I wanted to try something different and do a big spoilery in-depth review of 'What If...?' now that it's all wrapped up, and go through it episode by episode to see what makes the show work so well and look at the overall highs and lows of the debut season
Marvel Studios’ anticipated first animated project ‘What If…?’ aired its season finale on Wednesday wrapping up an impressive first season in a very satisfying way. The Disney+ show stars Jeffrey Wright as The Watcher, an omniscient being who swore an oath to watch over the multiverse without interfering in it serves as the series narrator, guiding us through these vast new realities as we explore how major Marvel Cinematic Universe moments would change if things happened differently. Wright is part of a star-studded ensemble cast that includes Hayley Atwell, Chadwick Boseman, Chris Hemsworth, Benedict Cumberbatch, and many more familiar faces. ‘What If…?’ is unlike anything that Marvel Studios has produced. For the first time ever, the Marvel multiverse is opened up and we’re allowed to play around in it and see what it all has to offer. What makes this special is the creative freedom that the writers are given. Since this show does take place throughout the multiverse and not the main MCU, anything can happen. Characters we know and love can be killed off, turned into villains, or taken in new fascinating places that we wouldn’t be able to see in the main MCU continuity. That creative freedom is the strongest part of ‘What If…?’, and it sets the series apart from everything else that we have seen. It’s fresh and exciting seeing the endless possibilities and limitless restrictions that Marvel has with this show.
Perhaps the most important part of any animated media is the animation style itself. No matter how good a show’s writing is, if what we’re seeing on screen doesn’t look good then it’s going to be hard to watch and keep up with everything. Thankfully, the animation style in ‘What If…?’ is breathtaking, and often a standout from each episode. The cel-shaded animation looks beautiful and the live-action characters translate really well into animation. It gives the series this comic book style that they can play around with. The usage of light helps to make everything look gorgeous and adds depth to the already impressive animation. It’s really impressive seeing all of the little details that they throw into the animation style, from the way characters move to the effects bouncing off of them. Since each episode takes place in a different universe, the animation changes in subtle ways to visually separate every episode from each other. When it comes to the voice acting of the show, Marvel tried to bring back as many MCU actors to voice their iconic characters as they could which really helped a lot. Voice acting is a tough job to do, and for the most part, each actor was able to give a great performance. Some actors weren’t the best at it and stuck out like a sore thumb, but overall the voice cast did a tremendous job, especially Benedict Cumberbatch, Lake Bell, and the late great Chadwick Boseman who gave a touching final performance in this show.
Episode Reviews
Episode 1: What If... Captain Carter were the First Avenger?
The pilot episode of the show is very interesting because it's one of the more mild changes that happen. Seeing Peggy take up the mantle of Captain Carter after Steve is taken out of action is an interesting twist on the iconic story, but other than that there aren't too many changes. The episode follows the plot of 'Captain America: The First Avenger' without really changing too much besides the titular character and also Peggy having to stop a giant alien squid god for a few minutes at the end, which is just a way to get her into the present. Them exploring the disrespect that Peggy got as a woman in the army in the 40s is a cool thing too because we don't get too much of that in the main MCU, and it would only be worse since she had the spotlight on her. Seeing Steve as the Hydra Stomper gives us some fun new things to enjoy though, and is the highlight of the episode for me. It reinforces the fact that Steve Rogers is more than what came out of a bottle and will do anything that he can to do what's right. Plus, it's really funny thinking about Steve becoming Iron Man before Tony considering the relationship they'd have in the main universe. The gag with Bucky falling off of the train and being caught was incredible though that was fun! I think the biggest missed opportunity with this episode is that they didn't go crazy with it and played it a little too safe. I understand why they did that because it's the pilot episode and it needs to be a litter tamer to introduce the audience to what the series is about, but they could have gone in much more different directions that we missed out on. I would have loved to see a tease where Steve dies in the explosion and it's revealed in a post-credit scene that he was turned into the Winter Soldier of his universe. If they ever wanted to revisit this timeline, it would have given a really interesting difference between everything and changed it a lot more. I did think that this was an overall good episode though, and it set the tone for what was to come.
Episode 2: What If... T'Challa Became Star-Lord?
