"What If...?" is a Marvel anthology series where each episode explores a different universe, where the timeline veers toward a different course than what we've seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies and Disney+ series. Season 2, Episode 6 of "What If...?" follows the Tesseract as it crash-lands in America before it was colonized by Europeans. Kahhori, a member of the Mohawk tribe, finds a lake infused with the Tesseract's power, which leads her to the Sky World where other Mohawks with special powers are present. Knowing the Conquistadors will attack her loved ones, Kahhori escapes the Sky World and frees her people from oppression.
The episode introduces a new character but also deals with pertinent themes. It envisions a world where settlers never colonized America, with Kahhori defending her people against invaders. And the team behind "What If...?" ensured representation and diversity were present every step of the way. Looper attended a Q&A screening of "What If...?" Season 2 where head writer A.C. Bradley spoke about getting in touch with people representing Indigenous communities. "From day one, we were talking to people," she said. "We brought them in for everything from design, story, costuming, music. It was really a collaborative effort, and we were so lucky to get all the help."
"What If...?" Season 2, Episode 6 works as a compelling story, but it goes so much deeper than that. It allows a disenfranchised community to be seen in the most popular media franchise currently running. Between Kahhori and the upcoming series "Echo," Marvel is giving a voice to Indigenous communities, and that's worth something.
