[Review] Marvel’s new series ‘What If…?’ presents endless possibilities and twists
October 8, 2021
Starting Wednesday, Aug. 11, Marvel’s newest series “What If…?” premiered on Disney+, with nine episodes releasing every Wednesday. “What If…?” is Marvel Studios’ first animated series, and it focuses on the endless possibilities of the multiverse.
This show features the comic book character The Watcher, voiced by Jeffrey Wright, who is a being that exists outside of the planes of space and time. He sees every situation that has happened and will happen.
The series includes a variety of beloved Marvel characters, specifically the Avengers. Each episode is unique to its own, featuring a different story in each episode, also called an anthology. The episodes put a spin on each character’s life, showing a completely different story compared to what we see in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
As someone who loves Marvel movies, I genuinely enjoyed how most of the characters are voiced by their own actor from previous MCU movies. The animation was also incredible in this series. I am typically not a fan of animated shows or series, but this definitely exceeded my expectations.
The first episode of “What If…?” takes a twist back to “Captain America: The First Avenger” when Steve Rogers becomes Captain America after receiving the Super Soldier serum, which enhances one’s physicality. However, instead of Steve receiving the serum, his love interest Peggy Carter does. This leads the universe to know her as Captain Carter.
I did not know what to expect when first starting the show, but the first episode set a perfect example for the theme of it. No episode is boring, as each presents a fresh story that has never been seen before.
There appeared to be no plot connecting the episodes to one another until the final two episodes, eight and nine. All the prominent characters from the previous seven episodes come together to defeat a common enemy, Ultron, who was last seen in “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”
The twist in the series was super unexpected and left me on the edge of my seat. It was incredible watching the series go from a character’s personal life to defeating an alarming antagonist which has left millions of universes in danger.
The averaged 30 minute episodes provide a perfect amount of time to present a character and their conflict. Since the episodes are short, they are easy to watch without getting distracted or bored. I loved being able to binge-watch this entire series.
“What If…?” is confirmed to return for a second season, which is already in the works. I am excited to see what Marvel does with the new season. This show is definitely perfect for Marvel fans who are looking for more storylines involving the Avengers with unexpected twists.