Marvel Studios already had a huge week going for it with Episode 5 of Loki on Disney+ and the MCU's long-awaited return to theaters with Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow. Amongst these two exciting debuts, the team decided to blow fans' minds even further with a second full trailer and official release date for What If...? — the MCU's first fully-animated adventure on Disney+.
This trailer gave more exciting information on this series from so many angles, showcasing events like Killmonger rescuing Tony Stark, an alternate voice coming out of Vision's body, and Captain Carter meeting Doctor Strange. All of this goes on while Jeffrey Wright's Watcher makes it clear that he won't interfere with any of it...for now.
Another highly anticipated story in this show since the beginning is T'Challa becoming Star-Lord, which was teased through the promotional tour and the show's first trailer from Disney Investor Day. This story will even give fans a chance to celebrate the efforts of the late Chadwick Boseman, who was featured more heavily in this new footage.
A RAVAGER NEVER FLIES SOLO
Marvel Studios' second trailer for What If...? featured new shots of T'Challa in his new role as Star-Lord, who will be voiced by Chadwick Boseman in his final MCU outing following his death in August 2020.
Star-Lord was seen stealing the orb from Morag just as Chris Pratt's hero was in Guardians of the Galaxy before speaking with Michael Rooker's Yondu about his future.
YONDU: "Where you wanna be...that's the question, isn't it?"
Other shots feature T'Challa in a tight hug with Drax as well as leading the team of Ravagers featuring Yondu, Korath, Kraglin, and Taserface. T'Challa even teams up with Yondu for a split second to give a shirtless and muscular Collector the beatdown.
While only seen for a second, Drax the Destroyer pulls T'Challa in for an embrace in which the Wakandan looks incredibly uncomfortable. Only time tell what leads to this moment.
The longest T'Challa scene features him against Kree soldiers as he rescues an undisclosed hostage while he waits for Yondu to help him save the day. This turns out to be a humorous moment as Boseman's hero laments Yondu taking so long to work his arrow magic.
T'CHALLA: "A Ravager never flies solo...I said never flies solo!"
SAKAARAN: "Is that some kind of catchphrase?"
T'CHALLA: "You had me worried for a second!"
The full trailer for Marvel Studios' What If..? can be seen below:
CHADWICK BOSEMAN'S ENCORE MCU PERFORMANCE
Rumors had pointed to Chadwick Boseman having recorded lines for this series before his unexpected passing in August 2020. Through the clips from What If…? that fans have seen so far, his presence as T’Challa will be felt in a big way in this new universe.
Not only will the character take the hero moniker of Star-Lord instead of becoming the Black Panther, his upbringing appears to have an influence on the Ravagers as he grows into an adult.
Yondu’s group of intergalactic fighters has typically been seen as a group of the galaxy's most ruthless space pirates that usually cause havoc wherever they go. From the looks of it in this trailer, the prince of Wakanda gives them more of a hero’s journey and a sense of family from his dialogue and actions.
To this point, he almost looks offended and/or hurt with how long it takes for Yondu to have his back against the Kree warriors in the last scene.
It will also be interesting to see their tag-team effort against the Collector, on whom they lay quite the smackdown for a split second. Knowhere's most famous resident has only seen a couple seconds of screen-time in promotional material, but given his connection to the live-action Guardians, it only seems right that he will come face-to-face with this new Star-Lord.
Additionally, seeing T’Challa lead a new group of Avengers will be an exciting prospect as he stands alongside Thor, Gamora, and more. Safe to say, What If…? will be a journey unlike anything the MCU’s Black Panther has ever seen before.
Aside from the on-screen action, this series will be an emotional journey for viewers hearing Chadwick Boseman in his final MCU performance. The late star embodied the best of Black Panther in four live-action Phase 3 movies, and the chance to see one more wild adventure from the accomplished actor will be an amazing ride for MCU fans.
What If...? will begin streaming on Disney+ on August 11.
