What If...? is an American animated anthology television series created by A. C. Bradley for the streaming service Disney+ based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name. It is the fourth television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) from Marvel Studios, the first animated series from the studio, and the first series produced by Marvel Studios Animation. The series explores alternate timelines in the multiverse that show what would happen if major moments from the MCU films occurred differently. Bradley served as head writer for the first two seasons, with Matthew Chauncey taking over for the third, and Bryan Andrews as the lead director.
What If...? | |
---|---|
Genre | |
Created by | A. C. Bradley |
Based on | Marvel Comics |
Directed by | |
Voices of | Jeffrey Wright |
Music by |
|
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 18 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
|
Producers |
|
Animators |
|
Editors |
|
Running time | 30–37 minutes |
Production company | Marvel Studios Animation |
Original release | |
Network | Disney+ |
Release | August 11, 2021 present | –
Related | |
Jeffrey Wright stars as the Watcher, who narrates the series, alongside many MCU film actors reprising their roles. Marvel Studios was developing the series for Disney+ by the end of 2018, with Bradley and Andrews on board. It was officially announced in April 2019. Marvel Studios' head of visual development Ryan Meinerding helped define the series' cel-shaded animation style, which was designed to reflect the films and take inspiration from classic American illustrators. Animation for the series was provided by Flying Bark Productions and Stellar Creative Lab, with Blue Spirit and Squeeze also working on the first season and SDFX Studios working on the second. Stephan Franck was head of animation for the first season and a director on the second and third seasons, with Scott Wright as head of animation for the second season. Chauncey was the series' story editor before replacing Bradley as head writer.
The first season of What If...? premiered on August 11, 2021, and ran for nine episodes until October 6, as part of Phase Four of the MCU. The second season was released daily from December 22 to 30, 2023, and the third and final season is scheduled to premiere on December 22, 2024, also releasing daily; both are part of Phase Five. The series has received generally positive reviews, with praise for the voice acting, animation, creative storylines, and scenarios, although the episodes' length and writing received some criticism. An interactive augmented and virtual reality story for the Apple Vision Pro headset, What If...? – An Immersive Story, was released in May 2024, and a spin-off series titled Marvel Zombies is set to premiere in October 2025.
Premise
editFollowing the establishment of the multiverse in the first-season finale of Loki, What If...? explores various alternate timelines across the multiverse in which major moments from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films occur differently, as observed by the Watcher.[1][2] In the second season, following the formation of the Guardians of the Multiverse, the Watcher continues to explore more strange worlds, meeting new heroes and keeping the multiverse safe.[3]
Episodes
editSeason | Episodes | Originally released | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
First released | Last released | |||
1 | 9 | August 11, 2021 | October 6, 2021 | |
2 | 9 | December 22, 2023 | December 30, 2023 | |
3[4] | 8 | December 22, 2024 | December 29, 2024 |
Season 1 (2021)
editNo. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "What If... Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?" | Bryan Andrews | A. C. Bradley | August 11, 2021 |
2 | 2 | "What If... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord?" | Bryan Andrews | Matthew Chauncey | August 18, 2021 |
3 | 3 | "What If... the World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?" | Bryan Andrews | A. C. Bradley & Matthew Chauncey | August 25, 2021 |
4 | 4 | "What If... Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?" | Bryan Andrews | A. C. Bradley | September 1, 2021 |
5 | 5 | "What If... Zombies?!" | Bryan Andrews | Matthew Chauncey | September 8, 2021 |
6 | 6 | "What If... Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?" | Bryan Andrews | Matthew Chauncey | September 15, 2021 |
7 | 7 | "What If... Thor Were an Only Child?" | Bryan Andrews | A. C. Bradley | September 22, 2021 |
8 | 8 | "What If... Ultron Won?" | Bryan Andrews | Matthew Chauncey | September 29, 2021 |
9 | 9 | "What If... the Watcher Broke His Oath?" | Bryan Andrews | A. C. Bradley | October 6, 2021 |
Season 2 (2023)
editNo. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
10 | 1 | "What If... Nebula Joined the Nova Corps?" | Stephan Franck | Matthew Chauncey | December 22, 2023 |
11 | 2 | "What If... Peter Quill Attacked Earth's Mightiest Heroes?" | Bryan Andrews | Matthew Chauncey | December 23, 2023 |
12 | 3 | "What If... Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?" | Bryan Andrews | A. C. Bradley & Matthew Chauncey | December 24, 2023 |
13 | 4 | "What If... Iron Man Crashed into the Grandmaster?" | Bryan Andrews | A. C. Bradley | December 25, 2023 |
14 | 5 | "What If... Captain Carter Fought the Hydra Stomper?" | Bryan Andrews | A. C. Bradley | December 26, 2023 |
15 | 6 | "What If... Kahhori Reshaped the World?" | Bryan Andrews | Ryan Little | December 27, 2023 |
16 | 7 | "What If... Hela Found the Ten Rings?" | Bryan Andrews | Matthew Chauncey | December 28, 2023 |
17 | 8 | "What If... the Avengers Assembled in 1602?" | Bryan Andrews | A. C. Bradley & Ryan Little | December 29, 2023 |
18 | 9 | "What If... Strange Supreme Intervened?" | Bryan Andrews | Matthew Chauncey | December 30, 2023 |
Season 3
editNo. overall | No. in season | Title [5] | Directed by [6]: 3–5 | Written by [6]: 3–5 | Original release date [5] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
19 | 1 | "What If... the Hulk Fought the Mech Avengers?" | Stephan Franck | Teleplay by : Ryan Little Story by : A. C. Bradley and Bryan Andrews | December 22, 2024 |
20 | 2 | "What If... Agatha Went to Hollywood?" | Bryan Andrews | Teleplay by : Matthew Chauncey and Ryan Little Story by : Bryan Andrews, Matthew Chauncey, and Ryan Little | December 23, 2024 |
