Marvel Finally Fixed What If...?'s Problems, But Was It Too Late?

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

Marvel's What If...? finally fixed several of its problems; however, it may be too little and too late for the Marvel Cinematic Universe show. What If...? is Marvel's first animated Disney+ series, showing alternate timelines within the MCU. In the series, slight story alterations lead to drastic differences, completely changing the heroes that fans got to know over the first decade of Marvel's movies. For instance, in the series premiere, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) takes the Super Soldier Serum, becoming Captain Carter and taking on Hydra. Then, What If...? episode 2 revealed how T'Challa (Chadwick Boseman) could turn into Star-Lord. He's so heroic that even Thanos (Josh Brolin) changes his evil ways. Time and time again, the series brought back its stars to reprise their characters and show a different side of their superhero journeys.

Marvel's Multiverse makes What If...? possible. Before the Multiverse, Loki explains that the MCU operated on a Sacred Timeline, which the Time Variance Authority monitored. However, this completely changes when Lady Loki (Sophia Di Martino) kills the TVA's ruler, a Kang the Conqueror variant called He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors). In doing so, Lady Loki releases the MCU's Multiverse. Now, any story or Marvel fan theory could happen. Dead characters can return, and alternate versions of heroes can roam free. As Ultron (Ross Marquand) says in What If...? episode 8, "Anything is possible in a Multiverse." However, endless possibilities aren't always a good thing.

What If...? season 1 was by no means a perfect show. As an anthology series, the stories often seemed disjointed and unconnected to the overall MCU. Marvel also had a bad habit of introducing random world-ending twists at the end of episodes and refusing to follow up. The series also lacked stakes and seemed to ignore the rules the MCU previously set up. In the end, What If...? finally brought things together, having the stories all collide in the final two episodes. However, while the superheroes in the What If...? finale saved the Multiverse, their actions may not be enough to save the series.

Marvel's What If...? Problems Explained: What Went Wrong?

Several problems plagued What If...? season 1. As Marvel's first animated series for Disney+, the show was always facing an uphill battle. What If...? had the challenge of transitioning live-action fans to animation, and its cel-shading animation style could be jarring for viewers who weren't familiar with it. Because of that style, the show drew criticism early on. However, other problems were avoidable. The series constantly seemed to retcon previously established rules in the MCU. For instance, Loki appears to show that Infinity Stones didn't work outside their timelines, but in What If...?, Ultron is so powerful with the Infinity Stones that he can punch holes across multiple realities. Additionally, What If...? introduces several Marvel plot holes, which at times seem sloppy. These plot holes could be as big as altering the rules for Mjolnir to as small as adding extra fingers on Korg's (Taika Waititi) hands.

Despite the plot holes and inconsistencies, What If...?'s worst problem is not taking big swings. The series was supposed to be about all the wild possibilities of the Multiverse. However, the changes in What If...? often didn't amount to much difference in the MCU. For example, in the series premiere, the events of Captain America: The First Avenger play out similarly to the MCU film. Captain Carter simply fills the role of Chris Evans' Captain America. Also, What If...? episode 7 shows Thor (Chris Hemsworth) growing up as an only child and becoming Party Thor. Despite that change, Thor is basically the same. Essentially, What If...? indicates that the God of Thunder would simply appreciate a good celebration a bit more if he didn't have siblings.

What If...?'s Final Two Episodes Fixed The Show's Problems

What if season 1 mcu timeline watcher guardians of the multiverse

The What If...? ending becomes all about Ultron. In What If...? episode 8, Ultron destroys Earth and takes control of the Infinity Stones. Then, after destroying his entire universe, he becomes aware of the Watcher (Jeffrey Wright) and attacks the god-like narrator of the series. The pair fight across time and space, and the Watcher realizes he's outmatched. In What If...? episode 9, the Watcher breaks his vow of not interfering by putting together a team called the Guardians of the Multiverse. The Watcher gathers various characters shown throughout What If...? for the team, including Captain Carter, Party Thor, Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), and the corrupt version of Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch). Together, the heroes take on Ultron and try to save the Multiverse from destruction.

The series' last two episodes finally bring everything together. Before its final episodes, What If...? didn't make much sense. There wasn't much rhyme or reason why Marvel chose the specific stories in its anthology series. After all, some of them closely reflect what already happens in the main MCU timeline, so they didn't seem to have a purpose. However, the final two episodes establish that Ultron is a Multiversal threat unlike any the heroes have experienced. In episode 8, Ultron even slices Thanos in half instantly, putting away any doubt about his power. The last two episodes show why each specific hero is crucial for defeating Ultron. Also, the What If...? season 1 finale delivers a Multiversal battle unlike any the live-action MCU has attempted.

Did What If...? Do Enough To Fully Save The Show?

Guardians of the Multiverse in What If Episode 9

In many ways, What If...? never really had a chance to save the show entirely. With the jump from live-action to animation, the series would never feel like it had the same stakes as previous MCU projects. Additionally, while many of the actors returned to reprise their MCU roles, some of the most notable names, such as Robert Downey Jr. and Scarlett Johansson, didn't. The What If...? replacement actors do an exemplary job, but they're still not the originals. When plot holes and retcons are also factored in, the odds were never in favor of What If...?.

Despite its challenges, What If...? is still a promising first trek into animation for the MCU. There are definite issues. Even with the final two episodes bringing the show together, the series often left major cliffhangers completely unanswered. For example, Marvel's What If...? episode 5 introduced a zombie Thanos in its final seconds, and then the show ignored the revelation for the rest of season 1. The zombies even came back in the season 1 finale, but Thanos was missing. Still, the series showcases several fan-favorite characters in new and interesting scenarios. The stakes don't feel the same as in live-action, but they were never going to anyway.

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