Head writer and executive producer of What If…?, A.C. Bradley, regrets one detail about the series’ fourth episode, “What If... Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?" Inspired by the comic series of the same name and narrated by Uatu the Watcher (Jeffrey Wright), Marvel Studios’ animated anthology series on Disney+ explores alternate versions of key events in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For example, episode 4 took audiences to a universe where Dr. Stephen Strange’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) fateful car accident didn’t rob him of his ability to use his hands. Instead, he was robbed of his one true love.
Following the death of Christine Palmer (Rachel McAdams), Strange travels to Kamar-Taj, meets the Ancient One, becomes a Master of the Mystic Arts, and, ultimately, bargains with Dormammu to save the Earth, all of which plays out similarly to the events of 2016’s Doctor Strange. However, the Sorcerer Supreme uses the Eye of Agamotto/Time Stone to revisit Christine’s death in an attempt to save her. When this “Absolute Point” in time proves irreversible, Strange embraces a darker path, which destroys the entire universe. The episode has proved to be one of What If…?’s best, garnering praise from both critics and fans.
During a discussion with The GOAT Movie Podcast, Bradley discussed the one thing she regrets about What If…?’s Doctor Strange episode. The series’ head writer spoke on the different demands of writing an animated show that also happens to take place within an interwoven (ish) cinematic universe. Read what she had to say below:
"When you're writing animation, you're writing so far into the future that you can't think four years down the line. That Doctor Strange episode, I wrote in February of 2019. I think I should've called it a Nexus Point instead of an Absolute Point. The Loki scripts weren't even written yet, so that animatic locked before Loki even finished their scripts because you're always writing about two years ahead of animation. It's kind of intense and insane."
Loki changed a lot of what people thought they knew about the MCU. On top of introducing certain terminology, the season 1 finale saw Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) kill He Who Remains and liberate the Multiverse, effectively making What If…?’s stories canonical entries in the MCU. Because a lot of fans online have debated the meaning of an “Absolute Point,” Christine’s death in episode 4 should’ve been called a “Nexus Event” to mitigate confusion. Regardless, inconsistencies haven’t kept audiences from enjoying the series. Doctor Strange co-writer C. Robert Cargill even took to Twitter praising episode 4, calling watching the What If…? version of his movie a career highlight.
Marvel Studios has largely done an admirable job with continuity. While the showrunners, directors, and writers of other projects usually don’t communicate directly, the studio has people “in the know” overseeing everything. Unfortunately, Bradley is working ahead of the live-action projects, something that will need to be addressed if What If…? is going to adhere to the MCU’s overarching narrative and avoid small errors. The series has already been confirmed for a second season and more animated Marvel shows are in the works. Marvel Studios’ head of animation has teased that crossovers between MCU’s animated and live-action titles will occur, which makes what’s happening on both the small and big screen all the more interesting.
Source: The GOAT Movie Podcast