Chadwick Boseman's final Marvel Studios performance as T'Challa/Star-Lord in What If...? was one of the highlights of the Disney+ series. It was also apparently meant to set the stage for his own spinoff.
"Chadwick had recorded his Star Lord T’Challa stuff early," director Bryan Andrews told Variety. "But we had those later episodes that he appeared in sporadically, and it was a long stretch before we got him [again]. And it was not long after the final recording that he passed. I think it was maybe just a few months, or a month. None of us knew, obviously. But we got him in time to have everything [for Season 1]. I think he was also trying to make an effort because T’Challa was so important to him — and also this new version of Star Lord T’Challa was so important to him. He dug it."
"I don’t know if he knew this, but there was planning to have Star Lord T’Challa spin off into his own show with that universe and crew," he continued. "We were all very excited. We know he would have loved it, too. And then, you know, he passed, and so all that’s in limbo. So, who knows? Maybe one day."
Boseman made his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as T'Challa/Black Panther in 2016's Captain America: Civil War. He'd reprise the role in 2018's Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War, as well as 2019's Avengers: Endgame. However, Boseman passed away in August 2020 due to complications from colon cancer, which he'd kept a secret from his colleagues.
Despite his untimely passing, it was confirmed in December 2020 that Boseman recorded several episodes of What If...? before his death. When asked if he'd recorded any lines for the second season, Andrews confirmed that he hadn't.
News of Boseman's would-be spinoff comes on the heels of the What If...? Season 1 finale, which featured Captain Carter, Star-Lord T'Challa, Strange Supreme, Killmonger, Party Thor, Apocalypse Black Widow and Gamora Triumphant forming the Guardians of the Multiverse to aid The Watcher in the fight against Ultron.
Season 2 of What If...? has yet to receive a premiere date.
Source: Variety