Episode 2 is a LOT more drastic of a change than its predecessor, as we see what happens when T'Challa is abducted by the Ravengers by accident instead of Peter Quill. This episode is going to hold a special place in my heart because I truly believe that this is a perfect episode for so many reasons. One of the biggest reasons as to why it's such a great episode is because of Chadwick, who gives an amazing performance as T'Challa. It was really emotional hearing him again here, and I loved everything that happened with the character. Seeing how perfect T'Challa was as a Star-Lord is such a funny comparison, but it's also kind of heartbreaking. Of course T'Challa would be a perfect Star-Lord, because he grew up in a perfect society and had the right optimistic mindset as a kind. For Peter, he had the exact opposite and never was able to mature as a child and grow due to the death of his mother. It makes us feel even more sympathetic for our Star-Lord, and at the same time, we can appreciate T'Challa's Star-Lord who couldn't do something wrong if he tried. The relationship between Yondu and T'Challa also feels earned and natural, and adds a lot to the characters. The biggest thing about the episode that everyone was talking about was Thanos, and for good reason. They took the Mad Titan and did a complete 180 with his character which was cool to see because that would never happen otherwise. Having T'Challa convince Thanos to just not commit mass genocide is the greatest thing ever and I think it's so funny just having Thanos around as this tank on the team and how he acts as a good guy, while still trying to convince everyone around him that his plan made tons of sense, that's incredible. Having The Collector as the big bad of the episode also makes a ton of sense because of course he would try to fill that power vacuum with Thanos' absence. It's really interesting seeing him take on that role and as a much more offensive antagonist who also got jacked, it made for a lot of fun seeing all of the beloved characters he had defeated across the universe. Heists are always great, so the heist plot of the episode is tons of fun as we try and watch the Ravengers rob the Collector and free the galaxy from his tyranny. I really liked the twist that the Black Order was now working with the collector, and having Thanos take them out was incredible. His line about how he's "not crazy, mad" is amazing I love good Thanos. The ending where T'Challa meets up with everyone back in Wakanda is such an emotional ending and a perfect ending for the episode. The stinger at the end showing Ego turning Quill into a battery was a really interesting way to end things, and I'm glad that we got some closure for that in the finale. Overall, this was a perfect episode and it was such a fun ride that showed us a crazy twist on the characters that we know and love.
Episode 3: What If... The World Lost its Mightiest Heroes?
I love murder mysteries. They're easily one of my favorite genres and always make for such exciting stories that keep your attention the entire time, and I've always wanted a superhero murder mystery because of how fun that twist on a timeless classic would be. Going into episode 3 of the show, I had no clue what to expect. Before the release of the series, I had seen a list of the titles so I had a pretty clear idea of what we would get for every episode except for this one. I was so surprised and excited when it was revealed that someone was killing off every Avenger one by one and that there was finally going to be a murder mystery, and this episode was everything I wanted it to be and more. I think it was an interesting choice to have this take place during Fury's big week back in 2010, but it was cool having someone take out the Avengers before they were even able to assemble. The episode even made a bold statement killing off Tony Stark in the first few minutes (the first of his 5 deaths in the series), letting us know that NOBODY is safe. As more and more Avengers candidates were mysteriously killed off, the stakes only got higher when Loki invaded Earth to Avenge the death of Thor. With the clock ticking and Fury only having until sunrise to find the true culprit, he needed to figure out what happened fast. Thanks to a clue from Natasha in her final moments, he finally was able to put together what happened and reveal to us the shocking twist of it all and the moment that set this universe apart from ours: hope. In a twist that I didn't see coming, Hope Van Dyne had not only joined SHIELD but was killed by the Winter Soldier on a mission. This drove an already unstable Hank Pym into madness who swore revenge on Fury and was just waiting for his moment to take it. I LOVED this twist so much because of how cool it was to see a Yellowjacket Hank Pym take out all of the Avengers. It was something we truly could never see in the main continuity and gave us a really fun murder mystery story. The Loki/Fury partnership was also lots of fun and that leading Loki to take over the Earth was a cool way to end the episode. If I had one complaint about this episode, it was that there weren't enough clues about who the killer was before the big reveal, but I don't mind that too much and it made the reveal MUCH more shocking. Marvel, PLEASE do more murder mysteries in the upcoming seasons this was amazing and I loved it so much.
