A Kasper Cole Disney+ Black Panther Series Is the Best Way to Expand the Franchise

Ever since the character’s 2018 solo movie, the Black Panther franchise has been one of the most profitable and popular within the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe. Despite the tragic passing of lead actor Chadwick Boseman, the series continued with the 2022 sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. There’s now an upcoming Black Panther animated series on Disney+ that’s set to expand the property’s mythos, and the streaming platform might be a good way to introduce another Black Panther.

Kasper Cole was one of the individuals to use the Black Panther name in the comics. Despite this, he had next to nothing to do with T’Challa or the Wakandan culture. While it might seem like a random move, introducing Kasper to the MCU with a TV series of his own is another way to expand the reach of the Black Panther without T’Challa.

Kasper Cole Was a Black Panther With No Ties to Wakanda

Introduced in Christopher Priest’s run on Black Panther, Kevin “Kasper” Cole was a completely different character with no connection to T’Challa or the Wakandan Royal Family. Instead, Kasper was a New York City police officer who had been suspended from the force after he tried to take down the 66 Bridges street gang. Through a contact, he came upon a Black Panther costume and used it to fight back against the criminal element. While he’s initially not successful at this endeavor, he’s able to eventually expose several corrupt cops and begin cleaning up the city.

It was only in his final adventure as Black Panther that Kasper had any ties to T’Challa. There, he fought against T’Challa’s rival, Erik Killmonger, and even gained the enhanced abilities of the heart-shaped herb. Afterward, Kasper became an operative of T’Challa and gave him information about his exploits. He also took on the identity of White Tiger, securing that a true Wakandan was the only Black Panther. Given T’Challa’s status in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, however, this doesn’t have to remain the case.

Kasper Cole’s Black Panther Is Perfect for the MCU

Due to the real-life death of Chadwick Boseman, the character of T’Challa was killed off during the opening of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Thus, one of the biggest and most popular Avengers was written out of the MCU, with his sister Shuri becoming the new Black Panther at the movie’s climax. Still, there’s ample room for Kasper Cole to be introduced into the MCU via the Disney+ streaming service, and a TV series starring him can emulate his comic book origins. After all, the end of the first Black Panther movie saw Wakanda opening its gates to the outside world and allowing its culture to be more mainstream. This can result in a version of the Black Panther costume finding itself beyond the shores of its native country.

In a Black Panther: Kasper Cole TV series on Disney+, Cole might use the suit for his own purposes against criminals such as the 66 Bridges gang. Of course, without a heart-shaped herb or fancy Wakandan gadgets to really make use of the suit’s abilities, he’d have to rely on his own wits and detective skills. The series might end with him finally meeting Shuri or another representative of Wakanda who could challenge his use of their imagery, but overall, his introduction would be the perfect way to take the story of the Black Panther outside of African trappings and stuffy talks of monarchy.

Kasper Cole has a completely different life compared to T’Challa, and his environment is also the direct opposite. Thus, showcasing these elements and how he only shares the Black Panther title is what can make the character stand out. All the while, the more traditional versions of the mantle can be seen in the upcoming Eyes of Wakanda and any further Black Panther movie sequels. In fact, it might have been better to take things in this direction beforehand, especially given how Wakanda Forever played out.

Kasper Cole Is Potentially the Best Choice for the Black Panther Mantle

Due to the circumstances surrounding the second Black Panther, there was always going to be debate over which direction the franchise needed to go in. While many were happy with how Black Panther: Wakanda Forever turned out, other fans felt that T’Challa should have been recast following Boseman’s death. This would have maintained the franchise’s momentum, especially given that so much of the movie’s opening segments were a maudlin memorial. Even if T’Challa wasn’t recast, it might have been worthwhile to postpone Wakanda Forever and hype up the mystery of whether someone else would take up the mantle.

This could have been where Black Panther: Kasper Cole was released, with the show debuting on Disney+ before the delayed movie sequel was released. Not only would it introduce Kasper Cole and showcase a different side of Black Panther mantle, but it would further create a sense of mystery concerning the title’s future. Similar to how U.S. Agent was handled in the series The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, it might have solidified that this new character wasn’t the classic Avenger that viewers were used to. Sadly, that can no longer be done to full effect, but it might still have a chance under Marvel Studios’ newest creative banner.

Marvel Studios announced the “Marvel Spotlight” banner for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is meant for darker, more mature projects in the shared universe. The first of these is Marvel’s Echo, which builds upon the events of both the Netflix Daredevil series and the Disney+ show Hawkeye. Other hard-edged shows (including Daredevil: Born Again) are expected to premiere under this banner, with the street-level Marvel heroes likely being the main focus. It’s in this niche that a Kasper Cole-centered Black Panther TV series might fit right in.

As noted, Cole is a New York cop who has to take down the violent criminals in his city. That premise can easily separate him from the likes of Spider-Man or even Hawkeye, instead of making his exploits closer to those of Daredevil. Again, this kind of content for the tentative TV series would separate his adventures from the movies, all the while expanding the Black Panther lore in ways that the movies can’t. It would also be interesting to see Kasper Cole interact with Mike Colter’s Luke Cage, adding more street-level justice to a Marvel Cinematic Universe that’s become far too concentrated on space, the multiverse and other abstract concepts.

Most important, the harsh realities of a Kasper Cole TV show could speak to the wider black diaspora and life outside of Wakanda. Whereas T’Challa and Shuri might have grown up in splendid privilege, Kasper Cole has a life that’s somewhat closer to that of Erik Killmonger. This urban, gritty approach to his characterization shows that anyone can be a hero, regardless of their heritage or where they come from. All the while, it can show that the legacy of Black Panther is more than just a costume or even the person inside of it, and that the most important element is the heart that beats within the Black Panther himself.

Black Panther and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever are available to stream on Disney+.