What If: What Worked & What Didn't?

Warning: This article contains spoilers for What If...? episode 9.

Marvel's What If...? remixed some of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's best stories into exciting and surprising new versions, but not everything worked for the series. What If...? episode 9 finally brought Marvel's animated anthology series together. In the finale, the Watcher (Jeffrey Wright) gathered the superheroes shown throughout the show's first season to save the Multiverse from Ultron (Ross Marquand). The Watcher deemed this team the Guardians of the Multiverse. The final roster included Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell), T'Challa's Star-Lord (Chadwick Boseman), Gamora (Cynthia McWilliams), Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), Party Thor (Chris Hemsworth), and the corrupt version of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). Black Widow (Lake Bell) also joins the team in the episode. In the end, the heroes successfully separated Ultron from the Infinity Stones, thus saving the Multiverse.

The Multiverse means limitless possibilities for the MCU. Before Loki, the MCU adhered to a Sacred Timeline, with the Time Variance Authority correcting problems when things went awry. However, in the Loki finale, Lady Loki (Sophia Di Martino) killed the TVA's overlord, a Kang the Conqueror variant named He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors). Thus, Marvel's Multiverse was unleashed. As Ultron says in What If...? episode 8, now "anything is possible." All fan theories and rumors have a chance to come true, and—as What If...? repeatedly showcased—small changes in the MCU could lead to significant differences.

What If...? set out to show all the possibilities of the MCU, but it didn't always deliver on expectations. Though beloved characters came back in new stories, the changes weren't necessarily meaningful. Additionally, the series repeatedly insulted the MCU's own characters. It also created odd plot holes and threw in cliffhangers that often didn't work. In the end, What If...? brought everything together; however, it was a bumpy ride getting there.

Worked: The Animation

What if why every team member was picked guardians of the multiverse

Early on, What If...? drew criticism for its animation, but the style ultimately works. The series uses cel-shading, which can appear stiff and jarring to viewers who aren't used to it. However, the animation style also allows What If...? to more accurately depict the likenesses and features of the characters' live-action counterparts. And in general, animation allows for What If...? to go bigger than a live-action film or show ever could. What If...? episode 7 is a perfect example. Captain Marvel (Alexandra Daniels) and Thor hit each into different countries during a fight in the episode. If that scene were live, it might look silly and cost way too much to produce. Additionally, a deepfake video from episode 7 shows how perfectly the What If...? animation aligns with the actors' actual looks.

Didn’t Work: The Multiverse Changes Weren’t Drastic Enough

Time and time again, What If...? seemed to come up short when it came to stories. Peggy Carter becomes Captain Carter in the series premiere, taking the Super Soldier Serum instead of Steve Rogers (voiced by Josh Keaton). It's a clever twist on the story; however, it ultimately doesn't change much. Many of the events of Captain America: The First Avenger play out similarly to how they do in the MCU film. Captain Carter just takes the place of Chris Evans' Captain America. Then, in episode 7, Thor grows up as an only child. While the episode plays for comedy, allowing audiences to enjoy Thor goofing off on Earth, he's mostly the same as he was in the MCU. Other than Loki (Tom Hiddleston) being Thor's friend and a "brother from another mother," the story doesn't have much of an impact on the events of the MCU. With endless possibilities, What If...? had the chance to take big swings. Unfortunately, it often didn't.

Didn’t Work: The Cliffhangers

Thanos in Infinity War and Zombie Thanos in What If

What If...? also has a weird relationship with cliffhangers. In the series, episodes would often tell a complete story, and then Marvel would throw in an unresolved twist at the end. For instance, in What If...? episode 2, Ego (Kurt Russell) visits Peter Quill (voiced by Brian T. Delaney) in the show's final moments, hoping to use him to take over the universe. Also, What If...? episode 5 reveals a zombified Thanos (Josh Brolin) at the last second. Thankfully, the What If...? finale solved some of the cliffhangers. For instance, T'Challa's Star-Lord ends up saving Quill from Ego in the episode. However, other twists, such as zombie Thanos, were ignored.

Worked: Bringing Back Beloved Characters

Tchalla and Peter Quill Star Lord in What If

While the stories weren't always the wildest, What If...? succeeded in bringing beloved characters back to the MCU. Numerous stars, including Michael B. Jordan, Chris Hemsworth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Danai Gurira, Emily VanCamp, Paul Bettany, and Tilda Swinton, returned to reprise their characters. And, perhaps the series' finest accomplishment, Chadwick Boseman also returned to give a final performance as T'Challa. Though not all the stars reprised their characters, Marvel found fitting voice actors to act as replacements. Actors such as Josh Keaton, who voiced Steve Rogers, and Lake Bell, who voiced Black Widow, often performed so well that the end credits were the only thing that revealed the voices weren't from the original actors.

Didn’t Work: The Plot Holes

Plot holes were one of the oddest things about What If...?. In a world with infinite possibilities, it would seem like anything would fly in the episodes; however, the series introduced several incongruities to the MCU. For example, What If...? appeared to forget Mjolnir's rules, letting the hammer pin down Captain Marvel in episode 7 despite its "worthiness" enchantment likely never happening due to changes in the episode. Additionally, the series constantly gets the timelines wrong. A significant error seems to come in What If...? episode 2. In the episode, T'Challa's Star-Lord visits Morag for the Power Stone in 2008. However, according to Guardians of the Galaxy, Morag was flooded until 2014, which is the year Chris Pratt's Star-Lord arrived on the planet for the Power Stone. While the idea of infinite possibilities should excuse any plot issues, the apparent disregard for details or previously established rules is bizarre. Also, some problems, like giving Korg an extra finger in episode 7, seem somewhat sloppy.

Didn't Work: Insulting MCU Characters

What If Thanos Killed By Ultron Phase 4 Mocked

Marvel strangely insults its own characters throughout What If...?. Thanos is the most frequent victim. In episode 5, the Mad Titan falls victim to a zombie virus off-camera, and episode 8 shows Ultron inhabiting Vision's body and slicing Thanos in half in an instant. The series often does this to make a point. For instance, to show Ultron was the most formidable threat the Multiverse had ever seen, the show had him dispose of Thanos as if he were nothing. However, the moves also cheapen the previous stories in the MCU, showing perhaps the most powerful villains and characters weren't such a big deal after all.

Worked: What If's Ending

Uatu addresses the Guardians of the Multiverse

Despite the series' problems, What If...? brought things together in the finale. The Watcher plucks heroes from the previous episodes of Marvel's What If...? to band together to save the Multiverse. The episode serves as an explanation for why Marvel showcased the specific stories in the series. The Watcher selected each hero for their unique traits to serve the purpose of defeating Ultron. For example, T'Challa's Star-Lord used his Ravager skills to swipe the Soul Stone from Ultron quickly. Additionally, the Watcher counted on Killmonger betraying the group and going for the Infinity Stones, which ultimately locks him in a stalemate battle with Arnim Zola (Toby Jones) and keeps the Multiverse safe. Despite the plot holes, the cliffhangers, and characters strangely getting extra fingers, everything was always just leading up to this one final battle.

More: Why Steve Rogers Is President In What If Episode 8 (& Not Fighting Ultron)