What If…? is one of the Marvel universe’s greatest stories. In the vein of DC’s Elseworlds, What If…? dives into scenarios depicting several Marvel superheroes and supervillains in situations wildly different from their canon stories. And, in 2021, Marvel Studios introduced the concept to the world of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).
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Fans across the world enjoyed seeing these stunning alternative takes on the MCU’s characters, a new animated approach to situations that left us guessing what would have happened if certain scenarios unfolded. Now, Marvel Studios has teased the further continuation of such stories with What If…? Season 2 and has introduced a new way to watch all 9 episodes of the season on Disney+!
What If…? Season 2 Scenarios
Previously, Marvel Studios had teased several of the new scenarios presented in What If…? Season 2 after several episodes had to be cut from Season 1. Some of these scenarios have been expanded upon with the trailer and other, completely new scenarios have been introduced. So let’s dive into them, shall we?
What If…Captain Carter fought the Hydra Stomper? is intended as a sequel episode to “What If…Captain Carter Was The First Avenger?, the first episode of Season 1. This episode introduced Peggy Carter as Captain Britain where Peggy was the one to take the Super Soldier Serum in Steve Rogers’s place. Following the end of the episode, Peggy was pushed forward in time by an encounter with Shuma Gorath, and by the time of The Avengers, Peggy was freed by Nick Fury and Hawkeye. Now, it seems that in place of Bucky as The Winter Soldier, Stever Rogers will face off against Captain Carter in a fight that is sure to be spectacular and heartbreaking.
What If…Iron Man had Crashed into the Grandmaster? was teased in the season 1 finale where Tony and Gamora were working together on Sakaar following the events of Avengers: Age of Ultron. Instead of Hulk crash landing on The Grandmaster’s world of junk and treasure, Tony Stark did. Based on what we saw in the trailer, Tony and Gamora will take place in a destruction derby race for the entertainment of the Sakaarians.
What If…Kahhori Reshaped the World? is an interesting episode as it involves a brand new character in Kahhori, a young Mohawk Native American who gains super-powers through the Tesseract, which landed on Earth in the Haudenosaunee Confederacy in pre-colonial North America rather than in Norway. Possibly intended to be a What If…? update to Captain Marvel’s origin story.
What If…Hela found the Ten Rings? is a new story that combines the plots of Thor: Ragnarok and Shang-Chi and the Ten Rings. The episode promises to tell of an epic battle between The Mandarin and Hela, something that will shake the balance of the Earth as Asgard goes to war with Earth in a mystical showdown for the ages.
What If…Peter Quill attacked Earth’s Mightiest Heroes? finds the Avengers assembling decades earlier. With the team consisting of Hank Pym (Ant-Man), Bucky Barnes (The Winter Soldier), Bill Foster (Giant-Man), Mar-Vell (Captain Marvel), and King T’Chaka (Black Panther) fight off the Celestial Empowered kid Peter Quill.
What If… Happy Hogan Saved Christmas? is an interesting story as it follows Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) and Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) as they attempt to stop Avengers Tower from being overtaken on Christmas. With the comedic nature of both characters, this meta-comedy episode is sure to be a lot of fun for Christmas viewers.
What If…The Avengers Assembled in 1602? brings a fan-favorite Marvel comic storyline to life through the MCU. The comic, written by Neil Gaiman (The Sandman, Good Omens) tells the story of The Avengers if they had existed within Elizabethian England. While not much is gleaned from the trailer, we know that at one point, Ant-Man and Captain America get into a swordfight in this timeline.
What If…Nebula Joined the Nova Corp? rewrites the history of the Guardians of the Galaxy, with Nebula (Karan Gillan) joining the good guys before the events depicted in James Gunn’s lauded film. Teasing a battle between Nebula and Yondu and Nebula seeking the Power Stone, it’s sure to be an interesting take on the GOTG origin story.
There are a few more episodes teased than the ones I’ve mentioned here, including the return of Killmonger and several Avengers team-ups such as the one that combats a young Peter Quill and the return of the Guardians of the Multiverse. However, with as little footage that is available, not much else is revealed story-wise save for quick glimpses of the return of Strange Supreme and a possible reality where The Avengers won in Infinity War.
The Release
In a surprise twist from previous Marvel Studios’ Disney+ series, What If…? Season 2 releases on December 22 with a brand new episode of the series premiering every single day leading up to 2024. The premiere is set to be Captain Carter vs. the Hydra Stomper, so expect the heartbreaking and glorious battle to kick off the much-anticipated series.
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