What if one of the world’s most popular entertainment franchises became so oversaturated and bloated that fans no longer seemed to care? Unfortunately for Marvel Studios, that’s not just multiversal hypothetical talk; it’s the current state of the cinematic universe. With recent box office fare like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and The Marvels certified flops and Disney+ series like Season 2 of Loki receiving mixed to middling scores, the MCU seems to be in danger of falling from must-see entertainment to something to throw on in the background.
Luckily for the studio, it does seem true that heroes never go down without a fight.
When the first season of What If…?hit Disney+ in 2021, it felt like a revelation. This was the quality action and engaging storytelling we had come to expect from Marvel and a look at the exciting possibilities of how we could explore the infinite stories their multiverse could hold. Since then, Marvel has spectacularly failed to live up to that promise, only offering glimpses of it in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness and Loki. Season 2 of What If…? is a successful redemption for Marvel, delivering exciting stories with unique looks at engaging characters and proving that they can do something good with the multiversal nonsense they’ve forced audiences to put up with when they actually decide to try.
Where many of Marvel’s current productions feel less like art and more like soullessly produced “content” designed to keep you just engaged enough to watch it so you’re not lost during the next film, the episodic, one-shot nature of What If…? forces every episode to have a completely satisfying story every time. Without the knowledge that actors are locked into contracts with X number of films remaining or sequel announcements granting the characters plot armor, each episode retains an air of mystery and that anything can happen, good or bad. It’s so refreshing to have actual stakes in an MCU story again. Whether or not you’re caught up with all the current shows or films, this is a series that anyone can watch and enjoy with only the most cursory knowledge of Marvel characters. Season 2 follows the format of its previous season, introducing variants of popular heroes going on quick adventures and then pulling together a few of them for the season finale. Though a familiarity with the events of Season 1 adds to the appreciation of Season 2, it isn’t necessary. Still, for the MCU aficionados, there are plenty of easter eggs and references to pore over and enjoy.
Each story is only canonical within the context of the series and not the greater MCU, which allows for some truly fun and unexpected adventures within the world of Marvel’s superhero sandbox—feeling like a gritty Blade Runner-style film noir with the Guardians of the Galaxy? Season 2 has you covered. Want to see Die Hard happen in Avengers Tower? Sure thing. Steve Rogers as Robin Hood in 1600s England? Don’t mind if we do. The variety of genres, characters, settings and stories that the What If…? series continues to explore kept me guessing as I clicked the “next episode” button, eager to see what shenanigans and heroes would come next.
The exception to the separation between What If…? and the rest of the MCU is notably the introduction of new hero Kahhori, a Mohawk woman who gains mystical powers and not only stars in her own episode but also features heavily in this season’s finale. Given that she is an original character not present in the comics, this is an extra incentive to give the series a watch, especially if she crosses over into the live-action MCU.
Though the not-quite 3-D and not-quite 2-D animation style used by many modern animated projects still holds a half-baked, uncanny valley aspect, the show is still a visual treat. The worlds created feel vast and vibrant and are always fun to explore and stuffed to the brim with detail. Though there are some points where the action feels stuttering and janky, most notably the weird little dances Justin Hammer does, I argue What If…? surpasses any of Marvel’s recent live-action fight scenes. The action is smooth, tense, and fun because you can follow the action, whereas the live-action scenes have been full of shaky cam and quick cuts. Furthermore, the action serves the plot rather than vice versa, giving each fight an even greater impact.
The voice cast is also what makes the show so fun to watch. From Sam Rockwell to Kurt Russel to Cate Blanchett, the return of the original voice cast for these one-off villains is a joy to witness. Blanchett especially stands out with her new sassier take on the goddess Hela. Plenty of the MCU’s regulars have also returned to voice the multiversal variants of their characters. For example, though Karen Gillan’s Nebula has always been gruff and self-serious, listening to her internal monologue as a hard-boiled detective has an added flair inherent to the genre. Jon Favreau’s Happy Hogan has plenty of distinct iterations of his character that give some much-needed depth to a character once sidelined as comedic relief. Even when the original actors do not voice characters, their replacements manage to capture the personas and quirks audiences have come to expect over the years. Lake Bell returns as Black Widow and imbues her with the same husky voice and dry wit as Scarlett Johansson, and Mick Wingert makes a fairly close approximation of Robert Downey Jr.’s swagger.
The future of Marvel is full of questions. What will happen to the MCU’s plan now that Jonathan Majors is out? What does Bob Iger’s announcement of a pullback in Marvel content mean for the shows and films? As for the question of whether Marvel can still tell a good story worth watching, Season 2 of What If…? proves that the answer is still yes.
Rating: 8.5/10