21 | 3 | "What If... the Red Guardian Stopped the Winter Soldier?" | Bryan Andrews | A. C. Bradley | December 24, 2024 |
22 | 4 | "What If... Howard the Duck Got Hitched?" | Stephan Franck | Teleplay by : Matthew Chauncey and Ryan Little Story by : Bryan Andrews, Matthew Chauncey, and Ryan Little | December 25, 2024 |
23 | 5 | "What If... the Emergence Destroyed the Earth?" | Stephan Franck | Teleplay by : Matthew Chauncey and Ryan Little Story by : Bryan Andrews, Matthew Chauncey, and Ryan Little | December 26, 2024 |
24 | 6 | "What If... 1872?" | Stephan Franck and Bryan Andrews | Teleplay by : Matthew Chauncey and Ryan Little Story by : Bryan Andrews, Matthew Chauncey, and Ryan Little | December 27, 2024 |
25 | 7 | "What If... the Watcher Disappeared?" | Stephan Franck | Teleplay by : Matthew Chauncey and Ryan Little Story by : Bryan Andrews, Matthew Chauncey, and Ryan Little | December 28, 2024 |
26 | 8 | "What If... What If?" | Bryan Andrews | Teleplay by : Matthew Chauncey and Ryan Little Story by : Bryan Andrews, Matthew Chauncey, and Ryan Little | December 29, 2024 |
Cast and characters
editThe series is narrated by Jeffrey Wright as the Watcher, a member of the alien Watcher race who observes the multiverse,[7][8][9] in a similar role to Rod Serling's in The Twilight Zone.[10] Head writer A. C. Bradley said the character is "above everything else" and compared him to a viewer of the "pizza rat" video, observing and not interfering as he has "no interest in becoming friends with the rat, living amongst the rat, or doing rat things... That is the Watcher's relationship with humanity."[11] Executive producer Brad Winderbaum felt Wright's performance inspired a sense of humanity to the character,[12] and Bradley explained that Wright was cast because his voice mixes power, charisma, and authority with a "warm personality".[11] Wright approached the character like he would a live-action role, learning as much as he could about the Watcher so his voice could reflect the character's "uniquely powerful, all-seeing, sagely presence". Wright chose a contemporary American accent rather than having the character sound like "some Oxford-educated, old, fusty guy in a tudor parlor somewhere",[10] and aside from researching the character's comic book appearances, took inspiration from the series' tone, visuals, and animation when developing the character's voice.[13]
For the second season, Wright was able to see how his performance played with animation for the first-season episodes, allowing him to make some adjustments to his performance such as adding "a bit more mystery to the voice and a bit more distance" to further the notion that the Watcher is "not entirely present".[14] The third season further explores the character's humanity, with Winderbaum calling it a "fulfilling culmination" for the character,[15] and saying the Watcher "presents himself as uncaring, and cold, and just an observer, but he cares more than everybody".[16][15] The comic book name "Uatu" is not used in the series because this would imply that there was more than one being watching the series' events when Bradley instead wanted to focus on the narrative of "the Watcher" observing the different characters and realities and how those affect him.[17]: 12:04–13:35
More than 50 actors reprise their MCU film roles in the first season,[18]: 2 [19] while over 30 reprise their roles in the second season,[20] and over 35 reprise their roles in the third.[21]
Production
editDevelopment
editBy September 2018, Marvel Studios was developing several series for its parent company Disney's streaming service, Disney+; Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige was set to take a "hands-on role" in each series' development,[22] focusing on "handling" the actors who would be reprising their roles from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films.[23] One of these was an animated series for Disney+ based on the Marvel Comics run What If...?,[24] which entered development in 2018.[25] The anthology series, which would be produced by Feige, would explore how the MCU would be altered if certain events had occurred differently, such as if Loki wielded Thor's hammer Mjolnir. The hope was to have the actors who portray the characters in the MCU films voice them in the series as well.[24] A. C. Bradley was suggested as head writer for the series by Marvel Studios executive Jonathan Schwartz after unsuccessfully pitching as a writer for Captain Marvel (2019).[18]: 1 Bradley was eager to write a Marvel film due to her love for the franchise, and felt What If...? was her opportunity to create many Marvel stories.[26] Marvel Studios was impressed that some of Bradley's ideas for the series matched concepts they were planning for films, and she joined the project in October 2018.[27]: 74 [28] One of the concepts Marvel had devised that they asked Bradley to pitch on was what would happen if a 1980s Avengers team formed after a young Peter Quill came back to Earth; this concept would eventually be evolve into the second season episode, "What If... Peter Quill Attacked Earth's Mightiest Heroes?".[25] Bryan Andrews, a storyboard artist on many of the major action sequences from the MCU films,[18]: 1 met with Brad Winderbaum—the Marvel Studios executive in charge of the series—about directing the series as early as 2018.[29][30] Bradley and Andrews were officially announced in their roles in August 2019.[31]
In April 2019, Disney and Marvel officially announced the series.[1] Marvel Studios had discussed adapting the What If...? comics in the past, but decided not to do so until after the conclusion of the Infinity Saga so they would have enough storylines to create alternate options of. Making the series animated allowed the studio to explore all of these ideas "unbounded".[29] Winderbaum said it was not a coincidence that the series was set for release so soon after the first-season finale of Loki, which introduced the multiverse, since What If...? explores facets of the multiverse in a way that Winderbaum believed made the series as important as any other MCU property;[2] Bradley confirmed that all episodes of the series are canon to the MCU multiverse,[32] with most of the episodes taking place in their own universe.[33] The creative team of What If...? met with Loki executive producers Stephen Broussard and Kevin R. Wright as well as WandaVision (2021) co-executive producer Mary Livanos to establish a "rule book" regarding the multiverse, its branch timelines, and nexus events.[34]
