WARNING: The following will contain constantly updated spoilers for What If…? on Disney+.
It’s safe to say the idea to bring Marvel shows to Disney+ has been a complete success. WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki have all been extremely well received, by fans and critics alike. On the heels of three successful live-action shows comes the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first fully animated adventure, What If…?, which is set to follow alternate versions of the characters we have come to know following different paths than the ones already seen. With the multiverse now in play — thanks to the Loki Season 1 finale — What if…?, which has already been confirmed to return for Season 2, will tease fans with entirely different scenarios, some more positive than others.
The show has already explored new versions of the superheroes, like Captain Carter and T’Challa as StarLord, among others, as well as some positively grim scenarios, like Fury’s Big Week going south. However, that’s not all; the series is also set to have a zombies episode, explore a possible different Avengers lineup, go into what the world would look like with a much darker version of Dr. Strange and show much more alternate possibilities.
What If…? Cast, Crew & Interviews
Many — but not all — of the MCU’s biggest stars are returning to voice the characters that made them famous. Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Samuel L. Jackson, Jeremy Renner, Dominic Cooper and Toby Jones, among others, returned for What If…? Season 1, Episode 1, “What If… Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?” Later, Chadwick Boseman — in his last appearance as T’Challa — Karen Gillan, Michael Rooker and Josh Brolin, among others, voiced their characters in What If…? Season 1, Episode 2, “What If… T’Challa Became a Star-Lord?”
Meanwhile, What If …? Season 1, Episode 3, “What If… the World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?” featured Jackson, Michael Douglas, Clark Gregg, Renner, Mark Ruffalo and Tom Hiddleston. No firm announcements have been made for the upcoming episodes, but Michael B. Jordan, Chris Hemsworth, Paul Rudd, Natalie Portman, Jeff Goldblum, Angela Bassett, Paul Bettany, Don Cheadle, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kat Dennings, Jon Favreau, Evangeline Lilly, Rachel McAdams, Cobie Smulders and Emily VanCamp, among others, are set to return.
What If…? Reviews/Recaps
What If…? Easter Eggs and MCU References
A show like What If…? was made for Easter eggs and references to other MCU properties. For instance, What If…? Season 1, Episode 1, “What If… Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?” included the possibility that Agent Carter disrupted the Winter Soldier’s origin, a confirmation that Captain Carter is more powerful than Steve Rogers and a callback to Spider-Man: Homecoming. Meanwhile, there is a veritable treasure trove of Easter eggs in the Collector’s collection, as well as the confirmation that Thanos’ Black Order could have destroyed him, in What If…? Season 1, Episode 2, “What If… T’Challa Became a Star-Lord?” Later, What If …? Season 1, Episode 3, “What If… the World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?” confirmed the MCU’s deadliest hero, solved the MCU’s biggest continuity problem and called S.H.I.E.L.D. security into question — again. As the show progresses, more Easter eggs and references are expected to pop up.
What If…? Theories and Rumors
Theories abound as to how the different What If…? realities could end up tying to the main MCU timeline. For some, the show is just a fun scenario, but others have found clues and possibilities which could tie into some future properties. It remains to be seen what Marvel decides to do in that regard, but there’s certainly a lot of material which could be incorporated into basically any of the upcoming MCU movies. Plus, with the show getting a second season, there are still many ways to use What If…? as a way to test out a possible storyline before actually bringing it to the main universe.
Loki’s entire storyline in What If …? Season 1, Episode 3, “What If… the World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?” is a good example of this. The episode did, after all, bring back a forgotten weapon of mass destruction that the MCU never fully explored, and that’s just one example. Fans are sure to notice more things and come up with many more theories as more episodes are released.
What If …? is available to stream on Disney+, with new episodes streaming every Wednesday.
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