Marvel’s What If…? (Disney+)

[darkphoenix21]

Episode 5: What If…Zombies!?

These episodes seem to be getting darker and darker. Personally, I’m not a horror fan but since it’s Marvel, I cringed through it. I don’t really have much to say about this episode.

I liked that even though it was horror they still found a way to infuse the humor that the MCU is known for. I did get a laugh at Scott’s “dad jokes” and even Peter’s video on how to survive the Zombie Apocalypse.

It took me most of the episodes to figure out who that guy was with the team in this episode…I only remember when they finally said his name “Kurt” (Ant-Man duh!!) and obviously most recently Polka Dot Man from The Suicide Squad

It’s still bittersweet to hear Chadwick’s voice again.

Again, our we eventually going to see the continuation of some of these stories (S2 or later)…this one definitely ended on a cliffhanger.

[jon-el87]

I know that Marvel zombies is a thing from the comics, but I just don't care about zombies. I find them and the whole idea of a zombie apocalypse boring. Even if the subject of a virus, sweeping across the world, is extremely topical (even if I suspect that the episode was written pre-pandemic).

[darkphoenix21]

Episode 6: What If…Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?

Well, Killmonger lived up to his name. I still don’t know what exactly he wants to accomplish if it’s solely power.

He double, tripled, quadruple crossed everyone that got in his way…much more than his live action counterpart. It was just on a grander scale and devilishly brilliant how he was able to manipulate everyone except Pepper and Shuri.

It does look like we’ll get continuations of some of these episodes as the mid-season promo suggested.

[jon-el87]

Episode 7.

Didn't find the only child Thor very interesting. Just goes to show that Loki really is the more interesting child in the family.

My favorite part was really when Carol Danvers showed up and started fighting Thor. You have these two very powerful beings fighting each other (you know, people started going over how Carol is overpowered, after her film came out. Like Thor didn't survive in space, restart a star, then took the entire force of said star (and survived), came to Earth (now having an axe, that allows him instant teleportation between planets) and began destroying Thanos' forces and large spaceships by himself).

Was starting to get bored with this series. Thankfully, the ending teases that something is close to happening.

Darcy gets hitched to Howard the Duck. I sure hope that Lea Thompson's feelings aren't hurt.

Minor nitpick: this is supposed to be a universe, where Loki was never adopted by Odin. Yet, Jane's dialogue suggests that Norse mythology is unchanged in this universe (where Loki would not be the brother of Thor).

[darkphoenix21]

Episode 7: What If…Thor Were an Only Child?

The tone of this episode was what I expected the majority of the episodes to be like as posed to the darker route they took with this season.

It was fine for what it was. It seemed to be Thor 1&2 level which I wasn’t expecting especially after finally finding the character’s groove with Ragnarok. It was a bit cringe worthy unfortunately.

I did enjoy the Captain Marvel battling Thor but, besides that this one was forgettable.

I was nonetheless intrigued with the last moments of the episode. Who is the shadowy villain with his army?

[jon-el87]

Who is the shadowy villain with his army?

Looked like Ultron, with Vision's head inside of him, and all the infinity stones.

[darkphoenix21]

[SPOILER]Looked like Ultron, with Vision's head inside of him, and all the infinity stones.[/SPOILER]

Ok, that makes sense.

[jon-el87]

Episode 8.

I agree with Carol Danvers. The Terminator didn't need sequels (never even watched the last one). Okay, the first sequel was great, but everything after that...

Bit confused. Is this still the same universe, where Thor was an only child? Because the mind stone (in the scepter) was brought to Earth by Loki, in service of Thanos, following the events of Thor (2011). If that never happened, then the scepter shouldn't have been on Earth.

[darkphoenix21]

Episode 8: What If…Ultron Won?

This was by far the best episode of the this first season. The one thing that Marvel has been weak on and they’re finally starting to turn it around are their villains. This was the Ultron that we should have gotten from the beginning. Truthfully besides introducing Vision, Wanda and Pietro (as short lived as that was) there was nothing really memorable about “Age of Ultron”…especially when that Ultron turned out to be such a pathetic whiner.

Now I’m curious, they have a golden opportunity to redo some of the other weaker villains that we’ve unfortunately had to sit through. I wouldn’t mind some future installments focusing a better bred of villains.

[SPOILER] How powerful is this Ultron to have split Thanos in half even before he grabbed the other infinity stones? Is he more powerful than say Kang the Conqueror? And how powerful is the Watcher to have stood up to him.

