Yet again, the watcher has provided us with an exciting take on our beloved MCU characters. Continuing the saga, in ‘What If Episode 2‘ we see the story of T’challa with genius tweaks. The curiosity of the young prince of Wakanda guides him to the grandiose exploration of the universe. The effects of such an alteration are pristine, with a remarkable portrayal of Thanos and nebula.
Tivan, the “collector’ who was beautifully played by Jeff Goldblum in the original series, also benefits from the tweaks. A more intimidating Arc is given to him with body traits to match the same. Chadwick Boseman’s voice as T’challa might make you miss the legend even more. With every dialogue, you can sense the sanctity of Boseman’s work ethic. The efforts of the creators pay dividends as this might be the best episode of the entire series.
‘What if’ Episode 2 Recap
As the watcher introduces us to the thematics of the episode, we understand the underlying comedy of errors that initially led to T’challa becoming the Star-Lord. Instead of taking Peter Quill, Taserface and Kraglin humorously abducted T’challa. Yondu saw the little boy’s zeal to explore and opened up the whole universe for him to explore. Raised by Yondu, T’challa becomes a Ravager and a blessing in disguise for the entire universe.
In our timeline, we have seen the destruction caused by Thanos. Still, such an event is totally evaded in the new timeline. In this timeline, Thanos meets T’challa. Mad Titan’s plans of destruction change as T’challa convinces him that reallocation of resources can be more beneficial for the universe as a whole and would save millions of innocent lives. Nebula’s character has a very optimistic undertone. Gamora’s absence removes any competition for her, and she becomes Thano’s only child. Her attire and hairstyle go along with her amicable attitude, which is complemented by her luphomoid form. She mockingly calls T’challa as “Cha-Cha,” showing some glimpses of romanticism for “Cha-Cha.”
Why bother, Guardians of the Galaxy, then?
Guardians of the Galaxy formation isn’t needed for the fact that Thanos is not genocidal anymore. Drax is the only one from the Guardian’s to be present there. His wife and kids are safe and sound here. For that, he shows his utmost gratitude to T’challa whilst simultaneously being awkwardly funny in his way. Between the conversations, there is a sense of belongingness that overwhelms the viewers with theories. This iteration of Guardians of the Galaxy is quite subtle and sublime with its approach to events and arcs for the heroes and villains. It opens up new avenues for the adversary to manifest itself in the likes of Kang the Conqueror or Galactus.
Our protagonists set out to find the cosmic dust called Ember of Genesis. Such cosmic dust has the potential to terraform ecosystems. As per T’challa, it can help them eradicate the problem of hunger throughout the galaxy. Children of Thanos from the Infinity War, accompany our new jacked antagonist as the Collector embraces his sinister side.
What if’ Episode 2 Ending Explained
As the story progresses further, a Wakanda ship is seen in The Collector’s vault. T’challa confronts Yondu for lying about Wakanda and its decimation. Deceiving the Collector by such a confrontation, T’challa and Yondu succeed in attaining the Ember of Genesis. We also get to know that T’challa never had any grudges related to his abduction.
On the contrary, T’challa always acknowledged the opportunity Yondu gave him to explore. In the end, the episode features Ego and Peter Quill meeting for the first time as Ego arrives at a dairy queen to meet his son. Such a caring and thoughtful Ego might deceive Quill and take advantage of his loneliness and naivete to feed his ulterior motives.
The Cascading Effect of the Changes
The aftermath of the episode puts forward the intricacies regarding the various changes resulting directly from the changes of What IF Ep 2. Thanos is not searching for infinity stones. It removes Ronan from the picture as the Mad Titan doesn’t need the orb. Further, Killmonger and his claim to the throne of Wakanda is quite feasible with the absence of T’challa.
Loki is one of the most integral aspects in the formation of Avengers, T’challa was abducted as a kid, which makes him ever-present in the galactic events, and if Thano’s didn’t set out for collecting stones, Loki would not arrive in New York for the “Avengers Assemble.” If Avengers still happened, it would have been impossible for Tony and Bruce to create Vision or Ultron, further Wanda and Quicksilver would not be there for the lack of the mind stone. Zemo’s character would no longer need to bomb the UN, and T’chaka would live long as in the final scenes of If T’challa Was Star-Lord.
What If…? is a 2021 Animated Anthology Series created by A.C. Bradley, based on Marvel Comics.
Also Read – ‘What If’ Episode 1 ‘What If Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?’ Recap and Ending, Explained