The episodes are approximately 30 minutes in length,[35] though Marvel Studios had originally told Bradley and Andrews to aim for 35 to 40-minute episodes; early production issues for the series resulted in the reduced run time.[36]: 20:56–21:04 In December 2019, Feige revealed that the first season would consist of 10 episodes, and that work had already begun on a second 10-episode season.[37] However, because of the production delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, an episode of the first season was not completed in time and was moved to the second season, bringing the first season to nine episodes; the second season was also reduced to nine episodes.[35] Work on a third season began by July 2022,[38] when Bradley revealed that the second season was her final project with Marvel Studios.[39][25] Story editor Matthew Chauncey takes over as head writer for the third season,[25] which was announced in August 2024 to be the series' last,[40] and consists of eight episodes.[9] A Red Guardian-centered episode written by Bradley that was intended for the second season will appear in the third.[25] Stephan Franck joined Andrews as director for the second and third seasons.[41][9] In November 2024, Winderbaum explained that the series was ending due to "bigger [MCU] reasons" that were being determined in real time as different projects were released over the next couple of years within the Multiverse Saga, calling it "the right time" for the series to conclude "from a story perspective".[42][43] He did not rule out reviving the series in the future.[42]
Executive producers for the series include Winderbaum, Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Andrews, Bradley,[18]: 2 and Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt,[9] with Carrie Wassenaar, Danielle Costa, and Alex Scharf producing.[18]: 2 [9] In July 2021, ahead of the release of What If...?, Alonso noted that Marvel Studios was creating an "animation branch and mini studio",[44] known as Marvel Studios Animation,[45] to focus on more animated content beyond What If...?.[44] During Marvel Studios Animation's panel at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con, What If...? and the other projects discussed were introduced as being part of the "Marvel Animated Multiverse".[38]
Writing
editFeige explained with the series' announcement that it would take "pivotal moments" from throughout the MCU and change them.[1] Winderbaum felt it was "creatively healthy" to think of What If...? as its own parallel world that "lives and breathes on its own terms" and did not need to have exact adaptions from the main MCU or comics.[12] He added that it was liberating to work within the multiverse concept because the series could take greater risks or opportunities that other MCU projects are not afforded when they are concerned with connecting to future properties.[27]: 75 Alonso said the series was an opportunity to introduce more diversity to the MCU and take advantage of more of the 6,000 characters that Marvel Studios had access to.[30] Marvel Comics characters who have yet to appear in the MCU are not introduced in the series, but the writers considered creating new characters if it helped the story.[29] For example, Sam Wilson / Captain America could not be included in the first two seasons because the scripts were written before The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021) had aired, with Bradley noting it "makes sense, you let the character live in live-action first and then go play in the multiverse";[46] Wilson's Captain America will appear in the third season.[47] Regarding new characters, this was first done in the second season with the introduction of Kahhori, a young Mohawk woman in an alternate timeline who seeks to discover her new-found powers after the Tesseract crash-lands in the Haudenosaunee Confederacy in pre-colonial America where European colonization has not occurred.[48][49][50]
Writing for the first season began in 2018,[25] with the story arcs for the second season conceived during brainstorming sessions in 2019,[50] ahead of writing for the season between January and October 2020.[25] Each episode had an approximately 40-page script when first written.[36]: 20:54 Because of the long-lead production for animation, there was not an opportunity for audience reactions to the first season to impact the creatives' work on the second season.[50] Some of the initial 30 concepts that were not chosen for the first season also appear in future seasons.[12][51][52][50] Episodes of the series were written by Bradley, Chauncey, and Ryan Little.[9] Bradley stated that the first season was requested to highlight the "headliner" characters, such as Tony Stark, Black Panther, and Doctor Strange,[25] as well as to only explore "what if" concepts for MCU stories from the Infinity Saga;[33] as such, Phase Four characters do not appear until the second season,[53][20][54] with Bradley and the writers also focusing more on the "scrappy", second string characters of the franchise such as Nebula, Darcy, and Hela.[25] Andrews noted that following the first season, in which the "what if" concept were only small changes from what was established, further seasons were able to "expand out" beyond these small moments and "get a little bit wackier".[52] As the writers were developing the initial scripts, they realized that Captain Carter would "bubble up and became more important" alongside the Watcher, and decided to revisit her story in each future season.[55]
Each episode and its alternate storyline is introduced and concluded by the Watcher, presenting it as "a cautionary tale in the spirit of The Twilight Zone".[18]: 1 [10] The episode's tones vary, with some being darker or lighter than the MCU films that they play-off.[56][25] Despite the series' anthology format, the writers conceived a story device for the first season that allowed them to have some connectivity between the episodes;[33] this begins to be revealed in the first season's eighth episode before the finale in the ninth,[57] which saw the formation of the Guardians of the Multiverse, whose members were the various characters introduced in the preceding episodes.[58] Along with Captain Carter, some of the storyline elements from the first season with Doctor Strange Supreme and the Watcher are continued in the second season,[50] with Strange Supreme becoming the villain of the season.[25]