It took Ultron to finally get the Watcher to interfere but, than only when Ultron found him. I knew it was coming sooner and later but, I just didn’t think it would this soon. It’s obvious that it’ll take more than the Watcher teaming up with Strange to defeat this Ultron so, I’m looking forward to seeing where they go with the finale of the season…no doubt it’ll end on a cliffhanger for next season. [/SPOILER]

I wish it had been longer cause it was such an entertaining episode.

[darkphoenix21]

Episode 8.

[SPOILER] Bit confused. Is this still the same universe, where Thor was an only child? Because the mind stone (in the scepter) was brought to Earth by Loki, in service of Thanos, following the events of Thor (2011). If that never happened, then the scepter shouldn't have been on Earth.[/SPOILER]

I think that [SPOILER]the Ultron we met at the end of the last episode is this Ultron after he had defeated the Watcher. So while the Watcher was seeking the help of Doctor Strange from that other universe, this Ultron went about his business of destroying other universes including that of the other Thor.

And as another reviewer pointed out, in the last episode The Watcher was surprised when Ultron appeared…this Ultron has all the infinity stones (including the time stone) to back and forth between time/space.[/SPOILER]

[jon-el87]

As the season nears its conclusion, I'm reflecting a bit over the show's nature. It's inspired by the What If? comic book series started in 1977.

However, looking at these eight episodes, I don't think that the MCU have enough meat on its bones to pull it off (especially as Fiege seemingly regards all the old TV shows, like Agents of SHIELD, as non-canon). Like I said, the comic book series started in 1977. Marvel Mystery Comics #1 was published in 1939. The comic book What If? was able to pull inspiration from close to 40 years of publication. Different series. Hundreds of different characters. Looking at the first 12 issues. You had stories like "What If Captain America Hadn't Vanished During World War Two?", "What If Someone Else Besides Spider-Man Had Been Bitten By The Radioactive Spider?" (that issues featured three separate stories with that scenario), "What If The Avengers Had Been Formed During The 1950s?" and "What If Rick Jones Had Become The Hulk?".

The MCU is (at the time of this series' production/release) essentially limited to 23 movies. 23 movies to pull from, to create a "What If?" scenario. One could argue even less. Not sure they'd want to do one with either of the two Spider-Man movies (technically the property of another studio). What "What If?" scenario could they get from Captain Marvel? "What If Maria Rambeau Became Captain marvel?" (the same story, really. Only swapping the roles of Carol and Maria). "What If Mar-Vell Lived?" Instead of Carol, it's Mar-Vell who survives and gets the power. Could make for a difference, but there is a possibility that Mar-Vell has a son, in the mainstream continuity: Hulkling. A not yet introduced character. That could be a problem, as then you'd run the risk of an AU Hulkling being introduced, before the mainstream one (likely to show up in either Secret Invasion or The Marvels). Looking at these eight episodes, they're not doing not yet introduced characters.

In fact, the focus is on slight variations of the central film characters. I brought up "What If The Avengers Had Been Formed During The 1950s?". That comic issue, made use of existing 1950s Marvel superheroes to make up the Avengers: 3-D Man, Venus, Gorilla Man, Human Robot and Marvel Boy. The MCU doesn't really have the resources to do something like that. The only options for an alternative (founding) Avengers line-up would be Ant-Man (Hank Pym) and Captain Marvel (maybe T'Chaka/Black Panther). If it's pre-1995, then Captain Marvel is out. Hank Pym quit as Ant-Man in 1989. Unless a plot somehow forces him to come out of retirement, he'd be out of it's post-1989.

They did an episode where Peggy Carter became a super-soldier in Steve's place (which still ends with the one, who becomes a super-soldier, transported into the present) and an episode where T'Challa became Star-Lord, but that's about it. Naturally, it might've been a bit repetative, if they had also done a "What If Christine Palmer became the sorcerer (because Stephen Strange died)" or "What If Betty Ross had become the Hulk" (the latter would've been an AU She-Hulk, before the introduction of the mainstream one), and so on. So, they couldn't go to that well too often. Too much of the same. However, it doesn't change that they're limited to 20-ish movies, to mine for possible scenarios, and (seemingly) already introduced characters.

