Marvel Finally Justifies The Darkest Part Of Star-Lord’s Origin Story

The MCU is further justifying the darkest element of Star-Lord’s origins. Having been taken from Earth after he was kidnapped by the Ravagers, Peter Jason Quill was ultimately raised by Captain Yondu Undota in the far reaches of space. Now, Marvel’s What If…? season 2 will provide the perfect justification for Yondu’s actions by showing what could have happened if Peter had instead stayed on his homeworld.

Releasing in December, Marvel’s What If…? season 2 will offer nine new stories exploring different scenarios and circumstances outside the main MCU timeline. This will include the episode entitled, “What If… Peter Quill Attacked Earth’s Mightiest Heroes?”, showcasing a series of events that might have occurred had Yondu’s Ravagers not kidnapped Peter shortly after the death of his mother in the 80s. To that end, the first trailer for What If…? season 2 already supports the idea that Yondu kidnapping Star-Lord was the right thing for all parties involved.

How What If Season 2 Justifies Guardians Of The Galaxy’s Most Questionable Origin

As seen in the What If…? season 2 trailer, an alternate team of Avengers was assembled in 1988 rather than Earth’s Mightiest Heroes who first came together in 2012. Seemingly brought together by SHIELD’s Peggy Carter and Howard Stark who were still running things at the time, this older team of Avengers includes Hank Pym’s Ant-Man, Mar-Vell, Bill Foster’s Goliath, T’Chaka’s Black Panther, as well the surprising additions of the Winter Soldier and Thor himself. To that end, it’s revealed that the threat bringing them all together in this alternate timeline is none other than an 8-year-old Peter Quill.

In this reality, it seems as though Peter Quill was never taken to space by Yondu. Furthermore, his powers as the son of the Celestial Ego have prematurely activated as well, presumably making the young boy a threat to himself as well as the rest of the world (hence the assembly of this early roster of Avengers). As such, this new look at what might have been certainly helps justify Yondu’s kidnapping of Peter and later raising him as his own son, especially being someone with a better idea about Quill’s non-human physiology.

What If Season 2 Will Show What Could Have Happened If Star-Lord Stayed On Earth

The activation of Peter Quill’s Celestial powers at such a young age is likely a destructive response to his mother’s death in 1988 while subsequently not having Yondu to take him in and show him the wonders of the galaxy. By remaining on Earth, it seems as though Quill would have become a major danger and threat instead of becoming the legendary outlaw and Guardian of the Galaxy known as Star-Lord. It’s the perfect sort of scenario for an episode of Marvel’s What If…? Furthermore, it’s particularly exciting considering these new Avengers who could have united decades before Nick Fury’s team in the main MCU timeline.

Marvel’s What If…? season 2 begins streaming December 22nd on Disney+.