The first season of Marvel Studios’ What If…? has finally ended on Disney+, giving fans their first look at the Guardians of the Multiverse working together in full force. To put it simply, this universe-bending adventure combined the efforts of many Infinity Saga characters, many of whom had virtually never interacted previously in the live-action films. Animated versions of MCU characters, such as Peggy Carter becoming Captain Carter and Spider-Man going on a zombie hunt, gave fans a taste of how outlandish the MCU can become in real life.
In one of the show’s early episodes, Prince T’Challa, rather than Peter Quill, assumed the mantle of Star-Lord when the Ravagers kidnapped him from Earth. Formerly played by the late Chadwick Boseman, this new legendary criminal rose to prominence throughout the galaxy before teaming up with other major heroes to take down Ultron and his other-dimensional relative, Killmonger. It was revealed after the show’s climactic finale that T’Challa Star-Lord may still be alive in another universe.
The T’Challa Story
Following the Season 1 conclusion of What If…?, director Bryan Andrews stated in an interview with Variety that Marvel Studios has ideas for an animated T’Challa Star-Lord spinoff. His last voiceover job occurred very soon before his tragic death in August 2020. According to these reports, he “recorded his Star-Lord T’Challa stuff early.”
“I don’t know if he knew this, but there was planning to have Star-Lord T’Challa spin-off into his own show with that universe and that crew and that whole thing. We were all very excited. We know he would have loved it, too. And then, you know, he passed, and so all that’s in limbo. So, who knows? Maybe one day.”
A Whole New Multiverse For T’Challa Star-Lord
In August 2020, fans and members of the What If…? Season 1 cast were left wondering what would become of Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa after his death from cancer. It was a pleasant surprise to learn how much the actor loved playing the Wakandan king. And moreover, how quickly he adjusted to his new role as the intergalactic Robin Hood. This revelation would have been huge for the animated T’Challa. However, only Hayley Atwell’s Captain Carter has made it into future seasons thus far.
With Boseman’s Star-Lord, Marvel has plenty of storylines to explore. Whether it was during his solo run or following his time with the Guardians of the Multiverse. Even for his Black Panther sequel, Chadwick Boseman wanted to bring this fresh take on the character to the big screen in some way, showing how engaged he was in all the Wakandan icons. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever has already stated that T’Challa would not be replaced and it seems probable that the same will be true for Star-Lord T’Challa. Not unless he taped enough material for Season 2.
