While filming his version of Black Panther in What If…?, Marvel actor Chadwick Boseman reportedly explored potential spin-off ideas with his team. A new episode of the Disney+ series explores what would have occurred had Yondu raised T’Challa instead of Peter Quill/Star-Lord.
A spokesperson for the film’s director, Bryan Andrews, claimed that Boseman was really excited in exploring this other version of his character. His words: “We were already planned on producing spin-offs and stuff like that with him and his crew and their exploits because [even though the role was so different], you can retain T’Challa as we know him but without necessary the strain of his persona.”
The fact that no one except his closest friends and family understood what he was going through brought him a tremendous lot of excitement,” Andrews added. “The final chance he had to get T’Challa out there was now. We had no idea he was such an expert, and he was great and amazing, you know? This actor added a lot to the part, and he had a lot of fun with it.”
When asked about Boseman’s performance in What If…, Jeffrey Wright said that he was “very touched” by it. When Black Panther was initially unveiled at the [San Diego] Comic-Con, he stated, “I met him for the first time.”
In the years that followed, we kept in touch and I found it inspiring to watch him grow as an actor and watch him take on the role of Black Panther, to grasp what that character represented, and to realize he was accomplishing all of this while suffering severe problems. Therefore, we consider it an honor and an honorable privilege to be included in even a small part of his last effort. Also, I can’t wait for people to finally hear him.” There are new episodes of What If…? Every Wednesday on Disney+.
