WARNING: The following contains spoilers for What If…? Season 1, Episode 2, “What If… T’Challa Became a Star-Lord,” streaming now on Disney+.
Taika Waititi introduced fans to a new, instant favorite character in Thor: Ragnarok with the appearance of Korg, voiced by Waititi himself. However, the second episode of the Marvel Cinematic Universes’s newest Disney+ show, What If…?, may have hinted at a dark, devastating ending for the show stealing character.
Korg is a Kronan, meaning he is a creature made entirely of rocks. Not much was revealed about Korg’s backstory prior to his meeting Thor in the gladiator prison on Sakaar. He was forced to compete in the Grandmaster’s Contest of Champions after attempting to lead a failed rebellion, but he didn’t print enough pamphlets and the only people to show up were his mother and her boyfriend. Still, he was a happy-go-lucky character with a good sense of humor. Korg then helped Thor escape Sakaar, fought by his side against Hela’s and became a loyal friend in New Asgard. For these reasons, and Waititi’s own unique brand of charm, audiences were immediately drawn to Korg, and his kind nature and humor make his suggested fate in the latest episode of What If…? more tragic.
Instead of Peter Quill, it is T’Challa who takes on the mantle of Star-Lord and journeys with the Ravagers in Episode 2 of What If…? He finds himself battling a muscular, shirtless version of Taneleer Tivan, also known as the Collector, who has a substantial arsenal of weapons at his disposal, and his first weapon is a glove that appears to be made of rock.
Even before he says anything, it is clearly the same rocks that make up Korg. He menacingly adds that he took it off of the body of a “terribly chatty Kronan,” and one cannot help but instantly think of Korg. While it’s possible that it was a different Kronan, the specific reference to his talkative personality suggests it was Korg.
As a creature made entirely of rock, it is likely that Korg could have survived without a limb; however, the Collector specifies that the Kronan he dismembered was already dead. Given how little has been revealed about Korg’s life before his introduction on Sakaar, it is impossible to know where he might have died in this universe.
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In this alternate timeline, Korg may have never even made it to Sakaar and instead died somewhere in his travels prior to his arrival on the Grandmaster’s planet. Alternatively, his rebellion could have been more successful in this universe, and he died a heroic death in the ensuing battle.
Korg’s fate in this timeline, much like his early life, remains a mystery. One can only hope that the Collector was referring to a different Kronan and that Korg is alive and well somewhere, planning his next revolution and cracking dad jokes. With What If…? telling stories in alternate universes every Wednesday on Disney+, there is always the chance audiences will see Korg again, either with a better or worse fate.