WARNING: The following contains spoilers for What If...? Season 1, Episode 6, "What If... Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?," streaming now on Disney+.
Marvel Studios' new series, What If...? has challenged its viewers to see different sides of Marvel stories they might have never considered. This includes everything from turning Doctor Strange into a villain to making T'Challa the new Star-Lord. However, the series also expands on character arcs that exist in the Marvel Cinematic Universe's main timeline. This includes the journey of Erik Killmonger and how even in other realities, he could be considered the best MCU villain.
On the surface, Erik Killmonger's actions check off almost every box for villain. However, as the layers are peeled back, it's easy to see that he's more a tortured soul than a malicious entity. In Black Panther, he's a molded by a desire for revenge and an intense feeling of abandonment by his people, after Wakanda's king murdered his father. As a result, he lashes out and aims to use his family's technology to wage war on oppressors. Unfortunately, while his cause is sympathetic in origin, his actions prove too radical to get behind.
What If..? takes this idea and commits even further, by having Killmonger's plan work even more smoothly and showcasing his skills as a manipulator and strategist. The episode shows Killmonger saving Tony Stark, which earns him a place as Stark's Chief Security Officer. This begins a cascade effect that exposes Obadiah Stane and introduces mech drones that take the place of the Iron Man suit. Throughout the episode, Killmonger is portrayed as more of an ally to some of Marvel's biggest heroes, but his darker side comes alive as he gains more power.
During a mission, Killmonger manages to kill T'Challa before he can become king, as well as Stark's friend James Rhodes. This was a small but major step in his plan for control, as their deaths were used to spark a war between Wakanda and the United States. Stark eventually learns of this treachery and confronts Killmonger, only to be killed by a Vibranium spear. With the spear as the murder weapon, General Ross deduces that Wakanda is looking for war, and it's time to answer the call. Black Panther only briefly showcased Killmonger's ruthless side, showing him killing both his girlfriend and Ulysses Klaue in cold blood. What If...? goes even further, giving context to how it was so easy for him to take the lives that now cover his body as scars.
Killmonger then kills Klaue, like in the film, and takes his body to Wakanda. He makes it seem like a show of good faith, and is welcomed back with open arms by King T'Chaka, joining the fight against the US. After that he uses the technology he helped develop for the US against them and emerges as a hero of Wakanda. As a result, he is granted the powers of the heart-shaped herb and becomes his reality's Black Panther. This means his plan from the film is successfully enacted, as the war he orchestrated proves to Wakanda that Americans cannot be trusted. Ultimately, he is able to achieve all the goals he failed to accomplish in Black Panther.
The episode does a great job of showing how clever and conniving Killmonger is. While he played the long game in the film, this episode showcases him as able to string along most of the MCU for at least a decade before achieving what he sought out to do. While villains like Thanos can do the same, their motivations aren't nearly as layered as Killmonger's. The character has always been complex, and even when he died in the film, it was still possible to see in him the scared boy who lost his father. Killmonger is an intelligent and persistent villain who never lets his emotions get in the way of his goals. With the film and What If...? proving that he's capable of achieving what he sets his mind to, it's hard not to consider him the best MCU villain in all realities.
To see how Killmonger rose to power, the latest episode of What If...? is streaming now on Disney+.