The 'What If...?' Version Of 'Black Panther' Villain Killmonger Revealed, Seems To Have Had A Bone To Pick With Ultron
Funko Pops have become incredibly useful: not only are they the perfect shelf decor to let everyone know your favorite characters, they also come in handy when you need a quick hint for upcoming movies and shows. The latest Funko Pop sneak peek comes in the form of a Marvel's What If...? bobblehead, which reveals Killmonger as the King of Wakanda, holding Ultron's severed head.
An image of the figure leaked onto Reddit, then quickly made the rounds on Twitter and across the internet, sparking plenty of conversation and speculation for the upcoming series. Our first look at the actual series itself mercifully arrived today, with the first What If...? trailer drop that gives us even more insight into the twisty, time-bending events to come. But trailer or not, there's still plenty to learn from something as small as a Killmonger bobblehead.
Killmongers Role In What If...?
Holding the severed head of a sentient, villainous robot defeated seven movies before his appearance is a big leap for Killmonger, especially considering how unlikely his reappearance was. His unfortunate demise at the end of Black Panther seemed to indicate Michael B. Jordan and his character Erik Killmonger would not be returning to the MCU anytime soon. Luckily, the most recent Marvel stories are invested in turning back the clock and tampering with reality.
In WandaVision, Wanda Maximoff rewrites the world around her in favor of a palatable, sitcom universe while Loki has the God of Mischief battling timekeepers and an evil bureaucratic agency dedicated to destroying realities that veer off course. Meanwhile, the upcoming Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness —and maybe even Spiderman: No Way Home) — promise even more universe-altering twists to come. With each passing Marvel project, the return of once-defeated villains gets much less surprising.
Now that we know Killmonger is set to appear in the What If..? an anthology series, there's no telling what he could get up to. The series will follow in the long-running comic series' footsteps, exploring what would happen if key moments in the franchise went differently (or better yet, happened to someone else).
Enter Erik Killmonbger, the new King and protector of Wakanda, in King T'Challa's place.
One of the confirmed storylines explored in the show, features the last appearance of the beloved Black Panther actor Chadwick Boseman, as T'Challa. In the trailer, we get a peek at an alternate reality where T'Challa is taken by the Ravagers in Peter Quill's place. As the new Star Lord, he now works alongside Yandu and the Guardians of the Galaxy — but his new role means Wakanda is without his leadership. In his stead, Killmonger may take up the Black Panther mantle.
In this reality, Killmonger may not be the villain we remember. The trailer shows him saving Tony Stark from the horrific kidnapping that would've made him Iron Man. This means Killmonger is altering the timeline in major ways: this same episode, if not another, might be where he tears Ultron a new one. We can only wait and see... or hope that more bobbleheads appear with answers.
Marvel's What If...? starts streaming on Disney+ on August 11, 2021.