I’m Convinced That Marvel is Making a Huge Mistake With What If…?

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What If…? is returning for a third and final season to close out 2024 with another multiversal adventure. The animated anthology series follows the Watcher as he observes events unfold in ways slightly (or majorly) different from the way they did in the Sacred Timeline, the main setting of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. In its first two seasons, What If…? has explored some surprisingly spellbinding storylines and scenarios, from Doctor Strange’s downfall after losing Christine to the introduction of the new hero Kahhori. Season 3 promises to be just as compelling, with exciting stories in store including many of Marvel’s most popular characters, including the mutant Storm.

I’m incredibly excited for What If…? Season 3, which seems to be pushing the boundaries of what the Marvel Cinematic Universe can be. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed each season of the animated series, which isn’t afraid to get weird with the alternate universes that make up Marvel’s vast multiverse. While I always admire a series that concludes before it overstays its welcome (e.g. Breaking Bad and Loki), I can’t help but feel like there could be a bigger future for What If…? beyond its third season. With the MCU building up to the conclusion of the Multiverse Saga with Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars in 2026 and 2027 respectively, it seems a missed opportunity for What If…? not to play a role in the crossover event.

Marvel Needs What If…? To Set Up Secret Wars

What If…?’s Format Is Perfect to Help Build Up Avengers: Secret Wars

With new universes and characters making their debut in the next season of What If…?, the series shows the true scale of Marvel’s multiverse in a way that films have trouble doing. The MCU’s best multiverse films, primarily projects like Spider-Man: No Way Home and Deadpool & Wolverine, depict a narrower view of the multiverse, mostly centering around specific characters and their variants. However, an anthology series like What If…? isn’t bound to such narrative constraints. The show has the freedom to explore new and exciting universes with each new episode, expanding the multiverse little by little throughout its run. Such a powerful storytelling technique needs to be a part of Phase 6 as Marvel builds up to Secret Wars.

In my opinion, one of the most interesting aspects of the Marvel Comics Secret Wars storyline from 2015 is its exploration of alternate universes affected by the events of the crossover. The event featured a plethora of tie-in miniseries that explored alternate takes on iconic moments from Marvel’s history, including “Civil War,” “Days of Future Past,” “Age of Apocalypse,” and more. There was even a tie-in that undid the controversial “One More Day” Spider-Manstoryline, imagining a world in which Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson remained married and had kids. With stories from all corners of the multiverse coming into play, Secret Wars became one of the biggest Marvel events of all time. What If…? could help reignite this same storytelling technique in the MCU.

One issue that I’ve always pondered with the MCU is how it can make its events feel just as big as their comic book counterparts. This is particularly difficult because live-action media is inherently more restrictive than a comic book. Marvel Comics had the freedom to print many tie-in comics and one-shots that helped expand each crossover event and make it truly feel like it affected every character in the universe. It would be far more difficult to replicate this storytelling technique in live-action when production schedules and various other unexpected delays could affect release dates. Tie-ins and one-shots that are meant to correspond to other major releases would be nearly impossible to produce in live-action. What If…?, however, is the closest that the MCU has come to this comic book trope, and could be used to great effect in the build-up to Secret Wars. The animated series could explore the fallout of Doctor Doom’s actions leading up to the Avengers film, depicting the many alternate universes that have been affected, much like Secret Wars‘ tie-ins did in Marvel Comics. This would give Marvel Studios the chance to expand Secret Wars into a truly multiversal event that feels just as big as its source material did. What If…? is simply too valuable an asset for Marvel not to employ in its exploration of the Secret Wars event.

Will Secret Wars Address What If…?

What If…? Could Be a Vital Part of Secret Wars

With endless theories about Avengers: Secret Wars swirling around the Internet, it is difficult to pin down what we should expect from the upcoming film. However, it seems likely that we’ll see plenty of outrageous cameos from multiversal characters in the Avengers sequel. While many are expecting appearances from live-action characters like Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man, Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, Nicolas Cage’s Ghost Rider, and more, one of the best things that Secret Wars could do is harken back to its What If…? characters. The animated series has introduced several fan-favorite characters who could return in Secret Wars, from Captain Carter to Kahhori. Even if the series doesn’t continue beyond Season 3, Secret Wars could at least make What If…?‘s storylines an important part of the conclusion to the Multiverse Saga.

Fans should also expect the Watcher to appear at some point during the events of Avengers: Secret Wars. The character transcends the boundaries of the multiverse to peer into all realities, including the Sacred Timeline. His appearance would help connect What If…? to the larger MCU. Moreover, Marvel Comics fans know that the Watcher revealing himself to the world’s heroes always signifies a massive event to come, which would make Secret Wars feel even grander in scope than it already does. If no other What If…? character appears in the film, Jeffrey Wright’s Watcher must show up in Secret Wars, connecting the series and the film in one epic crossover event.

However, Marvel chooses to explore the multiverse in the future, What If…? should remain a central part of the remainder of the Multiverse Saga. The series is simply too valuable in setting up new storylines and expanding the world of the MCU to not continue until the release of Secret Wars. At the very least, Marvel should revive the show’s format in conjunction with Secret Wars‘ release to help craft the biggest crossover event of the franchise’s history.

“}]] What If…? is ending with Season 3 later this month, but Marvel may be making a big mistake with its multiverse-centric animated anthology series.  Read More