We got a first glimpse of Kahhori earlier today when Funko unveiled some of its upcoming What If...? Merchandise, and Marvel Studios has now shared an official image of the new Native American superhero, who will debut during the second season of the Disney+ animated series.
There's been a lot of speculation about this character and how she'll be introduced to the MCU, and we finally have some details.
"What If…? asks what would happen if the Tesseract fell to Earth and landed in the sovereign Haudenosaunee Confederacy before the colonization of America. The Tesseract takes on a new life and a new mythology, transforming a lake into a gateway to the stars and leading Kahhori, a young Mohawk woman, on a quest to discover her power."
The episode in question was written by Ryan Little, and developed in close collaboration with members of the Mohawk Nation like historian Doug George and Mohawk language expert Cecelia King to ensure cultural authenticity. The story will be told entirely the Mohawk language, and is informed by the history of the Akwesasne region in what is now upstate New York.
Check out the image below.
“It tells a remarkable story from a Native-Mohawk perspective which is truly unique and historical, and will give the viewers a new, challenging and entertaining perspective on this land's first peoples. The story is dramatic, the characters fully realized, and the action sequences are breathtaking,” said George.
Added Little, “I had a wonderful writing mentor who worked extensively with the Indigenous community in upstate New York, and I was excited to draw on that experience to build an entirely original corner of the MCU with storylines for new Indigenous heroes written from a place of respect for past generations and optimism for future ones. Kahhori, pronounced ‘KAH-HORTI,’ is a real, Wolf Clan name, meaning ‘she stirs the forest’ or is someone who motivates those around her. In her debut adventure, Kahhori will have to live up to her name to recruit powerful allies into the fight to save her people and change the course of history forever.”