When Chadwick Boseman recorded his lines for What If...?, no one knew that would be his final time bringing life to the character. The actor tragically passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer, but his incredible performance as T'Challa/Star-Lord in the animated series certainly serves as a fitting tribute to the actor.
Talking to Entertainment Weekly, Yondu actor Michael Rooker opened up on what being part of the episode meant to him. While he never got to work directly with Boseman (it's rare voice actors share the same booth), The Suicide Squad star said, "It's just so wonderful, it's great stuff."
"I had no idea that it ended up being his last performance. Boy oh boy, what a shame. What a loss. It was terrible. But the work, the legacy of the work is there for everyone to see."
As for Yondu's dynamic with the new Star-Lord, he added: "Oh my goodness, their relationship is beautiful. This is an absolutely wonderful piece. This one, in particular, is beautiful. I think people are going to not just enjoy it, but also it's going to be meaningful in a lot of different levels."
Of course, we didn't expect to see more of Yondu after his death in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but could these alternate realities open the door to Rooker having a recurring presence?
"Well, I certainly hope it does. That would be a great "what if." [Laughs] I would jump on that bandwagon right away. It is a wonderful little niche in the armor to open it up and see what happened, what could happen," the actor said. "What if we told more of Yondu's story and the Ravagers? I bloody think the fans would go crazy over it. We've got our fingers crossed. We want more!"
There are a lot places Marvel Studios could go with Yondu, and it would be fun to see what became of him in a world where he didn't have a Star-Lord to put him back on the right track as a hero.
Can you think of any good "what if" stories for Yondu in this animated series?