The What If...? Spin-Off Series We'll Sadly Never Get To See
One of the most important things to Bryan Andrews when he agreed to direct Marvel's animated Disney+ show, "What If...?" was making sure that he'd be able to retain his creative freedom. The show is unmoored from the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) in a unique manner in that it's able to keep its stories tucked safely away from the main timeline within the folds of the infinite Marvel multiverse. In so doing, "What If...?" is able to weave the kind of fantastic (and absurd) stories that even the MCU's high-budget feature films aren't able to tell.
But even a show as freewheeling as "What If...?" can still be affected by the painful realities of life. At least, that was the case when "Black Panther" star and NAACP Image Award-winner (via IMDb) Chadwick Boseman passed away last year following an unpublicized battle with cancer. Boseman, who continued to work almost until the end, managed to lend his voice to "What If...?" before his death.
Now, in an interview with Variety, Andrews explains how the loss of Boseman affected plans for a "What If...?" spin-off series of epic proportions.
Marvel considered making a spin-off about the Star-Lord version of T'Challa
According to "What If...?" director Bryan Andrews, Chadwick Boseman may never have even known a spin-off show was in the works that would have been set in the alternate reality where T'Challa became Star-Lord instead of Black Panther. "There was planning to have Star-Lord T'Challa spin off into this own show with that universe and crew," Andrews revealed during a recent interview with Variety.
Speaking about Boseman's contributions to Season 1 of "What If...?" Andrews says no one knew the actor was ill and emphasized how much Boseman loved the version of the character he voiced in the series. "We got him in time to have everything," Andrews said. "I think he was also trying to make an effort because T'Challa was so important to him — and also this new version of Star-Lord T'Challa was so important to him."
Of course, plans for the spin-off appear to have fallen apart, as Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige has previously promised not to recast the role of Black Panther out of respect for Boseman's iconic performance as the character. "We were all very excited," Andrews admitted while discussing the planned spin-off. "We know he would have loved it, too. And then, you know, he passed, and so all that's in limbo."
With all that said, while the long-term future of the MCU remains murky and largely unknown right now, Andrews seems to still be holding out hope that the "What If...?" spin-off will someday see the light of day. "Who knows?" the "What...?" director told Variety. "Maybe one day."