Episode 4: What If... Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?
This episode blew my mind. I was really looking forward to seeing Doctor Strange go down a darker path, but I had no clue it was going to get THAT dark. Having Christine's death be the moment that brings Strange to the doorsteps of the Kamar-Taj learning from the Ancient One was really cool because he had entirely different motives that gave us a much different outcome. Here, all he wanted was to do whatever it takes to revive his one true love, Christine. When he learns about magic, his motives are entirely out of doing good and fixing a problem he caused because of the people that he hurt, which is directly contrasting his film motives. When Strange learns magic in the MCU, he's doing it because of entirely selfish reasons. All he wants is his hands fixed so he can go back to being a rich and arrogant surgeon until he gets humbled by the Ancient One and is steered towards his path as a hero. 'What If...?' gives us a Strange who's already trying to do good, but the key difference is that he's willing to do anything to get back Christine, no matter how dangerous. We see him getting desperate as he uses the time stone to relive her death countless times, realizing that it's an absolute moment in time and that there's nothing he can do that wouldn't erase his own future as the Sorcerer Supreme which can't happen. That montage is one of the most heartbreaking things ever as we're forced to see her die over and over again with Strange's mental state only getting worse with each time. It isn't until the Ancient One interferes to snap Strange out of it and convince him to let it go and embrace his role as the Sorcerer Supreme. When Strange hears of the ancient sorcerer Cagliostro who was rumored to be able to break an absolute point in time, we get a pivotal moment in the episode that gives us a 'What If...?' episode within a 'What If...?' episode, as the Ancient One splits up Strange into 2 where one decides to learn the spell while the other doesn't. Watching evil Strange grow stronger and stronger in dark magic, consuming beings from other realities is terrifying, especially when we see the creature that he becomes later on in the episode. The fight between good Strange and evil Strange is so cool, I especially loved the gag where the two cloaks fought each other. After Strange defeated his good self and absorbed it, we get to see the grotesque creature he has become which is genuinely so horrifying. It's tragic watching Strange revive Christine from the car accident only for her to be scared out of her mind seeing what he had become. He focused so much entirely on saving her, that he lost sight of the monster he was becoming and was entirely unrecognizable to her. Strange begging the Watcher to interfere and save this universe from his selfishness was an amazing detail that paid off the earlier bit of him sensing the Watcher and showed us just how powerful he had become. As the Watcher denies him and the universe crumbles around him, we're left with the bleakest ending ever where Strange is left sobbing and alone, trapped in a pocket dimension. He thought he had lost everything after Christine's death, but it wasn't until he had her back that he realized how much of himself he lost along the way, and because of that selfishness the entire universe was destroyed. This episode was perfect in my opinion, and it gave us something that we had never seen in the MCU with the bleak tone, packed with so much heartbreaking emotion. I'll be thinking about the ending to this for a while.
Episode 5: What If... Zombies?
