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

Marvel's What If...? turns a bad movie cliche in Captain America: The First Avenger into an awesome and snappy sequence. Marvel's animated Disney+ show, What If...?, explores different timelines within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Because Lady Loki (Sophia Di Martino) destroyed the Sacred Timeline in the Loki finale, alternate versions of Marvel characters are now possible, and it's all a canon part of Marvel's Multiverse. Several major Marvel stars also return to voice their animated characters in the show, validating the stories for the MCU. Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter), Dominic Cooper (Howard Stark), and Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes) are all among the returning cast for the premiere.

The What If...? premiere completely changes the story of The First Avenger. Steve Rogers (voiced by Josh Keaton) never undergoes the Super Soldier Serum treatment in the show. Instead, Peggy Carter becomes a super-soldier, taking on the moniker of Captain Carter. Rogers is left skinny and weak while Captain Carter leads the fight against HYDRA. However, Rogers eventually joins her, donning an early Iron Man suit called the HYDRA Stomper, which Howard Stark created. Carter and Rogers team up with Bucky and the Howling Commandos to collectively pulverize the evil organization. Ultimately, Carter stops Red Skull (Ross Marquand) and a Shuma-Gorath-like monster, beating the beast back through a portal. Unfortunately, Carter also disappears in the portal, reappearing around 70 years later.

Related: How What If...? Connects To Loki's Multiverse Ending Cliffhanger

The What If...? premiere improves on a tired Marvel movie cliche. In The First Avenger, Captain America (Chris Evans) goes through a lengthy fighting montage. He jumps a motorcycle away from one explosion, throws his shield towards the camera, and slow-motion jumps out of yet another explosion, all while fighting HYDRA with the Howling Commandos. It's an over-the-top sequence that's also somewhat forgettable. After all, similar montages have been done hundreds of times in hundreds of movies. However, What If...? includes a montage for Captain Carter that drastically improves on The First Avenger.

Blended image showing Captain Carter and Captain America in What If and The First Avenger

The What If...? animation style gives the montage more freedom. In the series premiere, Captain Carter's montage, showing Carter and Rogers stomping HYDRA, is highlighted with bold colors. The montage even briefly pauses on frames of Captain Carter fighting against HYDRA as if they were straight out of a Marvel comic book. Additionally, the sequence isn't constrained by the limitations of live-action. Carter flies through the air and takes down enemy planes with ease, and it all works. However, the live-action montage doesn't go as smoothly. The First Avenger scenes tend to look fake, with Captain America's explosion jumps bringing eye-rolls instead of applause.

The Captain Carter montage also keeps things short and sweet. There are humorous lines, fight scenes, and moments of Rogers and Carter growing closer, all set to upbeat big band music. Though the What If...? sequence covers several scenarios, it only lasts as long as the short song. However, the montage in Captain America: The First Avenger seems to drag on, interspersing short, quick scenes with longer moments of Captain America and the Howling Commandos. From the music to the pace, Captain Carter keeps things snappy.

More: What If…? Episode 1 Teases Doctor Strange 2’s Rumored Multiverse Villain

Marvel's What If...? releases new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.

Key Release Dates