The very first Marvel Cinematic Universe original hero has been revealed for Phase 5 thanks to Marvel’s What If…? season 2’s superhero Kahhori. The Multiverse Saga has been heavily focused on introducing new characters to the franchise and exploring the multiverse. What If…? represented a chance for Marvel Studios to do both by featuring variants of known heroes that dramatically changed their stories. However, the MCU has also made sure to use other projects to feature brand-new superheroes like Shang-Chi, Yelena Belova, Moon Knight, She-Hulk, Ms. Marvel, and more.
Marvel has now confirmed that the MCU’s first original superhero is set to appear in Phase 5, as Marvel’s What If…? will introduce a new Native American hero named Kahhori.
Who is Kahhori? Get your first look at the new Super Hero coming to season 2 of Marvel Studios’ @whatifofficial. #WhatIf https://t.co/AaxVjzstbd
— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) March 9, 2023
She is described as a young woman of the Mohawk Nation whose name means “she stirs the forest.” Marvel revealed that her episode of What If…? revolves around a story where the Tesseract falls to Earth in the sovereign Haudenosaunee Confederacy before the colonization of America. Kahhori will embark on a journey to explore the stars thanks to the Tesseract’s powers.
Marvel’s New Superhero Is A Promising Sign For Phase 5
The reveal of Marvel’s first original MCU superhero is an exciting development to come for Phase 5. Despite the amount of characters that were introduced in Phase 4 and are poised to be introduced in Phase 5, the majority of Marvel’s slate is still filled with heroes that audiences are already familiar with. Introducing the franchise’s first original superhero shows one way that the MCU is attempting to create fresh stories. This will be done with Kahhori’s story in What If season 2.
It also represents a shift in how Marvel Studios operates as a whole heading into Phase 5. With decades of comic history at its disposal, the MCU has routinely brought characters already created to the screen. What If season 2 introducing Kahhori as the MCU’s first original hero means that this does not have to be the only way that Marvel Studios expands the franchise. Instead of melding different comic characters together or dramatically reimagining them for the MCU, Marvel might now be willing to keep creating new superheroes that could then go on to have stories in the comics.
Kahhori being the MCU’s first original superhero also makes Marvel’s What If…? season 2 immediately more intriguing. While the first season saw T’Challa become Star-Lord and made Peggy Carter into Captain Carter, the new season looks to have even more freedom to get creative through the multiverse. It could even mean that Kahhori is set up to return in future MCU projects, possibly even in live-action at some point.