Marvel Zombies is one of the most popular storylines in all of comics because of how unique and how fun it is. Seeing an apocalyptic future where Marvel heroes have to fight off a zombie virus, with the vast majority dying because of it makes for such an entertaining story. This was the first teased story that 'What If...?' would be covering when we saw a Zombie Captain America hidden in the logo, and there was so much excitement built around this episode and it really delivered! Having the virus start because of the quantum realm was a really interesting idea that made lots of sense because of how weird that place is. The surviving members of the Avengers that we focus on are Spider-Man, Wasp, Hulk, Black Panther, Okoye, Winter Solider, Happy Hogan, Sharon Carter, Scott Lang, and of course everyone's favorite: Kurt. I loved the lineup that they chose to focus on in this episode because it gave us some character interactions that we had otherwise not seen at all. The Spider-Man and Wasp relationship was a really nice one that we got and it was a lot of fun! Having the survivors get a distress call at Camp Lehigh was a good motivator for the plot and we had some great moments on the way over there. Bucky vs Zombie Cap was a heartbreaking fight at the end of the line, but one of the biggest highlights of the episode and overall series was Peter's speech about always trying to stay positive. It was kind of emotional hearing all that Peter had gone through, and we even got the first-ever mention of MCU Uncle Ben which was nice to finally see. Having the Vision as the villain wasn't something that I was expecting at all, but it was a cool twist that gave us a very different look at the unusual couple of WandaVision. It was a nice flip having Vision be the one trying to keep Wanda alive this time and it made sense that he was just trying to satisfy her hunger and make sure that she didn't unleash her hex powers upon an already crumbling world. I don't think that couple is ever going to have a happy ending. The severed head of Scott Lang in a jar that is taken from place to place by the cloak of levitation might just be the greatest character in the entire MCU and I want him in EVERYTHING. As Wanda's powers are unleashed on the group and the Vision dies for the 17th time, more of our survivors are killed off or sacrifice themselves so that the rest can get away. I really wish we got more of the Hulk/Zombie Wanda fight because that sounds incredible and I need it. T'Challa, Peter, and Scott were the only people left after everything, and they headed towards Wakanda when we got the most emotional line of the entire season. T'Challa talking about death and how they will never be forgotten is a line that hit really hard for obvious reasons but was something really beautiful for him to say. Unfortunately for those three, they are heading straight towards a different Wakanda than the one they expected since it was taken over by A ZOMBIE THANOS WHICH HAS 5 INFINITY STONES! That has got to be the most intimidating villain of all time and I hope they follow up on that cliffhanger one day and we can see more of that. I really loved this episode and all that it had to offer. My only complaint is that it was a bit tonally inconsistent, but other than that it was a great episode and I hope that we get a multiversal zombie episode in every season of the show to come!
Episode 6: What If... Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?
Ok, here is where things get controversial. After this episode aired, lots of people were talking about how this was one of the best episodes and I didn't think that at all. While I still enjoyed this episode for what it was, I also think that it is my least favorite of them all, which is very disappointing because I was looking forward to this ever since we saw Killmonger toss away that bomb in the first trailer! I think it's a really cool moment having the most pivotal moment in the entire MCU, the one that started it all, just not happen. Exploring a world where not only Tony Stark didn't ever quit being an arms dealer, but he was being manipulated by Killmonger is such a cool concept and I was really excited for that! Unfortunately, I also think that this episode has a lot of problems which I'll get into. First, I want to start with the things I did like. While I think this is the weakest episode of the series, there was still lots to like which all comes from the central character of Killmonger which is handled perfectly. Everything that he did felt so in character and it made so much sense. I loved seeing him infiltrate Stark industries to create a drone army that he can use to invade Wakanda in plans to secure his place as king. His plan to use Stark's resources to do this goes flawlessly and makes a lot of sense. The way he lures T'Challa into confrontation as he gets Rhodey to get vibranium from Klaue was genius. The brutal murders of Rhodey and T'Challa showed us the true evil within Killmonger and put his plan in motion where he had everything he wanted. There's also one of my favorite lines in the entire MCU when Killmonger tells Tony that "the difference between you and me is you can’t see the difference between you and me.” That line is so poignant and it really stuck out to me. Everything that Killmonger did, from his master plan to joining up with Wakanda and using the drones to get exactly what he wanted and starting a war was perfect and I enjoyed all of that. Unfortunately, everything else in the episode fell flat to me. One of the biggest issues was a very inconsistently written Stark, who cornered himself in a room with trained killer Killmonger, I just felt like he's smart enough to have had a better plan than that? I know his death had to happen for the story, but he could have put up a little more of a fight than that. My biggest problem with the episode is that it just felt so incomplete. Right as things were starting to pick up and shift into a higher more exciting gear, it just ended very abruptly. This episode really could have used some more time, in my opinion, it kind of felt like nothing had happened by the time we got to the ending as they cut off before we could see the repercussions of anything. This episode also felt really out of place in the season because of how the change wasn't as drastic as it could have been. I really wanted to like this episode more than I did, but I feel like they could have done so much more with this premise than what we got and it was, unfortunately, the weakest episode for me.
Episode 7: What If... Thor was an Only Child?
