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MCU just screened the second episode of What If... This episode is set in the Cosmos instead of the Earth and takes us back to the 1940s. In this episode, we see the Prince of Wakanda getting abducted by Kraglin by mistake, in place of Peter Quill.  Then the Watcher brings us to speed by talking about how T’Challa and his morals are absolutely the opposite of Peter. T’Challa, in this reality, grows up to be the Star-Lord instead of Peter. The influence this upbringing then brings on the timeline is different from anything we have seen before.

T’Challa here is flirtatious and a badass. He also is everything we have seen in our favorite Prince of Wakanda. The episode sets the way for a new history of Wakanda, but also, his enthusiasm and commitment have a recognition that is beyond all control. T’Challa is seen working with the Ravagers, and they are seen as a much less dysfunctional society than what we have seen with Peter Quill. T’Challa picks the power stone from Morag, too, instead of Peter.

source:TheIndianExpress

Also, because of this change, the events described in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 never occur. Quill here is reunited with his dad, who happens to be a celestial named Ego. Ego, just like Thanos, is disappointed in many life forms and decides to take matters into his own hands. He plants seeds of his power all across the Universe, and he hopes of creating other versions of himself through these seedlings. However, he cannot manage all of this on his own. He needs the power of another Celestial. And to balance the equation, who else comes to play, other than our beloved Peter Quill. He tries to balance the power of the world by taking Quill under his wing. The Guardian of the Galaxy, though, interfere, and this never happens. The episode ends with Peter mopping a Dairy Queen, hooked on to music.

The twist in this storyline is that Thanos only wiped out half of the population of the world. But Ego wants to destroy the entire world as we know it. It is also the storyline where T’Challa successfully convinces Thanos to give up his mad quest of destroying half the world. It is also the storyline where the Watcher tells us the reunion of Ego and Quill is a story for another day.

source:CineDope

The Watcher means that while Infinity War is not “inevitable” anymore, the destruction of life as we know it may happen from other sources in other timelines. And that is where we learn that the multiverse madness of MCU knows no bounds and that these storylines will only lead to a different timeline that has something bigger planned for the audience. Bigger than Endgame itself! And while our beloved characters will remain in the timeline, we will see them in newer roles. Doing things they had not done before. But Awing and entertaining us all the same!