The concept of alternative or parallel universes has been the spark for plenty of pieces of media spanning any and every medium. Questioning what could be in another reality has shaped some of fiction’s most prominent characters; from the electric web slinger Miles Morales to the mirror versions of the Starship Enterprise crew to the maniacal Evil Morty and the Citadel of Ricks, this lone concept presents so many possibilities that many creators are eager to explore. With the Marvel Cinematic Universe shifting slowly towards a focus on said multiverse as seen with the Disney+ series Loki and WandaVision and the highly anticipated Spider-Man: No Way Home, it’s no wonder that an anthology series based upon the highly acclaimed comic series What If…? has made its way to Disney+.
Initially debuting as a series of comics in 1977, What If…? took key events from the Marvel universe and questioned what would have happened had some significant change occurred. Examples include other people being bitten by the radioactive spider that bit Peter Parker, alternate versions of superhero teams such as the Avengers and the Fantastic Four and if certain characters (such as Gwen Stacy) had lived or died. The Disney+ series follows a similar format, with most episodes opening with a key moment from the Marvel Cinematic Universe before rewinding to show what could have happened had something else taken place and going from there; examples from this series include Peggy Carter becoming a Super Soldier in lieu of Steve Rogers, Doctor Strange coping with the loss of a love interest by becoming the very thing he sought to destroy, and Killmonger saving Tony Stark’s life during the first Iron Man film. These changes to the plots of various films definitely lead to some interesting concepts as the episodes go on, but some of them either end on cliffhangers or present other possibilities that go unexplored due to the season’s length and each episode’s runtime.
It’s hard to discuss What If…? without discussing its unique cel-shaded artstyle and character designs. Even if their voices are different (ex. Hudson Thames as Spider-Man in place of Tom Holland or Josh Keaton as Captain America in place of Chris Evans), each character resembles their live-action counterpart without delving too deep into uncanny valley. The expressions feel very natural but still retain a style very reminiscent of the comic books these characters originated from. Most of the designs look fantastic and translate well into various action scenes, especially with Captain Carter and Star-Lord T’Challa in the series’ first two episodes, but it’s the more alien designs – such as Howard the Duck, the Frost Giants, and even the Watcher himself – where the animation style falters somewhat. Character movements can feel a bit too stiff and awkward at times, especially during moments where characters are caught in intimate conversations with one another.
The show’s tone is quite inconsistent between various episodes. The most glaring example of this is in the transition from the first two episodes to the third episode, “…the World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?.” Whereas the first two episodes played with the idea of other characters taking on the roles of other superheroes in a light-hearted yet ultimately bittersweet way, the episodes following vary wildly in terms of tone. For instance, “…Zombies?!,” the series’ fifth episode, is based on the infamously dark Marvel Zombies series but has a tone comparable to Edgar Wright’s Three Flavors Cornetto trilogy. The episode overall is alright, but the tone does it few favors, especially with the impacts of various characters’ deaths. Though the tone definitely does return to the status quo established by the first two episodes in “…Thor Was An Only Child?,” the series’ seventh episode, it immediately delves back into the darkness in the next episode. These tonal inconsistencies may be chalked up to the show’s Twilight Zone-like structure, but it doesn’t work here, at least in my opinion, due to the jarring differences between various episodes and the fluctuating quality of the writing.
Speaking of, What If…?‘s writing is very inconsistent in quality. There’s a few moments that feel right out of a Marvel movie that are either helped or hindered by the writing and delivery. For example, a tense scene in “…Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?” has the tension broken by Killmonger’s passing reference to anime, and the conversations mid-battle in “…the Watcher Broke His Oath?” runs the gradient between fitting the intense action and feeling more like a Robot Chicken parody. It could be tightened up quite a bit for the second season, but as it stands, it can be kind of an awkward mess.
Overall, What If…?‘s first season provides a decent foundation for the series going forward. Plenty of concepts have been set up for a stunning second season, and involvement from other heroes unseen in this first round has been teased, leaving me wanting more. At the same time, though, the tone is all over the place and it feels like the writing could be tightened up just a bit. I give the season a solid 8.5/10 – there’s a good foundation here, but there’s a lot to be worked on.
Photo credit / Disney
