What If…? is a refreshing break the usual Marvel Cinematic Universe antics. Even with so many different subgenres of comic book movies, it’s easy for a blockbuster franchise to get samey. No doubt there’s been a handful of viewers getting tired of seeing forgettable villains and expected quips.
But then comes this animated anthology that experiments. It dares to throw a bunch of one-shots at the screen where there are no rules. No character has plot armor and no good ending is guaranteed.
Retooling The Origins
A number of episodes focus on familiar stories that are given one character altercation. Remember the origins of Captain America in 2011’s The First Avenger? What if Peggy Carter received the Super Soldier serum instead and Steve Rogers became Iron Man?
That’s a neat idea and it does make for some fantastic fight sequences with a buffed-up Carter. That being said, the story of The First Avenger pretty much plays out the same way it did in the film. Watching an episode such as this just feels like playing through a video game you’ve played before with a different skin and small mods.
The following episode follow the same formula. Peter Quill is glazed over for T’Challa to be abducted to become one of the Guardians of the Galaxy. There’s also a lot of joking about other characters avoiding tragedy, as with Bucky being saved on the train and Thanos having his genocide plans laughed at.
Heroes Don’t Always Win
Thankfully, by episode three, cages start to rattle more. That episode stages a murder mystery where the first batch of Avengers are being secretly slaughtered. The mystery itself is as unique as the unexpected deaths that shake up the familiar story.
The episodes only get more grim from there. Episode four features Doctor Strange losing his girlfriend and trying undo her death with the time stone. In doing so, however, he dooms his own universe into oblivious with a very depressing end.
One of the most violent episodes is, unsurprisingly, the zombie apocalypse one. The fifth episode features the Avengers dealing with zombies amid Infinity War. Not all of them make it and most of them bite the dust in rather bloody ways.
Different Plans
Episode six plays with perhaps the most interesting idea of the series. Killmonger ends up saving Tony Stark during the events of the first Iron Man film. As a result, Killmonger convinces Tony to help him build more weapons and accidentally conquer Wakanda.
This story is rather unique considering Killmonger’s idea for his kingdom. His obsession with bringing down the system isn’t entirely unwarranted and there’s some bitter truths to his evil plans. It’s perhaps for the best that this episode cuts off right at the moment where things get a little too controversial.
Then there’s episode seven which is just downright silly. Thor comes to Earth, having never known Loki as an adversary, and parties it up with the planet. When his mom finds out, Thor struggles to clean up Earth before he’s in trouble.
The Odd End
It’s perhaps a bit disheartening that the show tries to end by tying all the stories together. By episode eight, we watch as Ultron takes control of the Infinity Stones. This gives the robot not only enough power to destroy his universe but target The Watcher as well.
That’s a gamechanger episode, sure, but it also leads to a weak finale with episode nine. The Watcher assembles a team of Avengers from almost every episode to do battle with Ultron. The result is more of a stalemate, what with the wacky cosmic logic of the multiverse.
Off Voices
The voice acting is a severely mixed bag, though Jeffrey Wright is perfect as The Watcher. You will get a few familiar actors reprising their roles in animated form and most of them sound alright. The reprising cast includes Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Scarlett Johansson, Samuel L. Jackson, Paul Betany, Michael B Jordan, and even the late Chadwick Boseman in his final appearance as T’Challa.
But, wow, can you tell which voices they didn’t get. Tony Stark plays a fairly frequent role in the stories and Mick Wingert just can’t quite nail it. Alexandra Daniels does a decent job as Captain Marvel but Josh Keaton’s Steve Rogers leaves a lot to be desired.
The Meaning For The Multiverse
It’s clear that multiverse is very much in the future for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. If it weren’t clear from the hints of it in WandaVision then it’s all but confirmed in Loki. There could very well be some big ties that What If has with other Marvel movies.
And that’s a bit disheartening. I like the idea of this show just being a series of experiments more than some massive connection to other MCU movies. That’s its biggest appeal that is sadly squandered by the end to tie a neat continuity bow on everything.
Conclusion: Marvel’s What If…?
I enjoyed quite a bit of What If…? It could use some more polish and the linear wrap-up method left a sour taste. Overall, though, there’s some good ideas explored in this show where it feels the writers and directors can let their hair down a bit.
The show is worth watching for Wright’s voice alone and the playfulness with the entire MCU timeline is rather clever. There does seem to be another season in the works and I hope it can be just as fascinating. Maybe lose the connection to future MCU movies, though, as this series has the potential to be more than just a temp TV bridge.
Did you see What If on Disney+? Did you enjoy it? How does it compare to Disney’s other animated series of Star Wars: Visions? Let us know in the comments below.
The Review
Marvel's What If...?
A solid anthology that plays around with darkly intriguing ideas for Marvel stories.
PROS
- Fascinating writing.
- Unique animation style.
CONS
- Linear finale is not as intriguing.
- Some episodes feel like minor variations.
- Stand-in voice cast feels far too obvious.
