The wait for Marvel Studios' first animated project will be over in just five days. What If...? has many fans on the edge of their seat ahead of the premiere for many reasons.
Not only does the series feature the final performance of Chadwick Boseman, but the late actor recorded enough dialogue for four episodes, allowing fans to experience T'Challa once more. With over 50 other Marvel Cinematic Universe thespians reprising their respective roles from the films and the events confirmed to be canon in the multiverse, What If...? holds numerous draws for viewers.
To help tide fans over and give them a glimpse at what's to come, several new images have been released featuring a range of characters from the upcoming show. While more than half of them are Black Panther related, we've included them all here with a short breakdown of what each entails.
As you can see above, the first image features Star-Lord. Fans know from trailers that this version of Star-Lord is actually T'challa, and it looks to be a moment shown in the teasers in which the character removes his helmet.
Next up, we have T'challa absolutely wrecking The Collector. Normally these two characters would exist far from one another, never crossing paths in the MCU proper. However, with this version of T'challa being Star-Lord, their conflict tracks.
A lot of glorious purpose is featured in the third image with Loki at the forefront of what looks to be Asgardian forces. While we've seen other glimpses of the God of Mischief in trailer footage, it is still unclear exactly what this variant is up to.
The Watcher himself is in the fourth image, creepily gazing from above what seems to be the New York City skyline. Of course, there are so many things that take place in New York in the MCU, but perhaps it is the battle from the first Avengers film that has caught the attention of Jeffrey Wright's narrator.
In another Black Panther-related image, it looks like Queen Ramonda, the mother of Shuri and T'challa, is geared up for battle, which is a far cry from what we've seen from her big-screen counterpart. It seems that she's commanding an army of Wakandans, and it seems to feature more than just the Dora Milaje.
Elsewhere in Wakanda, the next image focuses on Killmonger. We see the Black Panther villain (hero?) riding one of the rhino mounts seen in the live-action film, commanding quite the force behind him. Could this be the opposing force to Ramonda's army?
Finally, in what is arguably the most boring of all the images released, we get a look at Nick Fury and Hawkeye. They are looking at Thor's hammer, and it seems to be the sequence from Thor in which S.H.I.E.L.D. built a containment base around Mjolnir.
The biggest difference in this last image is that Fury is present, and in the live-action film, he had sent Coulson to handle the Mjolnir situation. If this is the same universe where Killmonger saved Tony from his Iron Man arc, it makes sense that Fury would be on hand himself to handle the situation. How this alters the events of the situation is unknown, but this small change could have a hand in what ultimately becomes Party Thor.
But what do you guys think of these shots? Which are you most excited about, and will you be tuning in next Wednesday? Regardless, be sure to share your thoughts in the usual spot, and let us know which What If...? variant character you're most excited to see!
Enter the multiverse of unlimited possibilities. Marvel Studios' first animated series, What If...?, starts streaming August 11 with new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+. “What If… ?” features fan-favorite characters, including Peggy Carter, T’Challa, Doctor Strange, Killmonger, Thor and more. The new series, directed by Bryan Andrews with AC Bradley as head writer, features signature MCU action with a curious twist.
Disney+ will begin streaming the first three episodes of Marvel's What If...? on Wednesday, August 11th.