Party Thor was an episode I had been looking forward to all season because I had no clue what that would be about until the title was revealed. Having Thor as an only child is a really cool idea and is a very big change. The Thor and Loki relationship was one of the most important in the entire Infinity Saga, so taking that away and seeing how they both changed because of it was a very interesting twist! Without Loki in the picture as his brother, Thor was spoiled for his entire life and had everything handed to him. He never learned any lessons because he never had to fight for any attention and he never had a god of mischief keeping him in check for his childhood. Thor growing up and instead of having a reputation for being a mighty warrior was known for his extravagant planet-consuming parties. After Odin entered his Odin Sleep, it was only a matter of time before Thor brought his party to Midgard, and this would be one that everyone would remember the next morning. It was a lot of fun seeing Thor start his party in Vegas where he still meets up with Jane and they're still able to fall in love (and this time it's even a love made to last). Having Thor's party spread across the planet is a lot of fun, as everyone just embraced the global partying vibes that Thor brought with him. The number of cameos and easter eggs we got in this was insane, it felt like each frame had a recognizable character hidden in there somewhere! Darcy marrying Howard the Duck felt like a fever dream I'm still not sure if that actually happened, but congrats to them! The party was getting out of control, so it made a lot of sense to call in Captain Marvel to stop Thor and make him fix things. The entirety of the Captain Marvel/Thor fight is one of the best fights not only in the series but in the entire MCU. I loved seeing two of the most powerful characters going at it, and how they both could have won and felt equally matched the entire time. The detail in the animation as they punched each other across the planet was amazing, and it all looked so clean and smooth. Frigga having to step in to stop Thor was such a funny moment and just goes to show that the only thing strong enough to stop a god is their mother! Overall, this episode was a lot of fun! It was a fun time that gave us the calm before the storm as Ultron was invading the multiverse. The cliffhanger alone had me so excited for what was next for the entirety of the next week.
Episode 8: What If... Ultron won?
This was my favorite episode by far! This episode is perfect and gives us something that I wanted to see ever since the series was announced: Ultron winning. Age of Ultron isn't a perfect movie, but the character of Ultron was a big standout of that and felt like an intimidating villain and deserved a second chance. Seeing how it all would have played out if he did get his consciousness into the Vision was everything I had wanted and more. He wiped out almost all of the Avengers without breaking a sweat and launched nukes to bring the world into ruin. Right as Ultron accomplished his goal of peace in our time on Earth, he was confronted by Thanos with 5 infinity stones, looking to take the 6th right from Ultron's head. Except he was too slow as he got cut right in half by Ultron before he could even get a word out. I know a lot of people found that to be dumb that Thanos died so easily, but I thought it was pretty cool and made a lot of sense. Not only was Thanos met with the unexpected realization that Earth had already been conquered, but he was dealing with Ultron's Vision. You can see how differently the Vision used his body than Ultron because the Vision primarily used his vast knowledge to solve problems and never used his full powers, while Ultron didn't hesitate to use the insane powers he had to get what he wanted. As Ultron gained the power of the gods and realized that the entire universe needed to be saved by him, we were introduced to the only known survivors of the nuclear destruction of Earth: Black Widow and Hawkeye. I always love how normal people survive world-ending disasters, it's a fun trope in post-apocalyptic stories. It was also nice to finally get a solo story with Natasha and Clint as they never got time to work with just each other like this in the movies. They had the impossible task of stopping the all-powerful Infinity Ultron all by themselves, but luckily there was one more AI they could use to stop him. I was so happy seeing Zola return to the MCU, and it's really interesting to know that even in our mainline MCU there are copies of Zola out there. It made lots of sense that he'd be the solution to stopping Ultron which we wouldn't see until the finale. I also loved how the Watcher was going insane seeing how close Clint was to finding the files and he nearly interfered then and there, it was so funny. As Clint and Natasha were fleeing Ultron's army with the Zola AI in their hands, we got hands down my favorite Hawkeye moment in the MCU. His sacrifice to save Natasha was perfect in every way. The parallels between this and Natasha's endgame sacrifice was done so well and made it all the more emotional. That beautiful shot of Clint diving down into the pit with the light behind him belongs in a museum. The absolute highlight of the episode and series for me was the Watcher and his interactions with Ultron. As Ultron had completely taken over this universe, he paused to reflect on his purpose fulfilled. The Watcher did his normal narrating, and Ultron was actually able to hear him and see where he was. This new realization that there were entire universes out there that could be saved was done perfectly, and we then got one of my all-time favorite MCU sequences: the battle between Ultron and the Watcher. This fight was perfect. Ultron forcing the Watcher into confrontation as he invaded his space, and then dragging him throughout the multiverse was so much fun as we got to see dozens of different universes. I need to go to that universe where Steve is the president that sounds like the best timeline. Powered-up Watcher was also a sight to behold and he looked so cool, but that wasn't even enough to stop an Ultron who was capable of devouring galaxies. The Watcher retreating into Strange Supreme's pocket dimension was a fun surprise, and it was finally time for the Watcher to interfere when the fate of the multiverse was at stake. I loved everything about this episode and I could write an entire article all about how perfect this is. It's one of my favorite things that Marvel has ever made, a complete and comprehensive masterpiece.
