WARNING: The following contains spoilers for What If…? Season 1, Episode 7, “What If… Thor Were An Only Child?,” streaming now on Disney+.
Maria Hill has been one of the stalwarts of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2012’s The Avengers. As Nick Fury’s partner, she largely gives the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. a sounding board — letting him verbalize his thoughts and plans while providing observations and counterpoints to field-test his thinking. However, while she’s had her share of heroics — notably her deep-cover double-cross in Captain America: The Winter Soldier — she’s usually in Fury’s shadow.
The newest episode of What If…?, though, puts Hill in the driver’s seat for the first time when she takes charge of S.H.I.E.L.D. after Fury is injured.”What If… Thor Were An Only Child?” gives fans a chance to see her in command, and as it turns out, she’s less measured that her boss and much more direct, which isn’t necessarily a good thing.
What If…? Season 1, Episode 7 brings a much less disciplined Thor to Earth. Without the tempering influence of his brother Loki — who, in this universe, was returned to the frost giants rather than being adopted by Odin — the God of Thunder morphs into an out-of-control party animal. He arrives on Earth with an entourage consisting of a who’s who of MCU aliens and proceeds to trash the planet with his antics. Fury attempts to put a stop to it, only to be knocked unconscious by an out-of-control Korg.
As soon as she takes command of the situation, Hill seems ready to use force. While Fury typically talks or strategizes, Hill seeks the most expedient use of force to contain things. This comes despite the fact that, while Thor and his crew are dangerous, they’re far from hostile, with most of the damage being limited to landmarks like Stonehenge and the St. Louis Arch.
And yet, despite Jane Foster’s please, Hill sees this as a situation where boundaries are needed and restraining a god and his friends before they hurt someone requires more than a stern talking to. Assuming the episode’s timeline matches that of the original Thor, her superheroic options are limited to Tony Stark and perhaps Jim Rhodes, neither of whom would be up for taking on an entire alien fleet.
That leaves her with two options, neither of which Fury would’ve considered. The first is summoning Captain Marvel, who has the raw power to send Thor packing. That said, Fury didn’t summon her until the events of Avengers: Infinity War in the Prime MCU, which had already dealt with threats as grave as Ultron and the Chitauri Army. Similarly, Hill’s willingness to invoke the nuclear option directly mirrors the nuke sent to destroy Manhattan at the end of The Avengers. While she takes steps to save lives — inducing Thor to Siberia where there will be no human casualties and distracting him with Captain Marvel, who is immune to the nuclear energy — she has no issues making that call when Carol’s approach doesn’t make any headway.
It isn’t necessarily a sign of recklessness, but merely a need to address the problem quickly rather than exploring all the options. Fury, who prefers to observe and wait for his moment, might have had the patience to find another way. While the circumstances in “What If… Thor Were An Only Child?” are unique, it still draws a sharp line between Hill and Fury.
To see how Hill handles the situation with Thor, the latest episode of What If…? is streaming now on Disney+.
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