Most episodes of Marvel’s What If…? have ended on cliffhangers that don’t offer clear resolutions for their characters and their stories, including the most recent episode 6, "What If...Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?". Thus far, the only ones that did have closure were episodes 2 and 4, focusing on T'Challa and Doctor Strange, respectively. T’Challa as Star-Lord was a fun, standalone heist adventure in episode 2 while Doctor Strange’s tragic What If...? episode 4 ended in the destruction of the universe.

The other episodes, on the other hand, have left several loose ends. The latest example of this was episode 6, which saw Killmonger succeed in his evil plot to take over Wakanda and become the new Black Panther. The ending of the episode made it clear that Killmonger didn’t completely get away with it – Shuri is on to him now and is forming an alliance with Pepper Potts to ensure his defeat. But like the episodes featuring Marvel zombies, Captain Carter, and the original Avengers being murdered in Marvel’s What If..?, this newest installment didn’t finish the story. What will happen when Shuri opposes new Black Panther Killmonger was left up to the imagination of the audience.

Related: How Powerful Killmonger’s Gundam Army Are Compared To Stark's Iron Legion

Abrupt endings becoming a trend in the Disney+ animated series indicates that it’s all part of the formula for these brief trips into alternate timelines set in the MCU. While it’s true that they tend to leave viewers wanting more, they accomplish a very important goal. Part of the point of Marvel’s What If…? is to demonstrate the scale of the multiverse and this idea that there’s an infinite number of timelines out there that differ from what’s been shown in the MCU. It helps to understand these aren't necessarily meant to be entire stories, but teases of what's possible now that the multiverse has opened up.

A zombie Thanos clecnhes his fist wearing the Infinity Gauntlet in What If...?

Ending an episode on a cliffhanger when there’s still so much left to happen goes a long way toward illustrating the size and scope of each timeline, and in turn, the multiverse as a whole. Episode 3, for example, ending with Captain America and Captain Marvel being positioned as candidates for Nick’s Fury’s alternative Avengers team proves that there’s more to the story (which is often pointed out by the Watcher himself). When one thing happens differently, it doesn’t just set up a new scenario – it opens the door for an entirely unique future for a long list of MCU characters. The cliffhangers aren't necessarily a major problem, especially since each episode reveals more than the titles actually promise. Instead of limiting the impact of its stories to a few characters, the series shows how multiple heroes and villains are changed by one difference.

Another reason why the cliffhangers work for Marvel’s What If…? is that they set the stage for each timeline to be revisited in a later season. That’s confirmed to be the plan, since it’s already been said that Captain Peggy Carter will be back for season 2. So even though a story may not get a complete ending, there’s typically room for the show’s characters to have their arcs continued in future episodes. Thanks to the unpredictable nature of Marvel’s What If…?, there will be always be a potential for more stories to be told.

More: The MCU Just Retconned Tony Stark's True Reason For Becoming Iron Man

Key Release Dates