Multiverse madness reaches its pinnacle as Marvel Studios’ What If…? animated anthology ends with all-hands-on-deck. The MCU’s biggest stars reprise their roles in an action-packed third season that’s surprisingly humorous. You’ll laugh out loud as unexpected crossover superheroes team up for wacky storylines that explore various themes and pay homage to classic genres. It’s not all kicks and giggles as the last three episodes get dramatically serious, but no real tears will be shed over cartoon developments. This leads to the biggest criticism, with season three being emotionally disjointed. There’s little space or nuance between comic shenanigans and dire threats.
Jeffrey Wright returns as the Watcher, who observes infinite universes from the fifth dimension’s plane of existence. His character arc becomes front and center in the latter half of the eight-episode season. It’s impossible to discuss his specific narrative without revealing spoilers, but I will say the audience finally gets to see behind the curtain. Comic buffs who know his backstory will be delighted. The Watcher has loomed like a ghost since the beginning. It’s fun and exciting to make him more involved as the stakes become personal.
Who Watches the Watcher?
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What If…?
What If… ? is an animated anthology series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe which features fan-favorite characters, including Peggy Carter, T’Challa, Doctor Strange, Killmonger, Thor, and more. The new series, directed by Bryan Andrews with AC Bradley as head writer, features signature MCU action with a curious twist. The show sees Uatu the Watcher, an omnipotent being that observes the events of multiple universes from afar as they unfold, unable to interfere. However, things shift when an entity peers beyond the veil, jeopardizing the multiverse.
Release Date
August 11, 2021
Seasons
3
Cast
Samuel L. Jackson
, Stanley Tucci
, Michael Douglas
, Sean Gunn
, Mark Ruffalo
, Karen Gillan
, Tom Hiddleston
, Jeffrey Wright
, Michael B. Jordan
, Toby Jones
, Sebastian Stan
, Paul Rudd
, David Dastmalchian
, Natalie Portman
, Josh Brolin
, Dominic Cooper
, Jeff Goldblum
, Hayley Atwell
, Djimon Hounsou
, Chadwick Boseman
, Taika Waititi
, Chris Hemsworth
, Neil McDonaugh
, Jeremy Renner
, Michael Rooker
Franchise(s)
Marvel Cinematic Universe
Showrunner
Ashley Bradley
Pros
- Funnier than expected.
- A great mix of animation styles.
- Learning the Watcher’s backstory.
Cons
- A big disconnect between opening and closing episodes.
- Action overload in a bloated finale.
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What If…? tickles the funny bone in two standout episodes that are bona fide hilarious. The second episode, “What If… the Red Guardian Stopped the Winter Soldier?” gives David Harbour a platform to shine. The Red Guardian’s proletariat espousing dialogue will have you rolling in a different take on events from Captain America: Civil War. His knocking of our debauched capitalist ways while joyously interacting with glorious Americana is quite clever and funny. Screenwriter A. C. Bradley (Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia) gets top marks for creativity.
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The episode that follows, “What If… Howard the Duck Got Hitched?”, gives two fantastic supporting characters a matrimonial adventure. Howard the Duck (Seth Green) and Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) shacking up is wonderfully entertaining. Their romance and efforts to start a family inspires a chase frenzy that feels like The Cannonball Run. S.H.I.E.L.D. and a plethora of MCU baddies are seen in a new light. Let’s just say there’s a lot of interest in Howard and Darcy’s potential offspring. I’d be the first one in line to buy a ticket for their own starring film or series. C’mon Kevin Feige, throw fandom a bone and make that happen. It will be a guaranteed hit after everyone sees this.
Musical fans who want more song and dance action after Wicked will totally dig episode two, “What If… Agatha Went to Hollywood?” This is overall the best-looking entry with Hollywood’s golden era of the 30s and 40s as the setting. Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) and Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani) as movie star adversaries with hidden agendas that eventually collide is a showstopper. Bryan Andrews, a famed storyboard artist and What If…? season three’s supervising director, does a great job. He gives the episode a Fred Astaire and Judy Garland vibe with a Bollywood twist as Agatha and Kingo have a dance off for the ages. Fans will be jumping around in their living rooms for this one.
Season three actually begins at its low point with the premiere, “What If… the Hulk Fought the Mech Avengers?” A dull opening borrows mightily from classic Japanese kaiju and anime to a ho-hum effect. The mix of 2D and CGI animation looks good, but the plot and its execution aren’t that interesting. My guess is this episode serves as an MCU Phase Five warm-up for Captain America: Brave New World. I sincerely hope that Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) versus the Red Hulk offers more pulse-pounding thrills than this melodramatic start.
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Marvel Crossover Greatness
Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) and Hawkeye/Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) hit the old west as butt-kicking partners in the most serious episode. “What If… 1872?” addresses how Asian immigrants were treated in America despite doing the backbreaking and dangerous labor of building the transcontinental railroad. There’s action galore, but kudos to Marvel Studios for giving a history lesson that’s never taught in schools. 1872 reminds us of the sacrifice, hardships, and ugly racism many of our ancestors endured. The episode’s twist can be seen from a mile away, but that’s forgivable given its merits.
The remaining three episodes are the meat of the season and link the Watcher with key characters from What If…? It’s interesting as a final bow, but suffers from the MCU’s usual overblown action climaxes. A good nod is the appearance of a beloved classic character unseen to this point in Disney’s MCU. At the very least, it’s a positive sign of what’s to come once all the previous 20th Century Fox characters are integrated.
Fans of Watcher lore from The Fantastic Four onset should get a kick out of this deep dive. It’s enjoyable enough, but honestly could have been its own limited series. There’s a disconnect between the first and second half of the season. It should have been more serialized with fewer episodes, but then you wouldn’t have the comedy goodness of two and three.
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What If…? sufficiently ticks the animation and action boxes. There’s nothing groundbreaking, but the season’s artistry is undeniably cool. The opening scenes before the main credits employ different styles as a preface of what’s to come. It’s pretty creative and makes you look forward to seeing the next one. Season three doesn’t disappoint, but probably won’t resonate for casual fans.
What If…? Season 3 is a production of Marvel Studios. The first episode premieres exclusively December 22nd on Disney+ with the remaining seven episodes dropping daily afterward. You can stream it through the link below:
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