The animated series marks a posthumous performance for the Black Panther star.
The second episode of Marvel’s What If…? should be the zany, comic highlight of the series – but it comes with a tinge of sadness due to the death of Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman, who posthumously lends his voice to his regular character T’Challa for one last time in the story.
At the time that Boseman recorded his lines for this alternate version of T’Challa (who becomes a spacefaring hero in place of Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord), his illness wasn’t public knowledge but, in the context of his passing, the swashbuckling, upbeat episode is unusually poignant, showing another side to his performance in the role that struck a chord with millions.
And while the episode’s content wasn’t changed after Boseman’s untimely death in August 2020, it is still dedicated to his memory with a short message during the credits.
“I have the sad honour of writing some of his last lines in the MCU. I obviously did not know that when I was writing them,” What If…? writer A.C. Bradley told The Hollywood Reporter.
“What impressed me most about Chadwick Boseman is that all the Marvel actors care about their characters. They’ve been playing these roles for a long time in multiple movies and now TV shows. So they know who these characters are and why they tick.
“Chadwick Boseman understood the importance of Black Panther. He understood how important it is that young people see a Black man standing shoulder to shoulder with Captain America and Thor Odinson, so that they know a Black man saves the world just the same as anyone else.”
!["What]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2021/08/TChalla-The-Collector-eaa89c5.jpg?quality=90&resize=620%2C413" "\"T'Challa")
He added: “He came in to record, and I joked that he didn’t bring his A-game; he brought every damn sport there is. He made sure that this was going to be the episode that shined, but we did not realize why. And the world is a little sadder for it.”
Reportedly, Boseman was first diagnosed with colon cancer in 2016, but kept his illness private and continued to make films during his gruelling treatment. His death (from complications related to the cancer) on 28th August 2020 sent shockwaves around the world, with many fans and admirers heartbroken at the passing of the actor.
It has since been revealed that T’Challa will not be recast in future Marvel movies, with sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever instead focusing on other characters in the supporting cast.
Marvel’s What If…? is streaming now on Disney Plus. Want more? Check out our dedicated Sci-Fi page or our full TV Guide.