Disney+’s What If…? director Bryan Andrews says the show explores how Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa could transform the galaxy as Star-Lord.
What If…? director Bryan Andrews says the show explores how T’Challa could transform the galaxy as Star-Lord. Inspired by the comic series of the same name, Disney+’s next series to take place within the Marvel Cinematic Universe piggybacks off of Loki’s introduction of the multiverse. What If…? is narrated by Uatu the Watcher (Jeffrey Wright), an impartial being that watched over the multiverse and, in particular, alternate versions of iconic MCU events.
For example, the show’s pilot will see Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) take the super-soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers. The second episode will focus on an alternate version of Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa, who is abducted by Yondu (Michael Rooker) in the fields of Wakanda, ultimately becoming a ravager instead of Peter Quill. What If…? marks the Black Panther actor’s final performance following his passing last year after secretly battling colon cancer since 2016.
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Related: Why Tom Holland Isn’t Returning As Spider-Man In What If…?
At a press conference for the series (via Deadline), What If…? director Andrews talked about episode 2. The idea for the episode came after the writers realized Peter Quill and T’Challa were the same age. It then evolved into an exploration of T’Challa’s impact on the world around him. Read what Andrews had to say below:
“T’Challa is an interesting character because he’s not a character who arcs himself, he’s a character who changes the world around him,” Bradley explained, “He doesn’t go through a transformation, he transforms the world. So, taking a step back, (we pondered) how could T’Challa transform outer space?”
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Andrews went on to talk about how amazing it was to work with Boseman and, of the series’ impressive roster of reprised roles, the actor was one of the first to sign on. According to Andrews, Boseman was excited to play this particular version of T’Challa because it’s a King with a very different mantel: Star-Lord. Boseman famously brought a tactful amount of dignity and reality to his role in Black Panther and it will be fun to see him bring a different flavor to the character in What If…? Story-wise, one has to imagine that the Guardians of the Galaxy (if they exist at all) will look a lot different in a universe with T’Challa as Star-Lord. Promotional material for the series has shown Gamora wearing/wielding Thanos’ armor and/or weapons, which suggests she never met up with Star-Lord.
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The trailers for What If…? see T’Challa working with the ravagers instead of running from them as Peter Quill did in Guardians of the Galaxy. It’s entirely possible that the once King of Wakanda grew into a leadership position and is doing good, bad, or a bit of both in the universe as an outlaw. Regardless, the show’s creators said it was an emotional process scoring and perfecting Boseman’s episode and did their best to pay homage to his legacy. What If…? premieres on Disney+ August 11 with Boseman’s episode becoming available on the 18th.
More: Theory: MCU’s Multiverse Will Be Invaded By Ultron In Phase 4
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Source: Deadline
- Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)Release date: Sep 03, 2021
- Eternals (2021)Release date: Nov 05, 2021
- Spider-Man: No Way Home (2021)Release date: Dec 17, 2021
- Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)Release date: Mar 25, 2022
- Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)Release date: May 06, 2022
- Black Panther: Wakanda Forever/Black Panther 2 (2022)Release date: Jul 08, 2022
- The Marvels/Captain Marvel 2 (2022)Release date: Nov 11, 2022
- Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)Release date: Feb 17, 2023
- Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)Release date: May 05, 2023
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Josh Plainse (349 Articles Published)
Josh Plainse is an author, journalist, avid reader, movie and television fanatic based out of Wisconsin. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh with a BA in English, he embarked on a career as a freelance writer, providing content for a number of different websites, including Bookstr.com, Mandatory.com, and Comingsoon.net. Josh works for Screen Rant covering the latest in entertainment while simultaneously pursuing the never-ending dream of becoming an established novelist and screenwriter. Josh would accredit characters such Goku, Han Solo, Simba, and Maximus Decimus Meridius for not only teaching him how to be a man but instilling within him an affinity for storytelling. It is this incessant obsession which has propelled him to seek opportunities that inform, entertain, and inspire others. Beyond that, he enjoys the occasional Spotted Cow (shout-out to New Glarus Brewing Company), doing push-ups, and wearing jean jackets on Tatooine. Contact Josh directly: plainse(at)gmail(dot)com.
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