Why The MCU Hates Peter Quill’s Star-Lord | Screen Rant

The most recent episode of Marvel’s What If…? seems to hate Peter Quill’s MCU version of Star-Lord as it seeks to explore what might happen if T’Challa had become Star-Lord instead. In place of the galactic con man and immature (but loveable) blowhard that Quill was characterized as in Guardians of the Galaxy, T’Challa is an interplanetary hero. By the time the events of What If…? episode 2 unfold, T’Challa has prevented the events of Avengers: Infinity War by redeeming Thanos, saved Drax’s family from being slaughtered by Ronan, and turned the Ravagers into a team of outlaw vigilantes, stealing from the wealthy and giving to the oppressed.

While it’s interesting to see how a different outlook and background could certainly have changed Star-Lord’s role, the episode comes across more as a wish-fulfillment fantasy for who Star-Lord might have been. T’Challa and Peter Quill have different upbringings, so there is some slender textual support for why one Star-Lord might do better than another in similar circumstances; after all, T’Challa was raised from birth to be a king, and consequently had the benefits of a royal upbringing. However, the reformation of both Thanos and the Ravagers implies a mindset shaped by more than education, a selfless nobility in T’Challa that isn’t naturally present in Peter Quill.

Related: The MCU Just Set Up A Worse Disaster Than Thanos’ Infinity War Snap

Peter Quill was abducted by the Ravagers at the age of eight; there is every indication that he received a normal education and upbringing prior to his mother’s illness and death, and that he was thoroughly invested in U.S. popular culture. Even though Peter’s background is vastly different from T’Challa’s, What If..? episode 2 is a complete inversion that implies the Ravagers’ criminal ways influenced Peter whereas T’Challa’s altruistic ways influenced the Ravagers. What If‘s T’Challa was kidnapped by Yondu at a similar age, but somehow managed to reform not only the Ravagers but Thanos himself, implying that Quill’s inability to do so is some kind of personal failing. At the very least, it directly pits T’Challa’s version of Star-Lord against Peter Quill’s version of Star-Lord, and T’Challa is clearly framed as being the better man. The reason for this likely comes down to how the characters are viewed, both within the MCU and by the Marvel fanbase itself.

This framing seems to stem from anger toward Star-Lord due to the MCU timeline events of Infinity War. There, Quill inadvertently sabotages an ambush of Thanos by losing his temper upon learning that Gamora has been murdered. While this is not one of the character’s brightest moments, it’s still understandable why, in his grief and rage, the passionate Peter Quill might have lost his mind for a second. But the larger context of his anger was lost in the moment and his momentary lapse in judgment still colors how Peter Quill is viewed.

Conversely, T’Challa is revered and respected, not just in the MCU, but by audiences. T’Challa shows humility and restraint where Quill is brash and self-aggrandizing, the latter being virtues appreciated in other MCU heroes, but apparently not in Star-Lord. Even What If…? pointing out that Thanos’ solution to interstellar famine and conflict was flawed makes it seem as if reforming Thanos and addressing his point was as simple as an eloquent conversation or two, implying that the Snap may not have happened had Quill just kept his head. At the very least, it shows how greatly Peter Quill pales in comparison to T’Challa.

All told, T’Challa flourishes as Star-Lord in What If…?‘s timeline. While T’Challa’s success can be owed to the fact he’s a remarkable man, making him the mirror for Peter Quill only serves to more clearly illustrate Quill’s failings. It would be impossible to not compare the two, but it feels as though the writers let audience reception to each character lead them in the episode. It was meant to elevate T’Challa and show that he would flourish in the same circumstances – but in doing so, What If…? episode 2 maintains Peter Quill as the MCU’s unfair punching bag.

Next: What If…? Episode 2: 6 Big Questions About T’Challa’s Star-Lord

What If…? releases new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+.

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