When Chadwick Boseman passed away last year after a secret battle with colon cancer, the loss was palpable. Not only did the world lose a great actor and iconic Black superhero, but a genuinely good man as well. And that it happened in the midst of a global pandemic and the biggest racial justice movement since the 1960s made the loss all the more painful.
So when Marvel released its trailer for a new animated series, “What If…?,” people were understandably hit hard upon hearing Boseman’s voice in the role of T’Challa once again. The voice performance was Boseman’s last for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and some Black Panther fans just weren’t ready for the emotional wallop.
The series will air on Disney + and premieres August 11. However, if fans are looking for T’Challa as the Black Panther, they’re in for a surprise. As the title suggests, this look into the multiverse reimagines characters in different roles. Instead of the Black Panther, the series will explore what the world would be like if T’Challa were in the role of Star-Lord instead.
Boseman’s voice comes in during the final minute of the trailer:
The reactions to the trailer were swift and heartfelt. Sometimes you don’t know when something is going to hit you, and even though we don’t see his face, just hearing his voice was enough to get some fans deep into their feelings.
Thanks, Marvel, for giving us the gift of Chadwick Boseman’s voice once again, even we weren’t quite ready for it.
