Warning: This article contains spoilers for What If...? episode 1.
Each episode of Marvel's What If...? takes place in a separate MCU universe, confirms executive producer Brad Winderbaum. The show was first announced in 2019, and features the vocal talent of over 50 actors reprising their original MCU characters across 10 episodes. This includes Michael B. Jordan as Killmonger, Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, Sebastian Stan as James "Bucky" Barnes, and Chadwick Boseman's final performance as T'Challa, a.k.a. Black Panther.
Episode 1 of What If...? debuted on Disney+ on August 11. The story follows an alternative timeline where Peggy Carter is injected with the Super Soldier Serum instead of Steve Rogers and becomes the First Avenger. Now Captain Carter, Peggy carries a Union Jack shield as opposed to a star-spangled one and fights alongside a not-genetically-enhanced Steve as he pilots a mechanical suit similar to Tony Stark's called the Hydra Stomper. While Chris Evans did not return to reprise his role in What If...?, the episode sees the return of many other Marvel vets, including Dr. Abraham Erskine (Stanley Tucci), Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper), and of course, Atwell as Peggy Carter.
While speaking with /Film, Winderbaum explained that each What If...? episode takes place in a different MCU universe. Every story is a timeline branch, meaning each story follows an alternative universe where events aren't bound by the original sacred timeline seen in earlier MCU projects. Winderbaum's full quote can be read below:
"Each episode is essentially a separate universe. So you could see the moment when, to use Loki terminology, when the universe branches. Each episode kind of explores a story in one of those branches, sometime after that point, where it diverges away from the sacred timeline."
After the creation of the multiverse was confirmed in Loki, fans of the MCU are curious to see how the shattering of the sacred timeline will impact Marvel's Phase 4 projects. What If...? is paving the way for endless possibilities in the MCU, including a storyline where T'Challa becomes Star-Lord as opposed to Peter Quill, and even a zombie episode. The show can explore different, even outlandish storylines that are now canonized due to the confirmation of a multiverse. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness will undoubtedly focus on the consequences of the branched timeline and will see a return of WandaVision's Scarlet Witch.
Last December, Disney made an ambitious goal for its streaming service by promising to release 100 new titles per year at their annual Investor Day. This included new content from Disney Animation, Disney Live Action, Star Wars, and of course, Marvel. Disney+ as a whole, but specifically Marvel, is seemingly living up to that promise, as 2021 has been an exciting year for the studio. Its three live-action shows so far were met with massive success, and the studio finally premiered the long-awaited Black Widow movie in July. What If...? is Marvel's fourth TV show to debut on Disney+, and a second season is already confirmed. For now, new episodes hit the streaming service every Wednesday. While audiences might not know what to expect from such a wildly different MCU project, it's sure to leave fans excited for what's next to come in Phase 4.
Source: /Film