Casting
editMarvel's plan for the series was to have actors who portray characters in the MCU films reprise their roles in What If...?,[24] with more than 50 doing so in the first season.[18]: 2 [19] Feige revealed half of these actors at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2019,[7][59] along with Jeffrey Wright being cast as the Watcher, who narrates the series.[7][8][9] The additional actors reprising their roles for the first season were revealed in August 2021.[19] Several characters in the series are voiced by different actors than those who portrayed them in MCU films.[60] Winderbaum attributed some of the replacements to scheduling conflicts with the original actors,[61] and explained that the creatives did not want the series to be "defined by the actors we thought we could get". When casting replacements, they looked to prioritize the performance for this series over an actor sounding the same as the original. Winderbaum felt the series' exploration of the multiverse gave a "cerebral justification" for the different actors.[62] Over 30 actors reprise their MCU roles in the second season,[20] with some of the different, recast voice actors reprising their roles from the first season.[54] Over 35 actors reprise their MCU roles in the third season.[21]
Animation
editThe series features a cel-shaded animation style with character likenesses based on the actors from the films.[63] Ryan Meinerding, the head of visual development at Marvel Studios, developed the animation style for the series with Andrews.[11] They considered using different styles for each episode,[26] or basing the look on comic art by Jack Kirby or Steve Ditko,[18]: 3–4 before settling on a single style inspired by classic American illustrators such as J. C. Leyendecker, Norman Rockwell, Tom Lovell, and Mead Schaeffer.[18]: 3 Andrews felt this resulted in a "kind of heroic, hyper-realized, super-idealized look that feels iconic" while not being "pushed or cartoony",[18]: 2 while Meinerding felt this was a unique approach to translating cinematic superheroes into animation that took advantage of the medium's stylization without losing the realistic, "monumental and powerful" feeling of the films.[64] Disney's Lady and the Tramp (1955) was also an influence due to its lack of "harsh line work" and because they felt it was "beautifully painted".[18]: 3 Traditional 2D animation was considered but was abandoned when Marvel could not find studios who could handle the necessary work.[29] Instead, the animation is "2.5D", with 3D models rendered with 2D lighting to appear like flat drawings.[65] Andrews enjoyed the opportunity to mix his knowledge of animation with the MCU, believing there was "an embarrassment of riches" in the storytelling they were able to achieve.[18]: 1
Alonso said the medium of animation allowed Marvel Studios to work with new companies around the world.[30] Blue Spirit worked on two of the first season's episodes,[18]: 4 [66] with Squeeze handling animation for four episodes,[67] Flying Bark Productions working on four,[68] and Stellar Creative Lab working on one.[69] Stephan Franck serves as head of animation on the first season.[70][71]: 9 Flying Bark Productions and Stellar Creative Lab returned for the second season, working on four and two episodes, respectively,[72]: 27:48 [73]: 29:04 [third-party source needed] and are joined by SDFX Studios who worked on three episodes.[74] Scott Wright serves as animation supervisor for the majority of the season,[72]: 26:41 with Franck joining Wright on the fourth episode,[75]: 29:30 and serving as sole supervisor on the fifth.[76]: 28:38
The series' opening title sequence was designed by Perception, who sought to emphasize the series' themes by displaying "the beauty and idea of space". The sequence draws inspiration from the work of film poster artist Bob Peak, particularly his artwork for Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) and Excalibur (1981), and uses imagery of glass shattering to symbolize the branching of the Sacred Timeline.[77]
Music
editBy October 2020, Laura Karpman was set to compose music for the series,[78] which she called "the perfect composer playground" since she was able to reference existing MCU scores but also deviate from them.[79] Karpman and the producers were inspired by Alan Silvestri's approach to the Avengers: Endgame score for how to incorporate existing music from different MCU films. She explained that Silvestri weaved his own music into other composer's themes, and generally just touched on different elements from the existing music, so her approach for the series became "touch on [existing themes], then go on".[80] Karpman had access to the sheet music and recordings of previous MCU scores but also adapted some elements by ear. For each episode, she looked at how the story aligned with the MCU, how it deviated from the MCU, and what the story itself required musically.[81]
External audio | |
---|---|
Main Title (From "What If... Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?"/Audio Only) presents composer Laura Karpman's main theme for the series as heard on the first episode's soundtrack, YouTube audio-only video from MarvelMusicVevo's channel |
When writing the series' main theme, Karpman knew that the opening sequence would feature images of shattered glass. She recorded the sound of shattering glass and manipulated it to create sound effects that were added to the theme. The main melody is played on a French horn, with Karpman singing in the background as a reference to 1960s science fiction scores that featured female vocalists.[81] Additional choir is also used in the main theme, singing phrases backward such as "what if", "Marvel", and "Stan Lee".[82] Soundtrack albums for each episode of the first season, featuring Karpman's score, were released digitally by Marvel Music and Hollywood Records from August 13 through October 13.[79][83]
For the second season, Karpman was joined by her wife Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum.[84] A five-track EP for the third episode, "What If... Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?", was released digitally on December 15, 2023.[85] A soundtrack album for the season featuring selections of Karpman and Kroll-Rosenbaum's score was released digitally by Hollywood Records and Marvel Music on January 5, 2024.[86] Karpman returned for the third season.[87]
