Marvel’s What If…? has captured the imagination of fans worldwide by exploring alternate realities and asking the question, “What If?” in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. According to Comicbook, recent theory by the fans has arisen that episode six, which focuses on Kahhori, a Mohawk girl, has some connection to Echo, another American Indian MCU character. This was mainly due to Devery Jacobs, (The Order, Reservation Dogs) who voices Kahhori, appearing as a supporting character in the upcoming live-action series starring Alaqua Cox (Hawkeye). Jacobs quickly dismissed the theory as false.
In an interview with Collider, Jacobs explained,”It was just a lucky coincidence. It was funny, when I originally got involved with What If…?, it was long before ever auditioning, or knowing that Echo was going to be a project, or that I would be auditioning for it.”
According to Comicbook, fans theorized that Jacobs’s Echo character, Bonnie, had some ties to the animated Kahorri, or perhaps were linked by lineage. That just wasn’t the case.
“I didn’t want to send off too many radars that I’m already playing another character, even though it’s animation, even though it’s in another century, in another language, even though it’s in the What If…? universe,” Jacobs continued via Comicbook. “Only while I was on set had I mentioned to some of the people working on Echo, I was like, ‘Well, I do actually have another series,’ and they had no idea. And so I don’t know. I love both of these series, and I’m so excited. And it’s wild, it was almost like I couldn’t have planned it out better if I tried, for them to be coming out just weeks apart from each other.”
According to Comicbook, Devery expressed,” The use of language is the connective tissue between What If…Kahhori Reshaped the World?’ episode and Echo. In both of them, there was a lot of homework involved. There was a lot of studying and making sure that I was getting the languages right. Obviously, that’s Mohawk for What If…?, but then for Echo, I had to learn American Sign Language. My character is a CODA, Child of Deaf Adults, and I get to work off the incredible and legendary Alaqua Cox. And so getting to work with her in Sign Language was something that I carried with a huge sense of responsibility, because I knew this is a bigger community than myself, and one that I had the privilege of being invited to, to play somebody who is in proximity to Deaf culture. I think it was a really special project, and the fact that we get not one but two indigenous heroines, and even if one’s superhero, and in Echo Maya Lopez is more of an anti-hero, both of them are just as badass.”
Despite there being no connection between the characters, make sure to catch Jacobs in both series. The second season of What If…? is streaming on Disney+. And Marvel’s Echo arrives on Hulu and Disney+ on January 9.