What If...? (2021-) Episode 2: What If...T'Challa Became a Star Lord

What If...?

Episode 2: What If...T'Challa Became a Star Lord

By Emily Hubbard

 The MCU’s first animated outing takes a step in the right direction

•          4/5 Cameras🎥🎥🎥🎥
•       Directed by: Bryan Andrews
•          Starring: Chadwick Boseman, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan
•           Where to find it: Disney +                         

No Copyright Infringement Intended

Another week, another episode of a Marvel Disney + show to watch. This week’s offering comes in the form of the second episode of the MCU’s first animated outing, ‘What If…?’ and it’s a vast improvement on its predecessor.

The episode starts in the same way that we’re slowly becoming used to, with our intergalactic narrator The Watcher (Jeffrey Wright) asking us to consider another scenario, ‘What If… T’Challa Became a Star Lord?’

The first major difference between the two episodes released so far, and perhaps the one that makes this episode the superior of the two, is that the story doesn’t come off as a rehashing of its live-action counterpart. Last week’s episode gave us a version of a character that, despite being badass and fun, felt rather unoriginal, thankfully this is a flaw that has been corrected this time around. This week’s episode completely flips the character of Star Lord, with T’Challa’s (Chadwick Boseman) version of the character no longer a thief who sells his bounty to the highest bidder, but one who has taken on a Robin Hood type persona and is able to change the hearts of even the maddest in the galaxy. Maybe the title of this episode should have been ‘What If… T’Challa solved all the Avengers’ problems by just being a really great guy.’

In one of his last performances as T’Challa (He’s been confirmed to have voiced 3 more episodes of the show), the late Chadwick Boseman brings a fresh, and welcomed, new take on the much-loved character that I can only wish would have been translated into live-action. It’s hard to escape the bittersweet feeling that this episode is doused in, but as sad as it is to only have a few episodes of Boseman’s T’Challa left, I find myself reminded of how blessed the world has been to receive these additional pieces of art from the actor and to witness his portrayal of this character immortalised.

In addition to Chadwick Boseman’s stellar performance, ‘What If… T’Challa Became a Star Lord’ hits in the places that last week’s episode faltered. The pacing of this week’s offering feels much more natural and fitting to the genre and genuinely left me wanting more when the credits started to roll. Another improvement on last week’s episode is that the non-action dialogue scenes feel more important, with Karen Gillan’s Nebula and Michael Rooker’s Yondu proving that in any timeline, they are equally as loveable. This leads to another way in which the episode shines; its use of otherwise overlooked characters from the live-action movies, namely The Collector (Benicio Del Toro) and Korath (Djimon Hounson), with the latter providing unexpected comic relief that made me audibly laugh.

It was also a pleasant relief to see that the thing that elevated Episode 1, it’s action sequences, continue to stand out in Episode 2, with the added slow motion after a character throws punches or kicks making the scenes feel like a comic book panel has been placed directly onto your television.

Despite all these elements, the episode does have a drawback. Even though it’s laden with cool cameos (there’s one I got particularly excited about but will avoid giving more details), I can’t help but wish that the credits at the beginning of the episode didn’t give half of them away.

Overall, this episode is a great improvement on last week, mostly down to its pacing and storyline that feels original and enticing. Hopefully, the show keeps up this momentum, as the possibilities conjured from its concept are endless.