Jeffrey Wright talks Disney+ series 'What If...?,' co-star Chadwick Boseman's real-life heroism

The Marvel Universe is expanding, yet again. This time, its doing so in an unusual animated series that poses the question, "What If...?"

Jeffrey Wright, who voices The Watcher, was excited at the prospect of joining Marvel Studios' first-ever animated series.

"He's described in the first comic, 1963 'Fantastic Four,' as the most dramatic being in all the known universes or something like that," Wright said about his character. "So that's a lot. But for an actor, that's pretty good. That's a pretty good calling card."

"What If...?" gives audiences an animated look at some major moments in Marvel movies, but with a twist: How they would have played out if things had happened differently?

What if Peggy Carter was the First Avenger? What if T'Challa was picked up by Yondu as a child and became Star-Lord, instead of Peter Quill?

"Story and mythology for us, for humans, particularly now, is a deeply important place," said Wright. "Art is a place where we can find hope, where we can find something concrete in a world that seems increasingly fluid and untrustworthy."

"What If...?" also features the late Chadwick Boseman's final performance as T'Challa and his alter ego, Black Panther.

Wright said Boseman's heroism is captured in his episode: "He's played this hero role, this mythic role, and he also played Black Panther."

"He was this quiet hero in his life in a way that we didn't fully appreciate until the end," Wright continued. "How graceful of him and how dignified to be taking on the all of the enormity of the responsibility that he did with his work and quietly go about the battle of his lifetime."

"What If...?" is now streaming on Disney+, with new episodes dropping Wednesdays.

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