If there were any complaints about 2018's Black Panther, it was that fans just couldn't get enough of it. Specifically, audiences all over felt like they needed more of Michael B. Jordan's Erik Killmonger, who was the long-lost cousin of Wakanda's new King T'Challa.
Many supporters of the Black Panther franchise have advocated for Jordan's return to the role, despite his only MCU appearance ending in his demise. And to the delight of many, the Creed actor is all for it, given it's under the right circumstances.
Now it looks like the Killmonger fans will get their fix once more, as he's set to be a focal point in Marvel's next Disney+ outing.
WHAT IF KILLMONGER IS KING OF WAKANDA?
A leak from Twitter user @DisTrackers revealed another early look at the Funko Pop! line for Marvel Studios' What If..?, this time showcasing King Killmonger that will likely be seen in the episode dedicated to Black Panther.
Seemingly wearing the Golden Jaguar vibranium armor that he donned in his only MCU outing, King Killmonger looks to be holding the severed head of an Ultron sentry bot, raising several questions as to when this episode will take place, and even what episode this moment will be in.
The image of the new King Killmonger Funko Pop! can be viewed in the tweet below:
KILLMONGER ADDS ULTRON TO HIS KILL COUNT
Naturally, fans are going to have plenty of questions about this new Pop! since there has still been virtually no marketing for Marvel Studios' What If..? Between Killmonger reigning as King of Wakanda and the fact that he's carrying the head of an Ultron bot in this new Funko figurine, audiences will likely not know what to make of this until it comes to Disney+.
However, fans do already know that T'Challa will not be appearing as the Protector of Wakanda for at least one episode of What If..?. Instead, he'll take up the mantle of Star-Lord instead, so the role of Black Panther is presumably vacant in that universe.
If the episode that includes King Killmonger is also set in that universe, then perhaps King T'Chaka retrieved the young Erik from Oakland to raise as his own after finding that his son T'Challa had been kidnaped by the Ravagers.
This would then lead to Killmonger being the rightful heir to the Wakandan throne, as well as a qualified contender for the mantle of Black Panther at a much younger age than what was seen in Black Panther. With his unrighteous intentions, there's even the chance that Killmonger overthrew King T'Chaka and took over as King at a much earlier point in time.
Fans also know that one episode of What If..? will involve Erik Killmonger teaming up with Tony Stark, which could explain the severed Ultron head that he's holding in this new image. Killmonger's mission in Black Panther was to reveal the advanced nature of Wakanda to the rest of the world, so there's a good chance that Tony Stark would have known about Wakanda and its technology before the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron if Killmonger was named king by then.
If true, the Avengers could have called on Killmonger and his Wakandan forces to help fend off Ultron and his android army. Or, an alternate timeline could show that Killmonger (or his father N'Jobu) never allowed Ulysses Klaue to steal vibranium from Wakanda in the first place, which would then require Ultron to invade Wakanda in order to get what he needed.
This means there's a chance that this moment could very well be within the borders of the advanced African nation.
The timeline becomes a bit blurry when considering that the Golden Jaguar armor that Killmonger is wearing wasn't developed by Shuri until three years after Ultron tried to rid the world of humanity, but perhaps her work was a bit more rushed under the savage king.
Marvel Studios' What If..? is set to debut on Disney+ sometime in August 2021.
