Marvel revealed today that Season 2 of What If...? will feature Kahhori, a Mohawk heroine created exclusively for the MCU. With an entire episode dedicated to her, Kahhori will make her Marvel debut in a story involving the Tesseract, one of the main artifacts of the MCU’s “Infinity Saga.”
Inspired by the Marvel Comics label, the MCU’s What If…? explores alternate timelines where one small change can lead to whole different universes. For instance, Season 1 of What If….? had episodes dedicated to exploring what would happen if Peggy Carter became the Captain, T’challa took up the mantle of Star-Lord, or even if a zombie virus contaminated Earth’s mightiest heroes. Not surprisingly, What If…? is a fan-favorite MCU series, and we can’t wait to see what new crazy stories Marvel Studios will develop next.
Last year, at the San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Studios confirmed one of the episodes in the second season would be based on the Marvel 1602 comic book story, which takes place in the 17th century. That’s not the only episode of What If…? to go so far back in time, as Kahhori’s story will wonder what would happen if the Tesseract fell to Earth and landed in the sovereign Haudenosaunee Confederacy before the colonization of America. The Tesseract, for those needing a reminder, is one of the Infinity Stones, whose raw energy can completely change an environment. That will lead to the rise of Kahhori, a new superhero created by writer Ryan Little in close collaboration with members of the Mohawk Nation like historian Doug George and Mohawk language expert Cecelia King.
Talking about the importance of remaining culturally authentic when it comes to Kahhori’s characterization, Little said:
“I had a wonderful writing mentor who worked extensively with the Indigenous community in upstate New York, and I was excited to draw on that experience to build an entirely original corner of the MCU with storylines for new Indigenous heroes written from a place of respect for past generations and optimism for future ones. Kahhori, pronounced ‘KAH-HORTI,’ is a real, Wolf Clan name, meaning ‘she stirs the forest’ or is someone who motivates those around her. In her debut adventure, Kahhori will have to live up to her name to recruit powerful allies into the fight to save her people and change the course of history forever.”
George also underlined how the episode “tells a remarkable story from a Native-Mohawk perspective which is truly unique and historical, and will give the viewers a new, challenging and entertaining perspective on this land's first peoples.” As George reveals, “the episode is exceptional in another sense—it is done with the complete cooperation of the Mohawk people from dialogue to adornment.”
When Is What If…? Coming to Netflix?
Despite setting What If…? Season 2 release for early 2023, Marvel Studios hasn't released a trailer or a voice cast list. All we know about Season 2 is that it will also count nine episodes, like the first season. What If…? is not the only animated MCU project currently in development, as there’s a Marvel Zombies spinoff and the Spider-Man: Freshman Year series in the pipeline.
Season 2 of What If…? is expected to premiere on Disney+ sometime in 2023.