What if T'Challa became a Star Lord?

Marvel has been pumping out the content on Disney+ this year and right on the heels of Loki finishing up, we get the animated, "What If...?" series. The first episode explored the scenario where Sharon Carter became Captain America instead of Steve Rogers. It was pretty good. However, I don't think they went far enough with the premise. It didn't feel different enough from the first Captain America movie.

I'm happy to report that the events of the second episode, "What if T'Challa became a Star Lord?" was very different and more fully realized the potential of this show. I will do my best to avoid  spoilers.

At first, the idea of this premise seemed dumb to me, not going to lie. A few minutes in, I immediately accepted it and was all in for this ride.

I want to start off by saying this episode was a little emotional for me. Not cause of the content, but because this is the last time we hear Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa. He recorded this before he died, so hearing his voice in the present day was tough. It is just a reminder of the actor we lost. He totally embodied the character of T'Challa. I was afraid that maybe they just took samples, but it is clearly him acting here and it is as wonderful as it has always been.

With that being said, it's even cooler seeing him fill the Peter Quill role as Star Lord in the Guardians of the Galaxy movie.  A lot of the main scenes we know and love are spun differently, starting with when he makes his first appearance. Instead of the "Who?" we get from Djimon Hounsou's Korath, we get the adulation that Peter Quill only wishes he could get. We get to follow Korath throughout the rest of the episode as he tags along with the crew. I want to say, keep an eye out for other subtle changes and appearances of different characters.

What makes this episode truly work, is that we get the majority of the actors that portrayed these characters in the movie, reprising their roles here. There are a few exceptions. For instance, Bautista does not reprise his role as Drax. Other than that, this episode makes it feel like it is a different version of the movie and lives and breathes in that expectation. It just sounds RIGHT.

I won't give away any of the plot, but T'Challa's role here dramatically changes the arc of Yondu the most and it was a joy to see. There is still that same father/son dynamic, but T'Challa changed him, not the other way around. There are also other subtle changes to how characters look and act, which I don't want to give away. The biggest surprise is Thanos and his through line in this episode is really funny. I  think you will enjoy it.

I really can't give away more than that, but the story itself was actually pretty good. It is now a heist film, instead of some galaxy altering event. That change in scope makes it feel more intimate.

I was skeptical on this animation style, but it has started to grow on me. Marvel's animated style over the past few years has been consistently bland and terrible, so if this is the route they will go, I'm okay with it. T'Challa has a really cool redesign, blending the Star Lord outfit with Wakandan touches. The color palette is not as muted in this ep, so things get to pop.

I highly recommend this episode, because this will be the last time we hear Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther and the performance is definitely worth it. In addition to that, it is a lot of fun. I only wish it was longer, but glad it didn't overstay it's welcome.