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Chadwick Boseman’s final MCU performance as T’Challa in Marvel’s What If…? animated series is a heartbreaking reminder of the late actor’s range.
The late Chadwick Boseman will make his first posthumous appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with Season 1 of Marvel’s What If…? animated TV show, having recorded his lines as T’Challa prior to his death from colon cancer in August 2020. Hearing Boseman’s voice again was always going to be an emotional experience for audiences, no matter how his Wakandan prince figured into the series. However, based on What If..?‘s marketing, his final Marvel performance is shaping up to be the MCU’s most heartbreaking one yet.
Inspired by the Marvel Comics anthology of the same name, What If…? examines what might’ve happened if key moments in the MCU’s history had played out differently. When it comes to T’Challa, the series will explore an alternate timeline where the heir to Wakanda’s throne is taken from Earth by Yondu’s Ravagers, ultimately becoming Star-Lord. But beyond the surface-level changes, this iteration of T’Challa appears to be a very different person from the one Boseman first played in Captain America: Civil War.
Rather than a prince burdened by his crown, T’Challa seems lighter, more carefree, and fun in What If…?‘s full-length trailer. There’s a newfound sense of swagger in his step as he drops catchphrases while facing down an army of faceless enemies, only to be annoyed when Yondu doesn’t time his surprise attack just right. The trailer features equally delightful imagery of Star-Lord T’Challa getting pulled into an awkward hug with Drax the Destroyer or teaming up with alternate versions of Gamora, Thor, and possibly King Killmonger as Black Panther to recreate The Avengers‘ iconic 360-degree shot.
Throughout the latest trailer, Boseman’s alternate universe T’Challa is shown to have a close, familial relationship with Star-Lord’s father figure, Yondu — an extension of what happened in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, which finally saw Yondu take on a gentler parental attitude towards Peter Jason Quill. By carrying this element over into Star-Lord T’Challa’s relationship with Yondu, What If..? aims to bring deeper emotional resonance to their adventures together, in addition to the expected humor and high-octane action.
If anything, though, the interplay of all this casts Boseman’s posthumous return in an even sadder and more tragic light. By calling attention to what an exceptional screen presence he was, from his range to his sheer charisma, Marvel’s What If..? only further drives home the magnitude of losing such a compelling actor too soon, to say nothing of his merits as a person. It’s a loss that’s all too raw for many MCU fans, as evidenced by the mixed emotions many are feeling after watching the show’s latest trailer.
Much like the cast and crew of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever have pledged to honor Boseman’s legacy, the hope is What If..?‘s T’Challa story will serve as a fitting capstone to his time in the MCU. Of course, no matter what, it’s going to be bittersweet to watch some version of the actor suit up to play a superhero once again.
Premiering Aug. 11 on Disney+, Marvel’s What If…? features an all-star cast that also includes Jeffrey Wright as The Watcher, Hayley Atwell as Captain Peggy Carter, Josh Brolin as Thanos, Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark, Michael Douglas as Hank Pym, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Jeff Goldblum as Grandmaster, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton, Paul Rudd as Scott Lang, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner and Sebastian Stan as James “Bucky” Barnes.
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