If you just haven’t gotten enough of Marvel’s flirtation with a vast and endlessly expanding multiverse in Loki and WandaVision, you’re going to absolutely love Marvel’s What If. The upcoming show is Marvel’s fourth Disney+ series and, interestingly enough, is the MCU’s first foray into animation.
The show’s premise is simple: exploring all the various hypothetical situations that could have completely changed the course of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, as simple as that might sound in theory, the results look as complex as they are exciting.
Since the show was announced a few years back, we’ve gotten a few glimpses at what we can expect from it. In the latest trailer, several of the premises of the ten-episode mini-series were revealed. Based on all these clips, we’ve compiled a list of what the show will cover, as well as what films are sure to be explored. Here are the various questions we’ll get answers to in the upcoming series.
What if Peggy Carter took the serum?
Out of all the scenarios we’ve seen, this one is the least out there but is still incredibly exciting. Referring to herself as Captain Carter, this episode will put Peggy front and center as everyone’s favorite shield-wielding Avenger. While it’s unclear what Steve is up to while Peggy is saving the day, it wouldn’t surprise us if their love is so strong it spans multiverses. However, if we’re being a bit bleak, it also wouldn’t surprise us if the feeble-but-brave soldier didn’t make it without the serum. Either way, it looks like we’re in for quite the treat and some real badassery from an already beloved character.
What if T’Challa became Star-Lord?
While Chadwick Boseman’s final performance as T’Challa is going to be an extremely emotional watch, the idea of seeing the late actor reprise his iconic role (well, kind of) one last time is heartwarming. In this episode, What If will explore what would have happened if Yondu had abducted T’Challa rather than Peter Quill all those years ago. Rather than become the Black Panther, T’Challa steps into the jet-pack-equipped shoes of Star Lord in this hypothetical tale. Whether we see a goofier side of T’Challa — or a more serious side of Star Lord — it’s an interesting combo we can’t wait to see.
What if Tony Stark met Erik Killmonger?
2008’s Iron Man is the one that started it all, making the idea of seeing it play out different pretty mind-boggling. Whereas the first movie placed Iron Man in a position where he intimately learned the cost of war, there’s no telling how meeting Erik would shape his opinions on warfare. Would he use his money and resources aid Erik, or perhaps try to find a way to help him through more peaceful means? In addition, what would this change mean for the way the entire MCU played out? Would the Avengers still form? Would Civil War ever happen? While this isn’t the wackiest situation on this list (just wait until you read the next one), it doesn’t have far-reaching consequences for nearly every character.
What if the Marvel heroes were all zombies?
While this might seem absolutely wild — and it’s kind of is — this episode actually draws inspiration from an incredibly famous series of comics written by none other than The Walking Dead author Robert Kirkman. The story unfolds when Fantastic Four leader Reed Richards opens a portal to a zombie dimension where superheroes retain their intelligence and powers but are driven by the need to feed on human flesh. The entire series is infamously gruesome and bleak — much like The Walking Dead — and it will certainly be interesting watching Marvel embrace that in a Disney+ series.
What else we know?
Based on the trailers we’ve seen, in addition to the four hypothetical scenarios listed above we’re also going to see episodes providing unique takes on Iron Man 2, Doctor Strange, Captain Marvel, Ant-Man, the first Thor movie, and Infinity War/Endgame. If they’re anything like the others — or perhaps even more out there — we’re in for quite the time with What If hits August 11.