Looking for something to watch right now on Disney Plus? Check out Marvel’s What If…?!
Hey All!
I had the pleasure of watching the first three episodes of What If…?! It is the first animated series that is a part of the MCU and comes directly from Marvel Studios. What If…? is based on the famous Marvel anthology comic series of the same name which took famous events in Marvel Comics history and changes one or more things about the event to create a brand new spin on the story and is narrated by Uatu The Watcher. For this new animated series, Uatu is voiced by Jeffrey Wright (HBO’s Westworld), and if you have never read a What If…? comic, Wright is very much giving a Rod Serling Twilight Zone vibe, and it is awesome. Each one approximately thirty minutes in length.
The first episode takes the spin of “What if Peggy Carter was given the Super Soldier Serum and not Steve Rogers?” As Captain Carter, Peggy is now the one doing all the mission that Steve did in The First Avenger. The physical action in this episode is amazing; Captain Carter moves like a real person and her fighting looks just like something you would see out of live action Marvel Studios. In addition to the dynamic movements thanks to rotoscope technology, the art direction also looks like something out of a 1940’s Fleischer cartoon.
At thirty minutes, the story moves fast and covers a lot of ground while still giving a nice emotional punch. Voice talents in this episode are courtesy of Hayley Atwell (Captain America: The First Avenger, Agent Carter) as Captain Carter, Bradley Whitford (reprising his role from the Marvel One Shot: Agent Carter) as General Flynn, Sam Jackson reprises his role as Nick Fury, Sebastian Stan (Falcon and The Winter Soldier) reprises his role as Bucky, Josh Keaton takes over for Chris Evans as Steve Rogers, Dominic Cooper (Captain America: The First Avenger) reprises his role as Howard Stark, Stanley Tucci (Captain America: The First Avenger) reprises his role as Dr. Erskine, and Neal McDonough (Captain America: The First Avenger) reprises his role as Dum Dum Dugan.
The second episode is “What if T’Challa was abducted by the Ravagers instead of Peter Quill?” In this alternate reality, T’Challa is Star Lord and is amazing at it. People actually know who he is by his face alone. Like Quill had done in Guardians of the Galaxy, T’Challa also grows to be a Ravager but now the Ravagers are good guys who steal from the powerful and give to those in need. They have saved countless systems and accomplished things that are so shocking, that spoiling them would be a crime. The humor in this episode is very akin to a Guardians of the Galaxy film and it works, given how different reality turned out with T’Challa as Star Lord instead of Quill. Rotoscope is used for all of the episodes, but the use of the lights and shadows emphasizes the sci-fi technology in this in a very cool way.
Unlike the first episode, the story goes in a completely different way that makes it fresh and fun. The most notable voice talent is Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther) reprising his role in his actual final performance for Marvel and the character he helped to bring to life. Other voice talents include Michael Rooker (Guardians of the Galaxy) reprising his role as Yondu, Josh Brolin (Avengers Infinity War) reprising his role as Thanos, Karen Gillem (Guardians of the Galaxy) reprises her role as Nebula, Sean Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) reprises his role as Kraglin, Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy) reprises his role as Drax, Seth Green (Guardians of the Galaxy) as Howard the Duck, and Chris Sullivan (Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2) reprises his role as Taserface.
The third episode is “What if The Avengers never assembled?” The episode takes place during the span of one week; the same week that takes place during the events of the films Iron Man 2, Thor, and The Incredible Hulk. This was probably my favorite episode thus far. Because the three aforementioned films are so ingrained in fan’s minds, the twist of how these stories play out is fascinating and completely unexpected. Someone is going around killing the Avengers candidates Iron Man, Hawkeye, The Hulk, and even Thor. The death of Thor brings Loki and the army of Asgard and puts Black Widow and Nick Fury in a tough spot where they must find the killer before it is too late. Again, so much happens in this thirty minute episode and is a fascinating twist to see where things could have gone.
This one is also a bit dark when taking into consideration how some of these beloved heroes are murdered, but not to the point of being graphic or inappropriate for the typical Marvel going audience. Returning vocal talents include Sam Jackson as Nick Fury, Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner (even though it was Edward Norton at the time of The Incredible Hulk), Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and Jamie Alexander as Lady Sif.
What if…? is coming out at the perfect time. Since the timeline split off into multiple alternate realities in the last Marvel show, Loki, we can now see exactly what that means and what could have been. Every episode provides some new insight into old characters by giving them a new path to take while also still letting them be who they were meant to be. Each episode is full of creativity as well as unique and breathtaking animation to provide another great chapter in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Check out the first episode streaming on Disney Plus now! You can get a 1 Year Subscription to Disney Plus HERE!
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