creating digital paintings of different characters that lives in my head. I also love spending time outdoors and play board games with my friends.

    Julie Christine Noce

    Julie Christine Noce

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    Hola! I’m a Julie, a giant panda currently living in the lush green bamboo groves of Barcelona. I spend my days lounging in the shade, munching on snacks, and trying to avoid becoming an Instagram influencer. Life’s good. BP is my absolute favorite place to find funny, weird, and heartwarming stories. I especially love the animal content (have you seen the dog wearing a panda costume? 🤣 You know he didn't put that on himself! Oh humans) I might be a panda, but even I get bored sometimes—so BP to the rescue! 🐼💻✨

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    Julie Christine Noce

    Julie Christine Noce

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Hola! I’m a Julie, a giant panda currently living in the lush green bamboo groves of Barcelona. I spend my days lounging in the shade, munching on snacks, and trying to avoid becoming an Instagram influencer. Life’s good. BP is my absolute favorite place to find funny, weird, and heartwarming stories. I especially love the animal content (have you seen the dog wearing a panda costume? 🤣 You know he didn't put that on himself! Oh humans) I might be a panda, but even I get bored sometimes—so BP to the rescue! 🐼💻✨

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    Apatheist Account2
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well, if it doesn't follow the comic books, I can understand the frustration, as there are few enough black superheroes. On the other hand, if people think it's okay and/or a positive thing to have a black actress playing Anne Boleyn, who was a *real* white person, then they can't complain if it works the other way. Either we have people portrayed accurately as they originally were, or we ignore ethnicity completely, but you can't have it both ways.

    Hyacinth (Any pronouns)
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's the comics that are doing this, unless you mean if they decide to adapt this storyline? They used a ton of pictures from/of the movie/cast, but the story is about a new comic run.

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    RamiRudolph
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I find this hilarious. Whenever white characters get race-swapped and we complain, they always call us racists. Now lets see if the other side is as tolerant as they want us to be.

    and_a_touch_of_the_’tism
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don’t care about race-swapping WHEN IT DOESN’T AFFECT THE PLOT. The fact is that Black Panther being Black is a critical part of the story.

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    🇺🇦 PrincessPatton 🇺🇦
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And? Snow White was also white in the book and black in the movie, so why couldn't Black Panther be white in the movie even though he's black in the comics?

    Hyacinth (Any pronouns)
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Except, they're not making the original Black Panther white. This is a new run of comics, not a movie, with a new, white, character taking on the title of Black Panther. Comics do that all the time, switching out who's currently a certain hero.

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    Apatheist Account2
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well, if it doesn't follow the comic books, I can understand the frustration, as there are few enough black superheroes. On the other hand, if people think it's okay and/or a positive thing to have a black actress playing Anne Boleyn, who was a *real* white person, then they can't complain if it works the other way. Either we have people portrayed accurately as they originally were, or we ignore ethnicity completely, but you can't have it both ways.

    Hyacinth (Any pronouns)
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It's the comics that are doing this, unless you mean if they decide to adapt this storyline? They used a ton of pictures from/of the movie/cast, but the story is about a new comic run.

    Load More Replies...
    RamiRudolph
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I find this hilarious. Whenever white characters get race-swapped and we complain, they always call us racists. Now lets see if the other side is as tolerant as they want us to be.

    and_a_touch_of_the_’tism
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I don’t care about race-swapping WHEN IT DOESN’T AFFECT THE PLOT. The fact is that Black Panther being Black is a critical part of the story.

    Load More Replies...
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    🇺🇦 PrincessPatton 🇺🇦
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And? Snow White was also white in the book and black in the movie, so why couldn't Black Panther be white in the movie even though he's black in the comics?

    Hyacinth (Any pronouns)
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Except, they're not making the original Black Panther white. This is a new run of comics, not a movie, with a new, white, character taking on the title of Black Panther. Comics do that all the time, switching out who's currently a certain hero.

    Load More Replies...
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