Episode 9: What If... The Watcher Broke His Oath?
The season finale promised to tie everything together when The Watcher had to break his oath and interfere to prevent the multiverse from destruction at the hands of Ultron Infinity. It was a lot of fun being able to revisit all eight of the universes that we had spent so much time in, and they were even able to bring proper closure to all of those stories since they had all mostly ended on cliffhangers. I loved seeing what happened with Peter and Ego especially, and seeing just how easily T'Challa was able to solve that problem. What was really interesting to me was the tease at the lost 10th episode from this season involving Stark on Sakaar with a Gamora who killed Thanos. I was really looking forward to that episode and it was a bummer that it had to get delayed to next season because of COVID, but I can't wait to see how they got to that point on Nidavellir! Seeing The Watcher bring together the Guardians of the Multiverse full of characters who otherwise never would have interacted was so cool and gave us a final confrontation that was worth the wait and the buildup throughout the entire season. Each character got time to shine and stayed consistently written as they collided with Ultron in one of the most unique finales in Marvel’s history. The action was done so well and looked beautiful, with each character having a unique fighting style that came across really well on screen. After they had temporarily defeated Ultron thanks to Natasha and Clint's Zola arrow, I loved seeing Killmonger take the stones from him. It made so much sense and was so in character for him wanting to take the stones and fix all of the problems in each of their realities, but he ultimately couldn't be trusted. As the incredible hybrid Vision/Ultron/Zola fought Killmonger over the stones, I think it was interesting that they were preserved in a pocket reality by Strange where they couldn't hurt anyone. One of my favorite little details from this episode was how they humanized the Watcher. Before this episode, we see him as an omniscient god capable of changing the events of history without breaking a sweat. In this episode, we get a look into the Watcher's mindset about his role in the universe and how much it means to him. He directly says that these stories that he watches are everything to him, and he deeply cares about all of these people and universes. It's a really sweet moment that brings a lot of relatability to the character since we all are just like him and loves these characters and watching all of it play out. I don’t think there’s anything negative that I have to say about the finale, it was a perfect episode that ended the season in a perfect way. It’ll be really interesting seeing what they have to offer in season 2 and which of the endless possibilities that they choose to explore, the future of the series is very exciting and can go in so many different directions and I can’t wait to see what happens next.
DEFINITIVE RANKING OF EVERY EPISODE
Ultron Wins
T'Challa Star-Lord
Strange Supreme
Hank Pym vs Avengers
Watcher Breaks his Oath
Zombies
Party Thor
Captain Carter
King Killmonger
So what exactly is it that makes ‘What If…?’ work? For me, it's getting to see these otherworldly stories that we wouldn't otherwise see in the mainline MCU. We got to meet characters that were never done in any medium before, see fights that could only be done in this breathtaking animation, and enjoy an entire season of fun concepts that give us a look at how differently the stories we know and love could have turned out. Season 1 of ‘What If…?’ is an amazing ride through the Marvel multiverse that gives us stories we otherwise would not have gotten, and the finale brings it all together in a satisfying way that leaves viewers looking forward to the future and what comes next.
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