Once again, the “Marvel multiverse tour” continues with the latest episode of the animated series What If…?, which aired on September 15. This week, audiences are brought to a reality where Tony Stark is rescued by Erik Stevens/Killmonger from an attack by the Ten Rings in Afghanistan. This means Stark is not kidnapped as he was in the main MCU timeline, nor does he become the beloved Iron Man we all know.
However, this seemingly accidental rescue is actually part of Killmonger’s plan – who is the main villain in Black Panther. The entire episode can be seen as a meticulously crafted conspiracy to help him achieve his goal: to return to Wakanda and become the next Black Panther, while also creating conflict between his homeland and the United States by exploiting Stark’s advanced technology combined with Vibranium metal.
Below are noteworthy details and the most interesting easter eggs from the sixth episode of the What If…? series.
One of Tony Stark’s first scenes in the MCU is perfectly recreated frame by frame in the latest episode of What If…?, even the dialogue matches. However, Robert Downey Jr. does not return to voice his familiar character.
In Black Panther, Erik Stevens reveals himself to be a long-time officer of the United States Navy SEALs, who had spent time operating in the Middle East and Afghanistan. Marvel has taken this detail and “twisted” it to have Killmonger reasonably rescue Stark in the context.
Before delving deeper into the new reality, audiences are reminded of Tony Stark’s memorable moments as Iron Man, including his snap that erased Thanos at the end of Endgame.
Happy Hogan shows frustration when Tony promotes Killmonger and appoints him as the head of security at Stark Industries. This was originally Happy’s position in Iron Man 3.
Christine Everhart is the familiar reporter from the Iron Man films, frequently appearing in news segments and small scenes in the MCU.
Just after being promoted, Killmonger immediately exposes Obadiah Stane’s conspiracy, accusing him of collaborating with the Ten Rings to attack and kidnap Tony in Afghanistan. Obadiah is immediately taken down by Happy Hogan, thus preventing the plot to create the Iron Monger suit as seen in Iron Man 1.
Stark Industries has begun to archive and study the Ten Rings organization after Tony was attacked in Afghanistan. Following the blockbuster Shang-Chi & the Legend of the Ten Rings, the role of this organization has become even more significant for the future of the MCU.
Happy is often remembered as Spider-Man’s “babysitter,” but let’s not forget he is also a professional bodyguard. In Iron Man and episode 5 of What If…?, Happy has showcased his exceptional boxing skills multiple times.
After stripping Happy of his position as head of security, Killmonger also takes over Pepper Potts’ COO position, officially becoming Tony Stark’s right-hand man.
“War Machine” Rhodey is designed based on the appearance of actor Don Cheadle, who joined the MCU from Iron Man 2. Terrence Howard was the one who played this role in Iron Man 1.
Tony Stark’s favorite car, the Ford Flathead Roadster (the last car in the photo), also appears in this episode.
The propulsion technology used in Tony Stark’s hand cannon is crucial for the Iron Man suit. In the new reality, even without becoming Iron Man, Stark still invests a lot of brainpower into this technology.
The robot Dum-E also returns in this episode when it prevents Killmonger from “playing” with the hand cannon. Along with Dum-U, Dum-E is a product created by Stark to assist in his home workshop.
Killmonger states that his doctoral thesis is to create an advanced combat device. And if you forgot, in the MCU, Killmonger is also a genius who graduated from the prestigious MIT.
Killmonger’s combat device has a design quite similar to the Mobile Suit Gundam Wing model, however, the final product bears many similarities to the type of robot created by Ivan Vanko in Iron Man 2.
When Stark questions the Gundam-like design, Killmonger explains that it is because he likes anime. In fact, this character’s suit is also inspired by Vegeta’s outfit from Dragon Ball. Additionally, actor Michael B. Jordan has often revealed that he really enjoys Naruto, Attack on Titan, and many other famous anime works.
The voice actor for the J.A.R.V.I.S system is none other than “Vision” Paul Bettany.
Tony Stark comes up with the idea of the arc reactor to prevent leftover shrapnel from embedding in his heart, while also serving as the power source for the Iron Man suit. In the new timeline, all these details have been removed, but Stark still thinks of the arc reactor when creating the robot model for Killmonger, even deeming it a “stupid” idea.
Killmonger’s vibranium ring is actually a royal heirloom from Wakanda left by N’Jobu, his father.
The scene where Stark studies the atomic structure of vibranium bears many similarities to the scene where he discovers a replacement for palladium in Iron Man 2.
The sonic gun that Obadiah Stane used to torture Stark is now upgraded by Killmonger, becoming deadlier, even able to take down Black Panther with a single attack.
J.A.R.V.I.S records the scene of Killmonger killing Rhodey and T’Challa, a function that was previously seen in Iron Man 3.
Stark’s gauntlet that controls the Iron Man suit has now transformed into the Liberator controller – Killmonger’s battle robot model.
What If…? has just aired six episodes, but Stark has already died three times: once from poisoning (episode 3), once from a zombie virus (episode 5), and this time from a vibranium spear piercing his chest.
Killmonger kills the vibranium smuggler Ulysses Klaue and hands him over to Wakanda just like in the main timeline.
After drinking the Heart-Shaped Herb to become Black Panther, Killmonger visits the ancestral plane and meets T’Challa. In this realm, T’Challa also wears a white suit similar to the main timeline. This shows how Marvel truly pays attention to even the smallest details.
Killmonger officially becomes the Black Panther, donning the black and gold suit just like in the blockbuster Black Panther.
Most episodes of What If…? have open endings, and this one is no exception. Tony Stark once declared that he would avenge the world if he couldn’t protect it. This time, it is his friends who seek revenge for him after he is killed by Killmonger.
Source: ScreenRant