10 Marvel’s “What If…?” Episodes That Deserve Their Own Spin-Off

Alternate realities and hypothetical timelines are part of the comics industry’s bread and butter. They’ve been around since the earliest days of the genre, especially in superhero comics at DC and Marvel. Both companies feature a “prime” universe, with the main version of the characters everyone knows and loves. However, these primary universes exist in a multiverse, with thousands of possible variations. Often times, this leads to certain other universes, like DC‘s Earth-2 and Marvel‘s Ultimate Universe getting the spotlight. Sometimes, however, alternate realities will get a brief, but memorable, spotlight.

Marvel‘s What If comics explored this exact concept. They took a pivotal moment in a character’s story and changed things slightly, and explored this new reality. These were brief, single issue stories that were tons of fun and pretty popular. It is therefore no surprise that Marvel eventually adapted them with the What If…? Disney+ animated series, which instead offers alternate takes on the events of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. While these do make fun, stand-alone stories, there are some alternate realities that are ripe enough to create their own spin-off.

Season 1, Episode 5

“What If… Zombies?!” is the only installment currently confirmed to have some kind of spin-off. Disney has announced that they will be making a Marvel Zombies animated series that will allegedly exist in this established universe. However, details have been scant, and the only thing fans have seen is a logo and some character designs. It’s also loosely based on the comic series of the same name, which was a pretty unique zombie story.

The Marvel Zombies animated series should absolutely follow up on the What If…? episode. The episode ends on a cliffhanger, with a zombified Thanos bringing the Infinity Gauntlet to Earth. The series could explore an alternate version of the MCU‘s Infinity War, with the survivors battling a zombified horde that is attempting to use the Gauntlet to further their infection.

9 “What If… The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?”Has a Unique Avengers Team

Season 1, Episode 3

The Avengers are at the epicenter of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, especially the six founding members. “What If… The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?” sees almost all of them taken out before they can join forces. In this episode, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Thor, the Hulk and Black Widow are killed by a deranged Hank Pym.

While Nick Fury eventually stops Pym, he can’t stop Loki, who has decided to conquer Earth. Luckily, he is able to recover Captain America and summon Captain Marvel. Eventually, a universe-hopping Black Widow joins them as well. A spin-off of this episode could offer a very different take on the Avengers, with heroes like War Machine or Falcon being brought in earlier to help bolster Earth’s defense against invasion. Plus, they’d be fighting the Asgardians, which would make for a unique story.

8 “What If… Hela Found the Ten Rings?” Reimagines a Major Antagonist

Season 2, Episode 7

Hela is one of the coolest antagonists from the MCU. Having only appeared in Thor: Ragnarok, she certainly left an impression on audiences. In “What If… Hela Found the Ten Rings?” the character completely changes the punishment that sent her down a dark path. In this universe, Hela was banished to Earth, where she befriended Shang-Chi antagonist Xu Wenwu.

While two major villains meeting up may seem like a recipe for disaster, it actually leads to them bettering themselves. Hela was actually able to overcome her more violent nature and become a champion of freedom. The episode ends with Hela bringing freedom to all the Nine Realms. A series exploring a universe made in this Hela’s image would certainly be fun to explore, especially with how differently certain conflicts would play out.

7 “What If… Nebula Joined the Nova Corps?” Is a Space Heist Adventure

Season 2, Episode 1

One of the coolest parts of What If…? is that less popular characters can get the spotlight and take on a whole new form. This is the case in season two’s first episode, which prominently features Nebula, as well as Groot, Korg, and Howard the Duck. “What If… Nebula Joined the Nova Corps?” takes place in a universe where Ronan the Accuser took over for Thanos, and became even more brutal than his predecessor. This led to Xander building a shield that keeps the whole planet isolated.

In this universe, Nebula works with the Nova Corps but comes to realize that corruption runs deep in the organization. The episode ends with Nebula fishing out the corrupt elements and lowering the planetary shield to rejoin the galaxy. She’s also become the leader of her own team, and is ready to battle whatever threats that might come their way.

