| "What If... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord?" | |
|---|---|
| What If...? episode | |
 Promotional poster | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 2 |
| Directed by | Bryan Andrews |
| Written by | Matthew Chauncey |
| Editing by | Graham Fisher |
| Original release date | August 18, 2021 |
| Running time | 32 minutes |
| Cast | |
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"What If... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord?" is the second episode of the first season of the American animated television series What If...?, based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name. It explores what would happen if the events of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and Black Panther (2018) occurred differently, with Yondu Udonta and the Ravagers abducting a young T'Challa instead of Peter Quill. The episode was written by story editor Matthew Chauncey and directed by Bryan Andrews.
Jeffrey Wright narrates the series as the Watcher, with this episode also starring the voices of Chadwick Boseman (T'Challa), Michael Rooker (Udonta), Josh Brolin, Benicio del Toro, Kurt Russell, Ophelia Lovibond, Carrie Coon, Tom Vaughan-Lawlor, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John Kani, Sean Gunn, Chris Sullivan, Seth Green, and Danai Gurira. The series began development by September 2018, with Andrews joining soon after, and many actors expected to reprise their roles from the MCU films. Animation for the episode was provided by Blue Spirit, with Stephan Franck serving as head of animation. The episode shows the impact T'Challa would have across the galaxy, and is dedicated to Boseman, who died in August 2020.
"What If... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord?" was released on Disney+ on August 18, 2021. Critics found the episode to be an improvement over the series premiere, praising its premise, heist plot, and the changes made to existing MCU characters such as Brolin's reformed Thanos. The performances of Boseman, Hounsou, and Brolin also received praise, with Boseman posthumously winning a Primetime Emmy Award for his performance.