The One Question That Led To T'Challa's Episode In What If...?
Marvel Studios' newest project, "What If...?" will allow fans to see what could have happened in a MCU movie if the slightest moment was changed. These small changes could have altered the MCU entirely, and this new animated series is a fun way for us to see how things could have panned out in another universe. It looks like every major character we've met in the Infinity Saga will be appearing in "What If...?" — but in what capacity remains to be seen.
We know that the first episode will feature Peggy Carter — voiced by Hayley Atwell — taking on the mantle of Captain Carter. This story will center around what would have happened if Peggy was injected with the supersoldier serum instead of Steve Rogers (Chris Evans). We also know that "Black Panther's" T'Challa will appear, voiced by the late Chadwick Boseman. From the trailer, it looks like "What If...?" will see Yondu (Michael Rooker) kidnap the wrong child from Earth, turning T'Challa into Star-Lord instead of Peter Quill (Chris Pratt). To develop the idea for this particular episode, the writers of the series focused on one specific question.
T'Challa will take on the role of Star-Lord
Looper attended a virtual press event for "What If...?" where it was revealed what question inspired T'Challa's episode. When the writers looked at the character posters on the walls of their writing room, they noticed that T'Challa and Peter Quill were the same age. So they wondered, "How would T'Challa transform outer space?" The episode took off from there, and we expect to see the Wakandan royal in a whole new light among the stars.
This is a very important episode for fans of Chadwick Boseman to watch, as it's his last acting role. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige mentioned to Emmy Magazine (via Screen Rant) that Boseman came into the studio on separate occasions and "recorded numerous episodes." We expect the Star-Lord crossover to be the main episode for T'Challa, but he should serve as a supporting character in others.
"What If...?" debuts on Disney+ on August 11. New episodes will drop weekly, and for now, it's not known which specific week will feature this bittersweet T'Challa episode.