Television

'What If...?' Episode 2 Teaser Shows Off Chadwick Boseman's Final Performance

By Shania Russell

By now you've heard the big news — the already sprawling Marvel Cinematic Universe is expanding to even greater territory by exploring the multiverse. We spent the first phase of the MCU meeting heroes across the Earth...and one God, from the distant planetary collection of Asgard. But even with Thor in the mix, the MCU started off pretty simply. Then, The Guardians of the Galaxy brought us into space, and Captain Marvel took us deeper. But this year, the Disney+ series Loki introduced something even greater than the vastness of space.

In the MCU's multiverse, there are endless possibilities and stories to tell. That's where Marvel's What If...? comes in.

The animated anthology tackles ten of those wild possibilities in its first season, looking at worlds where a slight alteration can kickstart an entirely new universe. Last week, What If...? envisioned a world where Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) took the super-soldier serum in Steve Rogers' place, gifting us a glorious half-hour of the buff badass Captain Carter taking soldiers down left and right. In anticipation of the second episode, Marvel just revealed it will showcase Chadwick Boseman's Prince T'Challa. As for the question guiding the episode, the series will ponder what if... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord?

The official What If...? account even offers a sneak peek below!

Star-Lord T'Challa

What If...? director Bryan Andrews previously hinted that the episode is less about T'Challa changing due to his new circumstances and more about the Prince reshaping the galaxy around him. No surprise there, since T'Challa has always shone because of his immense strength and influence on everyone around him. His prior appearance in Captain America: Civil War saw him overcoming immense grief just in time to save lives. In Black Panther, his leadership was an integral part of changing the world for the better.

We've seen him face off against the Avengers and rule as Prince of Wakanda so it's a welcome change — and great fun — to see him exploring the stars. His relationship with Ravagers leader and T'Challa's abductor, Yondu (Michael Rooker), also looks like a special treat. The blue-skinned buccaneer was an important fatherly figure in Peter Quill's life and will likely be the same for T'Challa — but in a very different way.

If you want even more of T'Challa's stint as a Star-Lord, Marvel has already updated the Guardians of the Galaxy Twitter account to show off his takeover of the galaxy.

Chadwick Boseman's Final Performance

This won't be the very last we see of T'Challa, as he's slated to appear in a couple more episodes of the animated series. But Chadwick Boseman's voice in Marvel's What If...? does mark his final appearance in the MCU overall.

Boseman passed away last August after battling colon cancer. His death came as a shock to the world and resulted in an immediate outpour of love for his performances and legacy. Among the work heralded was his groundbreaking performance as Prince T'Challa.

What If...? writer AC Bradley spoke to the significance of working with Boseman and attested that he "made sure that this was going to be the episode that shined." She went on to say:

"Chadwick Boseman understood the importance of Black Panther. He understood how important it is that young people see a Black man standing shoulder to shoulder with Captain America and Thor Odinson, so that they know a Black man saves the world just the same as anyone else."

His final appearance will certainly be tinged bittersweet, yet joyous to see Boseman continuing the work started with the much-loved character.

Episode two of Marvel's What If...? will be available to stream on Disney+ on August 18, 2021.

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