Marvel Studios’ What If…? Season 1 Review

Overview

Initially, when I first saw the announcement for a “What If…?” series, I wasn’t sure about it, cause let’s be honest, the comic counterpart is crazy, you have these different scenarios which can get out of hand very very quickly. I put that aside and waited for more information.

When I found out that it would be an animated project, I thought this could be great. So I got really excited about it. Fast forward to the show’s trailer release, I immediately said “I’m not a fan of the animation style”. I struggled with the animation for the entire season.

Now for the story. The story was great for what it was, the first bunch of episodes was great stories with each episode telling a different story on a different Earth. I absolutely loved the stories that this series told, especially the T’Challa ones, which I think was made amazing by the performance that Chadwick Boseman gave in his dialogue.

We got introduced to these characters which we grew up with, although some heroes we love were voiced by other actors, it still kept true to the lore of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it’s stories but delivered amazing stories which derailed those stories.

The action was great, in each and every episode the action was on point, it was great, and every episode was filled with great action, which I will admit, the animation made look even better. You could tell with each piece of action that the animators tried to deliver the best product they can.

As I mentioned, I struggled with the animation, I still do. While in some scenes the animation looked great, the animation made the action look incredible, I still couldn’t come to terms with it. I don’t know what it was but maybe I need to rewatch the series and try to become a fan.

Characters

The characters introduced to us in the live-action movies made a return in this series. With many characters going as far as being better than their live-action counterparts. Like Doctor Strange, he becomes such a pivotal part of this series and his character received some incredible development throughout.

Another character who received amazing development was Peggy Carter as Captain Carter. This character was highly loved even before the series premiered, even as much as the producers announced she would return in What If…? season 2.

While I could talk more about the characters and each one who had a better story, I will finish this section by talking about Ultron. Ultron was by far, the character who received the most character development of the entire first season. We got to see a version of Ultron that absolutely annihilated Earth and managed to kill the Avengers except for Black Widow, not to mention that he picked a fight with The Watcher and basically won. This version of Ultron is what the main MCU Ultron should have been and not just a one-movie villain.

Standout Character

This was a hard choice, it was between Ultron or T’Challa. Ultimately I am going to go with T’Challa, this series was a huge series not only for T’Challa as a character but also one of the last performances Chadwick Boseman gave us. I think knowing that this was his last performance, made the story and character of T’Challa that even more special.

Favourite Episode

My favorite episode would have to be “What If… T’Challa Became Star-Lord?”. Again as mentioned above, in the last performance of Chadwick, this episode was very special from the start to finish. I absolutely loved this entire episode. I could feel the passion, empathy, and love that Chadwick poured into this role.

Worst Episode

Definitely the “What If… Thor Were An Only Child” episode. I absolutely hated this episode. I think they did Thor absolutely wrong. The episode itself had no story and the episode made Thor seem like a wuss.

Episodes & Their Ratings

Episode 1: What If… Captain Carter Was The First Avenger? – 9.8/10
Episode 2: What If… T’Challa Became Star-Lord – 10/10
Episode 3: What If… The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes – 9.8/10
Episode 4: What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands – 10/10
Episode 5: What If… Zombies? – 9.5/10
Episode 6: What If… Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark? – 9.3/10
Episode 7: What If… Thor Were An Only Child? – 6.9/10
Episode 8: What If… Ultron Won? – 10/10
Episode 9: What If… The Watcher Broke His Oath? – 9.3/10

Average rating – 9.3/10

Our Overall Rating 9/10

With an average rating of 9.3/10, I think it’s a fair rating, although I would give this season a 9/10. After finding out that the season was missing an episode, and that the episodes didn’t truly connect until the very end of the season was a huge letdown.

Does It Deserve Another Season?

Since season 2 is already announced, I have to agree that a second season is needed, especially for more great episodes and that they can listen to what fans want. We already know they are planning “What If…?” episodes for Shang Chi, and more Phase 3-4 movies are a huge plus. This series can go for many more seasons though.

This is one of my favorite scenes of the entire season;