It's a shame that they can't (for obvious reasons) pull from every Marvel adaptation ever made. Like the Bill Bixby Incredible Hulk series, Nicholas Hammond's Spider-Man, the Tobey and Andrew movies, all of the various animated shows from the 90s, the Fox X-Men film franchise, Agents of SHIELD (and all the other, supposedly, old MCU TV shows) and so on. Then they would've had more of a wealth of material to pull from.

[darkphoenix21]

Episode 9: What If…The Watcher Broke His Own Oath?

This was a great close to the season. From episode one, it was inevitable that the Watcher would break his own oath so, of course it came as no surprise that this season would end the way it did.

[SPOILER] We got the Guardians of the Multiverse!!!😂

I really enjoyed all the action in this episode. There’s no way this could have been made in live action with a reasonable budget…even with the last episode, it would have taken a hefty amount of cash for that whole Watcher vs. UltronVision cross multiverse battle to be brought to life. I also enjoyed the little nods to the films like in the previous episodes even when it was not so subtle.

I have a slight nitpick…why of all the multiverses, did it take this team to finally defeat UltronVision (it’s really rhetorical question)? I can imagine that UltronVision could have been defeated by any variation (no pun intended) of heroes, villains and/or anti-villains. I just wanted more build up to UltronVision’s defeat…I guess they have a bigger threat for the coming season.

I said it in another post but, this was sort of a redemption for how weak the villains have been. The Ultron in the movie was ridiculous (no offense to James Spader) but, that Ultron wasn’t as menacing as he could have been and they literally illustrated that fact with these last two episodes of this season. Again, I hope they find a way to redeem the rest of the weaker villains that have come thus far.

I chuckled at the idea that Tony Stark has become some sort of running joke to the same extent as Kenny or Meg (when he’s not being killed off, he’s getting shushed or taken down a peg).

I guess we’ll get the Gamora “lost episode” next season. I’m curious if the episode will make sense since we’ve already seen what she becomes. Though, they were all returned to their own universes/timelines (minus Natasha) so, who’s to say that the story won’t pick up with where we left her.

If the Watcher knew Killmonger would betray them and Strange would “sacrifice” himself, does the Watcher also realize that Strange will also break his promise. They’ll really taping into Doctor Strange becoming the villain. I foresee this Strange recruiting his own team and I bet it’ll take more than a few people to defeat them all.

I also can’t help but to make the connection to Spider-Man 3’s Doctor Strange. Since the trailer dropped everyone has committed about his weird behavior and why the Sanctum Sanctorum a winter wonderland. I’m not saying it’s this Doctor Strange but, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s a Doctor Strange, just not the one from our universes.
[/SPOILER]

On a side note I loved that we got most of our live action counterparts to reprise their roles for the series. I even think that some of the voice actors who replaced original cast members (e.g. Lake Bell as Black Widow) did an excellent job.

I can’t wait for season 2…hopefully we get it sooner than later.

[jon-el87]

Episode 9:

The infinity crusher doesn't work, because it hails from a different universe than Ultron's infinity stones. Okay, so each universe's infinity stones is tied to it. Then why does Ultron's stones work outside of his native universe?

Became confused when Doctor Strange suddenly began using his time stone (which I had forgotten about).

Killmonger is able to don all six infinity stones, while Avengers Endgame established them to be too powerful, even for the Hulk. An ordinary person like Tony Stark (or Killmonger) would be killed within seconds.

The episode was basically one big battle, which I grew tired off after a while. I just wanted it to be done with.

When the Watcher takes Black Widow to another universe, I first thought that it was another, brand-new universe. It wasn't until shortly after I watched the episode, that I realized it was the universe from the episode where Hank Pym kills all the original Avengers (minus Captain America). I had also forgotten about zombie Scarlet Witch. Probably because I haven't rewatched the episodes (apart from the first episode, which I did watch twice). With WandaVision, Loki and Star Wars The Bad Batch (to use a non-Marvel example from Disney+), I felt an urge to watch almost all episodes a second or even a third time, before the release of the next episode (with The bad Batch, I've even rewatched a few episodes, since the end of the season). Here, I don't feel that urge. We'll have to wait and see if I check out season 2, when it's released.

[darkphoenix21]

The bad news: Disney+’s What If…? won’t release Season 2 until early 2023. The good news? The Emmy-nominated animated series has already been renewed for Season 3, it was announced on Friday at at San Diego Comic-Con.

https://tvline.com/2022/07/22/what-i...-date-renewal/