Marvel Studios Is Introducing a New Native American Hero in WHAT IF...? Season 2
Marvel Studios has revealed that a new Native American hero character will be introduced in the upcoming second season of the animated series What If…? The character’s name is Kahhori, and the episode she appears in tells the story of the Tesseract and what might have happened had it shown up in America before its colonization.
The entire episode will be fully in the Mohawk language and is informed by the history of the Akwesasne region in what is now upstate New York.
The story centers on the Tesseract as it “takes on a new life and a new mythology, transforming a lake into a gateway to the stars and leading Kahhori, a young Mohawk woman, on a quest to discover her power.”
The episode was written by Ryan Little (What If…? ), and it was created in close collaboration with members of the Mohawk Nation including historian Doug George and Mohawk language expert Cecelia King to ensure cultural authenticity.
The production team also worked with members the Mohawk Nation to design Kahhori’s look and environment, and to help incorporate traditional Mohawk music to use in the score.
George excitedly talked about the project, saying: “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.”
Little added: “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.”
The episode will be directed by Bryan Andrews (What If…? ), and it’s going to be really cool to see how this story plays out! I’m excited about this new character!