Release
editWhat If...? debuted on Disney+ on August 11, 2021;[88] the first season consists of nine episodes that were released weekly until October 6.[35][89][90] It is part of Phase Four of the MCU.[91] Winderbaum said it was their intention to release a new season of What If...? annually.[92] The second season premiered on December 22, 2023, and its nine episodes were released daily until December 30.[93] The third and final season is scheduled to premiere on December 22, 2024, with its eight episodes being released daily until December 29.[4] Both are part of Phase Five.[94][95]
Reception
editViewership
editAccording to market research company Parrot Analytics, which looks at consumer engagement in consumer research, streaming, downloads, and on social media, What If...? was the most in-demand new series that debuted in the U.S. from July 1 to September 30, 2021, achieving 17.5 times more demand than the average show during that period.[96] Internationally, it secured the eighth position in the ranking for the most-demanded digital series in Ecuador, achieving 2.11 times more demand than the average series, for the week of October 24–30, 2021.[97] According to the file-sharing news website TorrentFreak, What If...? was the sixth most-watched pirated television series of 2021.[98][99] Nielsen Media Research, which records streaming viewership on U.S. television screens, announced in 2022 that What If...? and Star Wars: The Bad Batch each appeared on its streaming charts for a combined total of seven weeks from May to October, collectively accumulating approximately 2 billion minutes of viewing time.[100][101]
Critical response
editSeason | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic |
---|---|---|
1 | 94% (104 reviews)[102] | 69 (16 reviews)[103] |
2 | 90% (29 reviews)[104] | 79 (7 reviews)[105] |
The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 94% approval rating with an average rating of 7.9/10, based on 104 reviews for the first season. The site's critical consensus reads: "What If...? may not add much to the larger MCU narrative, but surprising takes on beloved characters and some of the best action sequences in the entire franchise make for engaging viewing."[102] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the first season a score of 69 out of 100 based on 16 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[103]
The second season has an 90% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 29 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's critics consensus states: "In its superlative sophomore season, What If...? reaffirms its status as one of the most consistently creative outposts in the sprawling MCU."[104] Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating, the second season has received an average score of 79 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "generally favorable".[105]
Accolades
editOther media
editDocumentary special
editIn February 2021, the documentary series Marvel Studios: Assembled was announced.[116] The special on this series, "The Making of What If...?", goes behind the scenes of the making of the first season, and was released on Disney+ on October 27, 2021.[117]
What If...? – An Immersive Story
editWong is guided by the Watcher to assist the player in collecting Infinity Stones from throughout the multiverse. It is ultimately revealed that Wanda Maximoff is posing as the Watcher to collect the Stones and the player must join other multiversal allies to defeat her. After regaining possession of all the Infinity Stones, the player can choose to keep them and start a new timeline or destroy them to save the multiverse and be recruited as a Guardian of the Multiverse.[118]
In May 2024, Marvel Studios and ILM Immersive announced What If...? – An Immersive Story, an hour-long interactive mixed reality Disney+ original story for the Apple Vision Pro headset. The story was directed by Dave Bushore and written by David Dong and Phil McCarty, which sees users encounter variants of MCU characters from throughout the multiverse, learn the mystic arts, and harness the power of the Infinity Stones.[119][120] Characters that appear include the Watcher,[119] Wong, Thanos, Carol Danvers, Captain America, Red Guardian, Hela, the Collector, Wanda Maximoff, Vision, Captain Carter,[118] Starfox,[121] Miss Minutes, and Deadpool (through the use of archival footage from the 2024 film Deadpool & Wolverine),[122][118] among others. Bushore, Dong, and McCarty worked with the What If...? production team to create the new character variants seen in the experience.[119] Bushore was excited to focus the "what if" scenario around Maximoff and Vision to help give the characters their "happy ending" that they have not gotten in the main MCU.[118] Laura Karpman returned from the series to compose music for the experience, and series director Bryan Andrews served as a consulting producer. Executive producers include Bushore, Winderbaum, ILM Immersive's Shereif M. Fattouh, Vicki Dobbs Beck, and Mark S. Miller, and Walt Disney Studios' Jamie Voris.[119][120] A trailer was released on May 22, with the experience made available as a free app on the Vision Pro for a limited time on May 30.[123]
Wes Davis from The Verge described An Immersive Story as an "overlong, no-stakes video game tutorial — with no game to follow it". Davis enjoyed the experience's visuals and thought the movement gestures for the various abilities available to you were fun to do, but lamented the fact that these were constrained to specific, scripted moments in the experience. The story is constructed through a series of vignettes, which Davis noted had a similar pattern to their execution. He concluded that the experience "sits in a noncommittal, unsatisfying middle zone", and was hopeful any further updates or support for it from ILM Immersive would see the introduction of multiple branching paths within the story.[124] An Immersive Story won Outstanding Innovation in Emerging Media Programming at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards.[125]
Future
editMarvel Zombies
