The following article contains spoilers for What If…? episode 2.
Marvel Studios’ What If…? has already brought forward two very unique stories of what would happen if the events of the Marvel Cinematic Universe had been slightly altered. The second episode of What If…? dives deep into T’Challa’s journey of becoming Star-Lord instead of Peter Quill. The episode has an interesting take on how T’Challa does things differently, and even goes on to fix a huge mistake that the live-action Quill makes in Avengers: Infinity War.
The second episode of the series brings one of the MCU’s most loved characters into a world of lawbreakers. T’Challa, voiced by Chadwick Boseman, has a passion for exploring the world and is kidnapped by Yondu instead of Quill. Suddenly, the man that Marvel fans loved as Black Panther becomes the future leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy. A small change in the chain of the MCU’s original events creates a ripple effect in the timeline, along with changing the course of the Guardians.
The episode begins with an epic introduction to Boseman’s version of Star-Lord, who comes face-to-face with Djimon Hounsou’s Korath during his heist for the Power Stone from Morag. But, in this alternate timeline, Korath seems to be a huge fan of Star-Lord and the fact that he is basically the Robin Hood of the galaxy, stealing from the rich and helping the less fortunate. The conversation between them is absolutely hilarious, with Korath begging T’Challa to let him join the Ravagers.
When T’Challa reunites with Yondu and the rest of the gang, they seem to be completely transformed individuals. They are not the criminals or mercenaries that fans first got to meet in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy, but are instead individuals with moral integrity. They have stolen the Infinity Stone to be able to help save a dying planet. T’Challa has clearly been a good influence on them and has changed the course of the MCU in his role as Star-Lord.
The most unexpected moment in the episode is when Thanos, voiced byJosh Brolin, shows up and isn’t the evil supervillain from the MCU. Seeing the Mad Titan on the team of good guys is quite disconcerting, as one expects him to pull out his Infinity Gauntlet any minute and snap half the population into oblivion. A lot of jokes are made about his “efficient” measures of saving the galaxy by committing mass genocide. He seems to have genuine concern for his team and even his adoptive daughter Nebula, portrayed by Karen Gillan.
This unexpected, yet pleasant, change in the MCU’s original timeline is one of the things that stands out the most in episode 2 of What If..? In the MCU films, things turn out very differently between Star-Lord and Thanos. Upon discovering that Thanos sacrificed his daughter Gamora’s life in order to obtain one of the Infinity Stones, Quill becomes furious, and in his rage, he ends up ruining a great plan of bringing down the Mad Titan.
At one point in Avengers: Infinity War, a few members of the Avengers almost manage to take the Infinity Gauntlet from Thanos. Mantis works her magic and is able to subdue the Mad Titan, while Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Spider-Man and the Guardians try to fight him and rid him off the Gauntlet. However, Quill gets emotional and starts attacking Thanos. In the process, Thanos manages to free himself, fight the Avengers, and take back the Gauntlet, which he later uses to wipe out half the population of the galaxy.
This scene had led to a lot of backlash among the Marvel fandom, as viewers were quite upset over Quill’s actions. Many entirely blamed Quill for the final snap, which led to the Blip. While they understood the pain that Quill might have experienced upon discovering that the woman he loved had died, they put fault in the script for not letting him hold back for just a few more seconds. But, then again, if he hadn’t done what he did, there wouldn’t have been any reason to make Avengers: Endgame. As Thanos himself says, it was all "inevitable."
What If…? on the other hand has a more tamed version of Thanos, and all credit goes to T’Challa. He seems to have broken through Thanos’ barriers and mindset in this alternate reality and convinced the Mad Titan that there are other ways to achieve his goals. The reformed Thanos was definitely one of the highlights of episode 2 and his banter with his Ravager family was a delight to watch. It also reflects on the path that the MCU has chosen to take in its multiple series of how important conversations can be. A simple conversation between T’Challa and Thanos saved half the population of the galaxy from being wiped from existence.
Of course it would be quite hard for some Marvel fans to watch the episode, knowing that this is the last time that Boseman reprises the role of T’Challa. After the actor's tragic death, Marvel executives have decided not to recast the role of Black Panther. It is unclear at this point as to what direction Black Panther: Wakanda Forever would go in, but it is known that the film will honor Boseman’s legacy. A leaked set video gave fans a glimpse of the new throne room that is being built for the film. Certain aspects in the room point towards a memorial being created for T’Challa, which hints at the character’s death, too.
Boseman’s last performance as T’Challa in What If…? is being praised by a lot of fans on social media. While the character has been quite a serious one thus far in the MCU, Boseman brings a sort of lightness to the What If…? version, with some comical and flirtatious vibes. At the time of recording his lines, Boseman was already battling cancer. While his colleagues and fans were unaware of his diagnosis back then, knowing about it now brings a sense of comfort to them to see how dedicated he was towards his work. It almost feels like Boseman’s way of silently bidding farewell to T’Challa, and his fans.
What If…? is now streaming on Disney Plus.