Marvel Studios’ animated projects often don’t receive the same credit as their live-action counterparts. It’s hard to blame anyone who scrolls past I Am Groot, though, as the Disney+ streaming service is home to countless animated shows and movies about Marvel characters that don’t have any connection to what’s going on with the big-screen Avengers. However, Kevin Feige and Co. don’t play around, so it’s time to start taking animation seriously. After all, What If…? marks the first appearance of Captain Carter, who plays a major role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as a member of the Illuminati.
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But Captain Carter is small potatoes compared to what the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe project, Eyes of Wakanda, just delivered. The animated anthology series features important connections to the characters from Black Panther, including King T’Challa. Its biggest Easter egg travels far beyond the plains of Wakanda, bringing to life a group of villains that has the potential to wipe all of the Celestials off the map.
The Horde Makes Its MCU Debut in Eyes of Wakanda
Eyes of Wakanda follows different members of the War Dogs throughout history, but they all have the same mission: retrieve vibranium artifacts before they fall into the wrong hands. Episode 4, “The Last Panther,” begins with Kuda and Prince Tafari in Ethiopia in the late 1800s, when the First Italo-Ethiopian War is raging. They have to ignore all the conflict around them because their mission is to retrieve a vibranium axe, which looks a lot like the one that Killmonger steals at the start of Black Panther. After escaping by the skin of their teeth, Kuda and Tafari start their journey home, but they come into contact with a Predator-like creature with cloaking technology that isn’t looking to make friends.
After a brief skirmish, the mysterious being reveals itself to be a Black Panther from 500 years in the future who must return the axe to its former home in order to save the country from annihilation. While Kuda and Tafari don’t believe her story, she uses her technology to show them visions of her present, where a race of aliens known as the Horde comes to Wakanda and kills everyone in its path. The only way to make things right is for the axe to end up in Killmonger’s hands, and that won’t happen if it returns to its place of origin.
Before the Black Panther can finish her mission, she’s sent back to the future. The Horde locates her and her allies, and they have to put it all on the line to stop them from entering the time portal. Fortunately, their sacrifices are worth it, as Tafari returns the axe and saves Wakanda. However, the rest of the galaxy may not be so lucky because the Horde is no joke.
The MCU’s Celestials Need to Have Their Heads on a Swivel Moving Forward
In various MCU projects, the Celestials are portrayed as all-powerful beings that are responsible for the creation of the multiverse. Ego, one of the more radical Celestials, spends centuries setting the stage for his takeover of the galaxy by planting flowers that will allow him to assume control of planets. The Guardians of the Galaxy put a stop to his plans, but he’s not the only member of his kind. The Celestials also play a major role in Eternals, sending the titular beings to Earth to prepare the planet for the awakening of Tiamut, who will destroy everything to be born. Sersi and her allies stop Tiamut’s arrival, which puts them in Arishem’s crosshairs. The terrifying Celestial takes them prisoner, but they may have an escape plan if the Horde shows up on the scene.
While Eyes of Wakanda doesn’t go into detail about the Horde’s origin, the pages of Marvel Comics reveal that it works for Fulcrum, a being that only wants to destroy. The Horde can easily corrupt Celestials and turn them into Dark Celestials, which are somehow less friendly than their light counterparts. It remains to be seen if the Horde will return to the MCU, but if it does, few characters can stop it from tearing the galaxy apart.
Eyes of Wakanda is streaming on Disney+. Were you surprised to see the Horde in Eyes of Wakanda? Do you think it’ll come after the MCU’s Celestials? Let us know in the comments below!
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