What If... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord? - Share Your Thoughts
The second episode of What If... has dropped on Disney+, and while I thought the first episode was entertaining, this episode does a much better job of changing up the source material. Plus, hearing Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa again... Well, that's just worth it alone.
You can find a synopsis of this episode below, as well as some of my brief thoughts! I'd also love to hear your thoughts, so make sure you sound off in the comments.
What If... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord? The rough-and-tumble space pirates known as the Ravagers abduct T'Challa instead of Peter Quill.
Where What If... Captain Carter Were the First Avenger was essentially a retelling of the first Captain America film, but with Peggy Carter as the super-soldier - along with a few other, minor, changes - this episode really starts to embrace the concept of What If... and all of its potential. This episode features T'Challa as the lead, but it's hardly a Black Panther story. Instead, the films that this episode pulls heavily from is the two Guardians of the Galaxy films.
Like the Guardians movies, this episode is a ton of fun. There's a strong, fast-paced energy that falls in line with what James Gunn was able to create, but is completely grounded by the presence of T'Challa. In fact, T'Challa's presence is so strong that a rag-tag group like the Ravagers are now... good guys?
Well, kind of. Under T'Challa's guidance, they're basically the "Robin Hoods" of the galaxy. And while not being fully reared as royalty in Wakanda, T'Challa still has that same reverence and grace that we know him to embody. It's this characterization that serves as the crux of everything that's different here. Whether it's something funny like Korath recognizing and idolizing this version of Star-Lord, or the resonance of some themes - which are captured perfectly by the line, "Sometimes the best weapon in your arsenal is a good argument." - I found this to be a wonderful episode.
There are a ton of surprises here, along with many wonderful cameos and returns. I'm willing to bet you've already heard about them, but I'm not going to go into them here because those discoveries are a large part of the enjoyment here. So, watch it, then come back and we'll chat in the comments!
But for now, I'll give this episode a rating of...
7.5/10 - Good
As a reminder, a full review for the season will post once every episode has aired. For now, we'll have to wait until next week to see what else Marvel has up their sleeves. Until then, follow us on Twitter @bypopped, and keep popping your culture!