6 “What If… Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?” Explores One of the Best MCU Villains

Season 1, Episode 6

Killmonger is one of the most popular MCU villains from the franchise’s entire history, and for good reason. He’s capable, calculating, and incredibly charming. What If… Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark? sees the character interact with the larger MCU. The episode sees Killmonger not only rescue Tony Stark, but manage to ingratiate himself to Wakanda and become Black Panther.

While this version of Killmonger was, eventually, trapped in a pocket dimension for betraying the Guardians of the Multiverse, the story of his universe was far from complete. He had orchestrated a war between the United States and Wakanda, and was still working his own angle. A series exploring the fallout of his actions, or his continued interference with the MCU‘s original timeline, could be awesome.

5 “What If… Ultron Won?” Is a Bleak Post-Apocalyptic Story

Season 1, Episode 8

There are plenty of cool post-apocalyptic stories out there, but none of them feature superheroes. What If… Ultron Won? explores exactly that, as Black Widow and Hawkeye navigate an Earth devastated by the mechanical monster. While the episode shows that Ultron has eradicated almost all life in the known universe, there are still pockets of resistance.

Showing what life is like for people after Ultron’s devastation could be really cool. There are definitely a few weeks between Ultron’s rise and his eventual defeat by the Guardians of the Multiverse where some interesting stories could be told. Fans briefly saw characters like the Guardians of the Galaxy and Captain Marvel fighting back, but there could be more of a resistance that could take center stage in a spin-off.

4 “What If… the Avengers Assembled in 1602?” Is Fun Alternate History

Season 2, Episode 8

One of the best ways to subvert superheroes is to set them in an alternate time period, like Marvel’s 2099 and 1602 series. Both reimagine classic heroes in radically different ways, dependent on the era they are in. “What If… the Avengers Assembled in 1602” puts the MCU versions of the heroes in the distant past, which changes the way they operate.

A spin-off series set entirely in the 1602 universe could be really cool. It would allow these versions of the characters to face revisions of their classic foes, like an automaton Ultron or warlock Thanos. Plus, it could introduce historical renditions of other heroes, like Spider-Man, Captain Marvel, or Daredevil. It could even be an anthology series of its own, and bounce around the entire universe.

Season 2, Episode 6

Kahhori is one of the few original characters to come out of the What If…? series. Most other characters are revisions of already established MCU heroes, like Iron Man and Thor. More than that, Kahhori is actually the first original superhero from the entire MCU. While it remains to be seen if Kahhori will be brought to the larger MCU, she is definitely an awesome hero.

Kahhori has some ill-defined powers due to being exposed to the Tesseract’s energy. She is capable of generating and utilizing cosmic energy, as well as being more resilient than a normal human. A series exploring how Kahhori continues to reshape the world after the events shown thus far in What If…? would definitely be a cool direction for the character to go in.

2 “What If… T’Challa Became a Star-Lord?” Sees a Fan-Favorite Thrive

Season 1, Episode 2

T’Challa, the Black Panther, is one of the most popular characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He’s got a great costume, awesome powers, and is portrayed by the immensely talented Chadwick Boseman. What If…? took everything about the character and turned it on its head in a way that managed to highlight what makes T’Challa awesome.

In the first season of What If…? a version of T’Challa who became Star-Lord gets a featured episode. This version of T’Challa is a smooth-talking, quick-witted galactic hero, who manages to convert Thanos of all people to the side of angels. This episode ends with Ego going to Earth to find Peter Quill. This conflict is briefly seen again, but an entire spin-off featuring T’Challa and his various allies facing off with the Living Planet would certainly be a treat.

Season 2, Episode 2

“What If… Peter Quill Attacked Earth’s Mightiest Heroes?” has one of the more interesting premises of the entire What If…? series. This episode sees Ego find Peter much earlier and has the Living Planet attempting to convince his son to become his harbinger and bring about the destruction of Earth. In response, S.H.I.E.L.D. brings together a group of heroes to defend Earth.

This group consists of Hank Pym, Bill Foster, T’Chaka, Bucky Barnes, Wendy Lawson, and Thor, who form a new rendition of the Avengers. This team obviously assembled much earlier in the timeline than their main Earth counterparts and tackled an entirely different threat. A spin-off series, showing the team defeating Ego and facing off against other MCU villains, would be a real treat for long-time fans.