editIn November 2021, a Marvel Zombies animated series was announced, with Andrews returning to direct and Zeb Wells serving as head writer, focusing on "a new generation of heroes" battling zombies.[3] It is a continuation of the reality first introduced in the fifth episode of What If...?, that "look[s] at that universe with a different lens".[126] Nine MCU actors reprise their MCU roles in the series.[127] It is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ in October 2025 and will consist of four episodes.[127][128]
Potential projects
editWinderbaum said there was potential for the variant characters in the series to appear in live-action, just as "what if" concepts from the Marvel Comics eventually made their way into the main comics continuity.[29] Andrews and Hayley Atwell both expressed interest in a live-action film starring the latter as Captain Carter,[129] though Atwell wanted the right creative team that could "pave the way for [Carter] to tap into the cultural consciousness of today and become a modern heroine of our times".[130] Atwell first reprised the role in live-action in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness as an alternate version of the character from Earth-838 (separate from the versions seen in What If...? and the main MCU) who is a member of the Illuminati.[131] A spin-off series centered on Star-Lord T'Challa had been in development but was left in "limbo" after Boseman's death.[132]
References
edit- ^ a b c Dinh, Christine (April 12, 2019). "Marvel Studios Brings First Animated Series 'Marvel's What If...?' to Disney+". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on April 12, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
- ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 1, 2021). "'What If…?' Actor Jeffrey Wright On Chadwick Boseman's Final "Mythic" Turn As T'Challa In MCU". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
- ^ a b Hipes, Patrick (November 12, 2021). "Disney+ Day: All The Streamer's Film & TV News From Premiere Dates To Series Orders". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 12, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- ^ a b Flook, Ray (December 15, 2024). "What If…? Season 3 Episodes: Agatha Harkness, Howard the Duck & More". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on December 16, 2024. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
- ^ a b Flook, Ray (December 15, 2024). "What If…? Season 3 Episodes: Agatha Harkness, Howard the Duck & More". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on December 16, 2024. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
- ^ a b "What If Season 3 Final Production Brief". Walt Disney Studios. December 18, 2024. Retrieved December 19, 2024.
- ^ a b c Mancuso, Vinnie (July 20, 2019). "Marvel's 'What If?' Announces Massive Voice Cast of MCU Stars & Jeffrey Wright as The Watcher". Collider. Archived from the original on July 21, 2019. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
- ^ a b Kit, Borys (September 1, 2023). "Marvel Shuffles TV Calendar with New Dates for 'Agatha,' 'Echo,' X-Men '97' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 1, 2023. Retrieved September 1, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Watch the Trailer for 'What If…?' Season 3". Marvel.com. November 11, 2024. Archived from the original on November 11, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024.
- ^ a b c Davids, Brian (August 2, 2021). "Jeffrey Wright on What If…? and the 'Brilliant' The Batman". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
- ^ a b c Salazar, Andrew J. (September 6, 2019). "'What If...?' Showrunner Ashley Bradley Talks 'Trollhunters', The Beginning Of 'What If...?', Captain Carter, The Watcher & Star-Lord T'Challa (Exclusive)". Discussing Film. Archived from the original on September 22, 2019. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
- ^ a b c Deckelmeier, Joe (August 7, 2021). "EP Brad Winderbaum Interview: Marvel's What If". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
- ^ Bucksbaum, Sydney (July 28, 2021). "Marvel's What If...? star Jeffrey Wright talks charting a new path with the all-knowing Watcher". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
- ^ Bucksbaum, Sydney (December 29, 2023). "Jeffrey Wright promises 'epic and sweeping' What If...? season 2 finale conclusion". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- ^ a b Power, Tom (July 3, 2024). "'Similar to X-Men 97': Marvel TV chief reveals how Daredevil: Born Again is taking cues from its hit Disney Plus cousin". TechRadar. Archived from the original on July 3, 2024. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
- ^ Anderson, Jenna (May 18, 2024). "Marvel Exec Reveals Which Animated Show Might Be Next After X-Men '97 (Exclusive)". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on May 18, 2024. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^ The GOAT Movie Podcast (September 9, 2021). What If Interview AC Bradley Marvel Head Writer Talks Spider-Man Uncle Ben, Zombies, Star Wars – via YouTube.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "What If..? Production Brief" (PDF). Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution. July 30, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
- ^ a b c Campbell, Scott (August 1, 2021). "Here Are All the Marvel Actors Doing Voices in 'What If...?'". Collider. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
- ^ a b c Schreur, Brandon (December 22, 2023). "Disney Confirms Which MCU Stars Are Returning to Voice Characters in What If? Season 2". SuperHeroHype. Archived from the original on December 23, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
- ^ a b Milakovic, Robert (November 15, 2024). "Full List of Voice Actors for 'What If…?' Season 3 Revealed & There Are Some Interesting Names". Comic Basics. Archived from the original on November 16, 2024. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
- ^ Kroll, Justin (September 18, 2018). "Loki, Scarlet Witch, Other Marvel Heroes to Get Own TV Series on Disney Streaming Service (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on September 20, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
- ^ Boucher, Geoff; Hipes, Patrick (October 30, 2018). "Marvel Duo Falcon & Winter Soldier Teaming For Disney Streaming Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 31, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2018.
