by What If…? will include a brand-new Native American superhero that Marvel has unveiled.
Even though season 2 of Marvel Studios’ first animated series, What If…?, has yet to premiere on Disney+, fans have a general sense of what the season will be about thanks to leaks, rumours, and early item releases.
Meet Kahhori, a founding member of the MCU
There was a news release about a new superhero appearing in What If…? on the official Marvel website. Period 2. Before America was colonised, a young Mohawk lady named Kahhori discovers the Tesseract.
Kahhori’s story was properly handled and historically accurate because to Marvel Studios’ close collaboration with Mohawk people. Doug George, a historian, commended the incident and referred to it as “extraordinary” and “outstanding.”
““It 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. The story is dramatic, the characters fully realized, and the action sequences are breathtaking. The episode is exceptional in another sense–it is done with the complete cooperation of the Mohawk people from dialogue to adornment.”
Ryan Little, the episode’s writer, added his thoughts on the character and her tale. He emphasised the significance of Kahhori’s name, which means “she stirs the forest.”
“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.”
It’s intriguing that Little specifically stated that the What If…? episode is Kahhori’s “debut adventure,” suggesting that the character may be set up for additional narrative in What If…? and potentially elsewhere.
Kahhori is the first superhero entirely created in the MCU and has no connection to comic books. Although though May Calamawy’s Layla El-Faouly, aka Scarlet Scarab from Moon Knight, was somewhat original, she drew inspiration from Marlene, who first appeared in comic books.
Are There Any Future Characters in the MCU?
Marvel Studios typically chooses to adapt its characters and narratives from comic books. Yet, the MCU occasionally introduces a brand-new character who has never been published.
The SHIELD agent Phil Coulson, who was extensively featured in Phase 1 of the series, is the most noteworthy and obvious example of this. Sylvie, Luis, and Xu Xialing are a few further unique characters. Also, although there is a Scarlet Scarab in the books, as has already established, the character as shown in Moon Knight was essentially developed exclusively for the MCU.
It’s intriguing to consider whether Marvel will create other superheroes for the animated series after What If…? added Kahhori, and possibly do the same for their live-action productions.
There is no denying that the comics have a vast and diverse cast of characters, but occasionally the studio may need to use their own imaginations if no character from the books is suitable for the story being portrayed.
What If…? by Marvel Studios doesn’t yet have a release date, although speculation suggests that it will arrive in early 2024.
