Marvel Casts Reservation Dogs Star for its First Native-American Superhero
Marvel Studios has cast Mohawk actor Devery Jacobs in the groundbreaking role of Kahhori, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) first original Native American superhero. Jacobs will voice Kahhori in an episode of the upcoming second season of the Disney+ animated series What If…?
The news caps off a banner year for on-screen representation and diversity in the MCU. Just last month, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever introduced ten-year-old Dominique Thorne as Ironheart, the first Black woman superhero in the franchise.
Who is Kahhori?
Kahhori is a young Mohawk woman who discovers a dangerous power when a Tesseract lands in her tribe’s territory in an alternate 17th-century timeline. The cosmic cube transforms a lake into a gateway to the stars, sending Kahhori on an epic quest to understand her new abilities.
Devery Jacobs is confirmed to be the voice of Kahhori in ‘WHAT IF…?’ Season 2. pic.twitter.com/EfWfKWd9kk
— Cosmic Marvel (@cosmic_marvel) December 22, 2023
The hero’s story will be told in the episode
“What would happen if the Tesseract fell to Earth and landed in the sovereign Haudenosaunee Confederacy before the colonization of America? The Tesseract takes on a new life and a new mythology, transforming a lake into a gateway to the stars and leading Kahhori, a young Mohawk woman, on a quest to discover her power,” says the episode synopsis.
Why is Devery Jacobs the Perfect Fit for Marvel?
Like her character, Jacobs is Mohawk and grew up in her First Nations community in Canada. The casting demonstrates Marvel’s commitment to authentic on-screen representation. Jacobs earned acclaim for her starring role as Elora Danan in Sterlin Harjo’s hit FX comedy series Reservation Dogs. She also appeared in the Canadian show Mohawk Girls and the MCU series Echo.
The creation of Kahhori and Jacobs’ casting marks the latest effort to bring more diverse characters into the MCU. Earlier in Phase 4, Marvel introduced its first openly gay superhero in Phastos (Brian Tyree Henry) in Eternals. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings featured the franchise’s first Asian lead and a predominantly Asian cast.
The second season of What If…? promises even more boundary-pushing characters and stories pulled from every corner of the vast Marvel multiverse.
When Will Fans Meet Kahhori?
Kahhori will make her debut when What If…? Season 2 premieres on Disney+ on December 22, 2023. New episodes of the anthology series will drop daily through December 30.
Jeffrey Wright returns as the all-seeing Watcher, with many MCU stars reprising their roles as voice talent. The season will explore twisted alternate versions of Phase 4 storylines and introduce new superheroes like Kahhori.
Devery Jacobs’ groundbreaking turn as the MCU’s first Native American superhero promises to be a historic moment for representation when What If…? returns next week.
