For the second episode of Marvel’s What If...? series on Disney+, Chadwich Boseman reprised his role as the unforgettable T’Challa, heir to the Wakandan throne and the current holder of the Black Panther mantle. However, in this version of the MCU’s timeline, T’Challa is moved down a different path as he is instead flung into the galactic playing field by Yondu and his Ravagers.
T’Challa becomes this timeline’s version of Star-Lord and is vastly different from the original Star-Lord audiences knew with Peter Quill. A new and fun take on both characters, T’Challa’s endeavors in the galactic front had a huge impact on the MCU timeline.
9 He Never Gained The Powers Of The Black Panther
In this timeline, T’Challa never had to take the mantle of Black Panther from his father, so he was never exposed to the heart-shaped herb that granted him his powers. As Star-Lord T’Challa only has his wits and an assortment of equipment he and the Ravagers have gathered.
He has no super-strength or vibranium suit, nor does he have an entire country’s worth of scientists constantly improving his gear. Despite his massive lack of resources, T’Challa has made a name for himself as a powerful individual.
8 He's Made Himself Into A Galactic Robinhood
Trained from a young age to always try to do good, T’Challa had a much different approach to Quill when it came to defining his legacy. T’Challa is the prime example of a Robinhood type. He steals from the rich and powerful of the galaxy and he gives resources to those who need them.
As told by Korath, he has a long list of adventures and heists from countless individuals that show how he uses his skills both as a diplomat and as a Ravager for good.
7 He Reformed The Ravagers
In this timeline, Yondu and his small band of Ravagers all act for the greater good of the galaxy, going out on missions that provide them with no benefit. This is a far cry from the Ravagers viewers knew in the films. Characters such as Taser Face, Kraglin, and even Yondu work to protect people and improve the galaxy, seemingly not concerned about their own gain.
It seems that T’Challa’s presence in the group reformed each of them, including Thanos, and turned the Ravagers into a force for good.
6 He's Saved The Galaxy On More Than One Occasion
T’Challa and the Ravagers are recognized as heroes of the galaxy. From performing heists to taking down oppressive lords to defeating Thanos, and possibly Ronan, T’Challa’s actions created a much better universe. Much better than what fans knew in the original timeline.
The Mad Titan Thanos no longer wipes out half of a planet’s population, and Ronan the Accuser never came to power. Thanks to the efforts of the Ravagers, the universe is safer than ever. Until Ego finds his son Peter on Earth, of course.
5 He's Become The Ravagers' Leader
Yondu has taken a step back as the leader of the Ravagers as T’Challa has stepped forward. It seems that his training to one day become king came in handy as he now leads the Ravagers in his goal to explore and protect the galaxy. While he may question T’Challa’s actions, he never once questioned him as a leader.
The two seem to have created a working relationship where Yondu respects and trusts T’Challa as a leader but is more than comfortable with debating plans. The Yondu that fans new in the films would be more than happy to usurp the position at a moment’s notice.
4 His Father Is Still Alive
T’Challa’s father, King T’Chaka, is still alive in this timeline as he seems to have missed the conference where he was killed by the Winter Soldier in Captain America: Civil War.
While it is nice to see a family reunion, it also means that T’Challa never got that chance to meet with the other heroes of the MCU, and it also means that he has yet to experience the character growth he saw in Black Panther, where he finally saw the dangers of Wakanda’s isolationist ideals. This means that the world is currently deprived of Wakanda’s resources and technology.
3 He Is Not A Treasure Hunter Like Quill
T’Challa does not hunt treasures for money. In fact, it seems he never takes payments for any of the jobs. Throughout the episode, it is never learned what his original plan was for the orb containing the Power Stone, and he never seeks any kind of payment for Nebula’s Collector job. It is possible that he finds treasure for museums or collects artifacts for species that have lost their history, but this is never shown.
Where Quill always sought to sell his finds to the highest bidder, T’Challa has a much more humanitarian approach to his jobs.
2 He's Known Throughout The Galaxy
In a complete flip of the Guardians of the Galaxy opening scene, instead of Korath having no idea who Star-Lord was, the moniker that T’Challa created is known all throughout the known galaxy. Korath proceeds to list all of T’Challa’s greatest exploits and showing a great deal of respect and admiration to the Ravager.
T’Challa seems to have created the exact kind of persona that Quill longed to have in the early days of his career. However, where Quill wanted respect without having to endanger himself, T’Challa only ever helped people because he saw it as the right thing to do.
1 He's Much More Capable Than Peter
Most likely due to his early training to take up the Black Panther mantle, T’Challa is a much more capable outlaw than Peter Quill is. Most likely, his knowledge of Wakanda’s highly advanced technology prepared him for the space age of the galaxy, and his martial arts skills made him more than ready to defend himself against a variety of races.
Unlike Peter, and most people, T’Challa was raised to be a superhero. He was quite literally trained to prepare for this kind of life.