Why Black Panther's X-Men '97 Cameo Is Infuriating Marvel Fans
Contains spoilers for "X-Men '97" Season 1 finale, "Tolerance is Extinction – Part 3"
To close out the quotable debut season of "X-Men '97," the episode "Tolerance is Extinction – Part 3" doesn't hold back. With Professor Charles Xavier (Ross Marquand) and Magneto (Matthew Waterson) trapped in the latter's mind, Bastion (Theo James) fights through the X-Men and sends Asteroid M careening toward Earth. Various non-mutant heroes watch on in horror as President Robert Kelly (Ron Rubin) attempts to make a decision on what to do. One such hero, Black Panther (Isaac Robinson-Smith), even attempts to sway Kelly's decision. While it's undoubtedly cool seeing the King of Wakanda join the "X-Men '97" fray, his appearance has led to some online fan backlash.
The specific Black Panther shown on the program is King T'Chaka, the father of the more well-known T'Challa, portrayed by the late Chadwick Boseman in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. X, formerly known as Twitter, users such as @GreyDL15 and folks on YouTube like @MeisterGeekMedia have expressed frustration over the alleged T'Challa erasure since Boseman's passing in 2020 at the age of 43. Many online have even begun pushing #RecastTChalla all over social media. The hashtag previously took prominence in the lead-up to the ultimately fan-upsetting "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," when it came to light that T'Challa would be written out of the story rather than recast.
The internet has also been rife with speculation that Marvel Studios is preventing the use of T'Challa in new media, both animated and live action, hence T'Chaka's increased presence. Is this truly the case?
Is there really a mandate against the use of T'Challa?
King T'Challa last appeared in live-action in 2019's "Avengers: Endgame," and last in animation via "What If...?" Season 1. Since then, Shuri (Letitia Wright) has become the Black Panther in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," and "What If...?" Season 2 and the upcoming video game "Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra" use the King T'Chaka version of the character. "X-Men '97" creator Beau DeMayo stated in a post on X that he can't speak on T'Chaka being chosen as the show's Black Panther due to an NDA, even though T'Challa held that mantle on "Fantastic Four: The Animated Series," which is set in the same continuity.
So, what exactly is going on with T'Challa? Despite claims online that Marvel Studios has imposed a mandate preventing the use of the character, no official sources have confirmed its existence. The most that has been said regarding T'Challa comes from a 2022 Empire interview with Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige. "It just felt like it was much too soon to recast," he said on the handling of T'Challa following Chadwick Boseman's death. He explained that instead of recasting the role, "Wakanda Forever" director Ryan Coogler crafted a story meant to honor Boseman and his legacy.
Perhaps there is a reason for the lack of T'Challa appearances as of late, but if that is the case, it certainly hasn't been made public. All fans can do is wait and see what the future holds for the character and how Marvel Studios will approach him.