Buckle up! Marvel's What If...? sends fans on an emotional rollercoaster in new episode

Burbank, California - The sixth episode of Marvel's What If...? shows that heroes can still emerge even through the darkest moments.

Michael B. Jordan (l) reprises his role as Erik Stevens/Killmonger opposite Chadwick Boseman (r) in the latest episode of Marvel's What If...?.
Michael B. Jordan (l) reprises his role as Erik Stevens/Killmonger opposite Chadwick Boseman (r) in the latest episode of Marvel's What If...?.  © imago/Everett Collection

Marvel fans may need a second to recuperate from Wednesday's rollercoaster of an episode.

Not only did the daring series mercilessly kill off Tony Stark, two other major characters were also horrifically slain – again.

Michael B. Jordan returns as the ruthless anti-hero Erik Stevens/Killmonger. However, unlike in the alternate version of Thanos, the former US Navy's malicious motives haven't changed in this universe.

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The thrilling sixth episode was also an emotional one, as it brought back the voice talent of the late Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa/Black Panther.

Yet, not even the Wakandian Prince can stop his sociopathic cousin from successfully taking over Wakanda.

All the while, The Watcher continues to watch "from afar" as everyone's beloved heroes fall prey to unfortunate circumstances. The peculiar figure seems to be getting more burdened by these vast storylines – and also more visible.

Clearly, it will come to a point where the mysterious alien will have no choice but to intervene. But just how far will things go before he is forced to step in?

What if Killmonger rescued Tony Stark?

In the sixth episode of Marvel's What If...? Killmonger, voiced by Michael B. Jordan, rescues Tony Stark in a sinister plot to take over Wakanda.
In the sixth episode of Marvel's What If...? Killmonger, voiced by Michael B. Jordan, rescues Tony Stark in a sinister plot to take over Wakanda.  © imago/Everett Collection

The latest chapter flips Iron Man's origin story on its head by exploring what would happen if Tony was never kidnapped by the Ten Rings.

Here's the thing: Tony's capture is what led to the birth of his superhero counterpart, which also resulted in the creation of the Avengers.

However, in this universe, the egotistical billionaire is instead conveniently rescued by Killmonger.

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After working his way through the ranks and earning Tony's trust, Killmonger tricks Tony into building humanoid combat drones using vibranium.

Yet, this leads to an all-out war that also results in the shocking deaths of James Rhodes – RIP Rhodey – T'Challa, and ultimately Tony at the hands of Killmonger.

Seriously, how many times is Marvel going to keep killing Tony?

But all hope isn't lost, despite Killmonger succeeding in becoming the next Black Panther. T'Challa's younger sister Shuri, and Pepper Potts – who both were skeptical of Killmonger from the start – join forces at the end of the episode to expose him.

The sixth episode offers plenty of action, dynamic voice acting from its cast, and mesmerizing animation. Killmonger's brief but poignant conversation with T'Challa while in the Ancestral Plane is the most touching part of the entire plot.

With only three episodes left and plenty more characters to dabble with, who knows where the series will take viewers next.

One thing is for certain: What If...? has perfectly set up just how dark and chaotic things can get in the madness of multiverse.

Marvel's What If...? is now streaming on Disney+.

Cover photo: imago/Everett Collection

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