Two years ago, the MCU was rocked by the tragic passing of Black Panther's T'Challa actor Chadwick Boseman. The unfortunate loss of the Marvel legend means T'Challa won't return to the MCU in Wakanda Forever, but fans were treated to one last appearance from the actor in What If...? Episode 2, "What If... T'Challa Became A Star-Lord?"
The Multiversal adventure introduced a Variant of Boseman's T'Challa that was accidentally abducted from Wakanda as a child by Yondu and the Ravagers in place of Peter Quill. The T'Challa Variant went on to become Star-Lord himself and grow to be adored by the galaxy; he was even able to convince Thanos that there was another way to save the universe than erasing half of life.
T'Challa later returned in the Season 1 finale to team up with Captain Carter, Doctor Strange Supreme, and the Guardians of the Multiverse, to stop Infinity Ultron. Following his What If...? debut, Marvel Studios was even planning the launch of a Disney+ spin-off with Star-Lord T'Challa and his ragtag crew.
The actor was quickly praised by fans for his vocal performance, and now, Boseman has received a posthumous nomination for the 2022 Emmy Awards.
Black Panther Star Gets Posthumous MCU Emmy Nomination
Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman earned a posthumous Emmy nomination for "Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance" for his role as T'Challa's Star-Lord in What If...? Episode 2, "What If... T'Challa Became A Star-Lord?"
The tragically deceased actor goes up against Jeffrey Wright's performance as The Watcher in Episode 8, "What If… Ultron Won?" and F. Murray Abraham's Khonshu in Moon Knight Episode 3, "The Friendly Type."
The full list of 2022 Emmy nominations for "Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance" can be seen below:
- F. Murray Abraham - Moon Knight
- Julie Andrews - Bridgerton
- Chadwick Boseman - What If...?
- Maya Rudolph - Big Mouth
- Stanley Tucci - Central Park
- Jessica Walter - Archer
- Jeffrey Wright - What If...?
Will Chadwick Boseman Win an Emmy?
Boseman's acknowledgment marks the first Emmy Award nomination he has received, and with it being his last opportunity, many are eager to see him win. There's no telling whether Boseman will be able to take home the prize, but fellow nominees like Julie Andrews, Stanley Tucci, and Jeffrey Wright mean that competition is fierce.
The tragic passing of the T'Challa actor continues to be an unfortunate loss to the world and the MCU. Marvel Studios clearly had big plans ahead for him on the big screen across the Black Panther and Avengers franchises, but also on the small screen in What If...? and his own Star-Lord spin-off series.
The intention to develop a spin-off for the T'Challa Variant clearly demonstrates Marvel Studios was beyond impressed with his What If...? performance. After all, with seven main heroes introduced in Season 1, he's the only one to, as far as public knowledge is concerned, have had a spin-off in development.
Only time will tell whether Boseman takes home an award for his What If…? performance. The 2022 Emmy Award winners will be announced at the official ceremony on Tuesday, September 13.