- ^ a b c Sciretta, Peter (March 12, 2019). "Exclusive: Marvel Studios Producing 'What If' TV Series For Disney+". /Film. Archived from the original on March 20, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Bennett, Tara (December 31, 2023). "Marvel's What If...? Head Writer Breaks Down Every Episode of Season 2". IGN. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- ^ a b Deckelmeier, Joe (August 8, 2021). "Bryan Andrews & A.C. Bradley Interview: Marvel's What If". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on August 9, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
- ^ a b Bradshaw, Paul (August 2021). "Chaos Theory". Total Film. pp. 73–77.
- ^ Guttmann, Graeme (August 2, 2021). "What If..? Writer Spoiled Avengers 4 and Thor 4 When Pitching Show". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Ashaari, Alleef (August 2, 2021). "Marvel's What If...? Crew Explains Why They Went 3D Over 2D & A Scrapped Episode That Was Too Close To GOTG 3". Kakuchopurei. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
- ^ a b c Corvin, Ann-Marie (June 14, 2021). "Marvel's Victoria Alonso on Exploring Diversity and Inclusion through 'What If' and the Hunt for Global Animation Partnerships". Variety. Archived from the original on June 14, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
- ^ Radulovic, Petrana (August 24, 2019). "Everything we learned at D23's Disney Plus presentation". Polygon. Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
- ^ Skrebels, Joe (August 3, 2021). "What If...? Is Officially MCU Canon". IGN. Archived from the original on August 3, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
- ^ a b c Anderton, Ethan (August 11, 2021). "Marvel's 'What If...?' Executive Producer Talks the Multiverse and a New Assembly of Avengers [Interview]". /Film. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- ^ Outlaw, Kofi (August 12, 2021). "How Marvel's What If...? Coordinated With Loki, WandaVision, Spider-Man, and More". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
- ^ a b c Sneider, Jeff (August 2, 2021). "Exclusive: Marvel's 'What If...?' Episode Count Revealed — And It's Not What You Think". Collider. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
- ^ a b Phase Zero (January 5, 2024). What If..? Season 2 Live Q&A With Creative Team (A.C. Bradley, Matthew Chauncey, Bryan Andrews). ComicBook.com. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Bonomolo, Cameron (December 19, 2019). "Kevin Feige Reveals What If...? Has More Episodes Than Marvel Studios' Other Disney+ Series". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on December 20, 2019. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
- ^ a b Moreau, Jordan (July 22, 2022). "'Marvel Zombies,' 'Spider-Man: Freshman Year,' 'What If?' Season 2 Get First Looks". Variety. Archived from the original on July 22, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
- ^ Bradley, A.C. [@TheAshBradley] (July 22, 2022). "This is my final project @MarvelStudios!! It's been an adventure. All my ❤️ to our brilliant cast & crew! Can't wait for the world to see our work! #WhatIf #whatifseason2 #SDCC" (Tweet). Archived from the original on July 23, 2022. Retrieved July 29, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ Mitovich Webb, Matt (August 10, 2024). "Marvel Zombies (TV-MA!), Spider-Man, Eyes of Wakanda (Iron Fist?!) and Other Animated Series Get Updates at D23". TVLine. Archived from the original on August 11, 2024. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
- ^ "Marvel Studios Celebrates New Season of 'What If...?'". Marvel.com. December 12, 2023. Archived from the original on December 12, 2023. Retrieved December 12, 2023.
- ^ a b Holmes, Adam (November 14, 2024). "Marvel's What If… ? Is Ending With Season 3, And Now I'm Wondering If The Next Two Avengers Movies Have Something To Do With This". CinemaBlend. Archived from the original on November 16, 2024. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
- ^ Davids, Brian (December 17, 2024). "'What If…?' EP Brad Winderbaum Talks Series' End, 2025's Disney+ Slate and Ms. Marvel's Future: "She Is Top of Mind"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on December 19, 2024. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
- ^ a b Shanfeld, Ethan (July 20, 2021). "Marvel's Victoria Alonso Teases 'Mini Studio' for Animation and Discusses Representation in Superhero Stories at NALIP Summit". Variety. Archived from the original on July 20, 2021. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
- ^ Lee, Chris (January 13, 2023). "Inside the VFX Union Brewing in Hollywood". Vulture. Archived from the original on January 25, 2023. Retrieved February 1, 2023.
Alonso heads up Marvel's dedicated "mini-studio," Marvel Studios Animation, which is behind such shows as What If ...? [...] and the summer 2022 series of Vin Diesel–voiced original shorts, I Am Groot.
- ^ Perine, Aaron (January 5, 2024). "Marvel's What If…? Writers Explain Sam Wilson Absence". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- ^ Bradley, Ollie (January 22, 2024). "Marvel's What If...? Season 3 New Images Reveal Sam Wilson, Monica Rambeau & More". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on January 22, 2024. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
- ^ Graves, Sabina (March 9, 2023). "Marvel's What If? Season 2 Will Introduce a Brand New Mohawk Hero". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on March 9, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
- ^ Johnston, Dais (December 12, 2023). "Jeff Goldblum Confirmed for What If Season 2 (And 5 More Things We Learned)". Inverse. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
- ^ a b c d e Bennett, Tara (December 12, 2023). "What If...? Season 2: New Avengers Lineups, a 'Lost' Episode Revived, and Other Things We Learned". IGN. Archived from the original on December 13, 2023. Retrieved December 13, 2023.
- ^ Pulliam-Moore, Charles (August 2, 2021). "Marvel's Captain Carter Will Connect Each Multiversal Season of What If". io9. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
- ^ a b Fleming, Ryan (August 17, 2022). "'What If…?' Director Bryan Andrews On Creating The Evil Doctor Strange And How The Next Seasons Will Be "A Little Bit Wilder"". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on August 17, 2022. Retrieved August 17, 2022.
- ^ Silliman, Brian (August 9, 2021). "'What If...?' writer & director on how the alt Marvel series tended to accidentally run into future MCU plans". Syfy Wire. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
- ^ a b Young, Kai (December 29, 2023). "Every MCU Actor Replaced In Marvel's What If...? Season 2". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on December 31, 2023. Retrieved December 31, 2023.
- ^ a b Anderton, Ethan (August 2, 2021). "Captain Carter is the Crux of Marvel's 'What If...?' Animated Series and Will Return in Future Seasons". /Film. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
- ^ Maytum, Matt; Bradshaw, Paul (July 22, 2021). "Exclusive: Marvel's What If...? will feature a "tragic love story" and an "Agatha Christie episode"". Total Film. Archived from the original on July 22, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
- ^ Bucksbaum, Sydney (September 28, 2021). "Marvel's What If…? team reveals season 1 finale intel: There's 'a bigger plan'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 28, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
- ^ Lethbridge, Thomas (October 6, 2021). "What If...? Episode 9 Cast Guide: Every New & Returning MCU Character". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
- ^ Anderson, Jenna (July 21, 2019). "Here's All of the Major MCU Actors Returning for What If...?". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on April 25, 2020. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
- ^ Ferme, Antonio (July 8, 2021). "Marvel's 'What If?' Series Coming to Disney Plus in August, Drops New Trailer". Variety. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 9, 2021.
- ^ Vary, Adam B. (August 11, 2021). "Marvel Studios Planning 'Multiple' New Animated Series Following Debut of 'What If...?'". Variety. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- ^ Davis, Brandon (August 2, 2021). "How Marvel's What If...? Recast Integral MCU Characters And Voices (Exclusive)". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
- ^ a b Jones, Marcus (August 23, 2019). "What If on Disney+ will feature voices from majority of Marvel Cinematic Universe cast". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
- ^ Webster, Andrew (September 2, 2021). "What If...?'s art style aims to keep characters 'feeling monumental and powerful'". The Verge. Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ Desowitz, Bill (September 2, 2021). "'What If…?': Finding the Right Timeless Look for the MCU's Animated Anthology". IndieWire. Archived from the original on September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ Shannon Miller, Liz (August 10, 2021). "'Marvel's What If...?' Review: Guaranteed Fun for the MCU Superfans". Collider. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
- ^ Dams, Tim (March 10, 2020). "Marvel Picks Quebec's Squeeze for Disney Plus Animated Series 'What If...?' (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on March 11, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
- ^ Milligan, Mercedes (July 27, 2020). "Flying Bark TV & Feature Slate 'Busier Than Ever' Despite COVID". Animation Magazine. Archived from the original on January 22, 2021.
- ^ Chauncey, Matthew (September 29, 2021). "What If... Ultron Won?". What If...?. Season 1. Episode 8. Event occurs at 27:49. Disney+.
- ^ Arrant, Chris (April 15, 2020). "Work on Marvel Studios' What If...? Continues During Coronavirus Pandemic". Newsarama. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
- ^ "What If 2 production brief Final with cast" (PDF). The Walt Disney Studios. December 21, 2023. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 23, 2023. Retrieved December 22, 2023.
- ^ a b Chauncey, Matthew (December 22, 2023). "What If... Nebula Joined the Nova Corps?". What If...?. Season 2. Episode 1. Disney+. End credits begin at 26:25.
- ^ Chauncey, Matthew (December 23, 2023). "What If... Peter Quill Attacked Earth's Mightiest Heroes?". What If...?. Season 2. Episode 2. Disney+. End credits begin at 27:41.
- ^ a b Giardina, Carolyn (January 11, 2024). "'Nimona' Leads Annie Awards Animated Feature Competition With Nine Noms; Snubs Include 'Wish,' Which Was Shut Out". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
- ^ Bradley, A. C. (December 25, 2023). "What If... Iron Man Crashed into the Grandmaster?". What If...?. Season 2. Episode 4. Disney+. End credits begin at 29:15.
- ^ Bradley, A. C. (December 26, 2023). "What If... Captain Carter Fought the Hydra Stomper?". What If...?. Season 2. Episode 5. Disney+. End credits begin at 28:25.
- ^ "What If...? Title Design". Perception. March 2, 2023. Archived from the original on March 8, 2023. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- ^ "Variety's L.A. Women's Impact Report 2020 – Laura Karpman". Variety. October 28, 2020. Archived from the original on October 28, 2020. Retrieved October 28, 2020.
- ^ a b "Disney Music Announces 'What If...?' Soundtrack Albums - Soundtrack.Net". Soundtrack.Net. August 13, 2021. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
- ^ Crowley, Liam (September 2, 2021). "How Avengers: Endgame & Other MCU Movies Influenced Marvel's What If Score (Exclusive)". The Direct. Archived from the original on September 3, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ a b Weiss, Josh (September 2, 2021). "To Shatter The Multiverse In Marvel's 'What If...?' Composer Laura Karpman First Had To Shatter Some Glass". Forbes. Archived from the original on September 3, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2021.
- ^ Burlingame, Jon (June 5, 2022). "Marvel Explores a Rich Musical Universe With Scores for 'Loki,' 'Moon Knight' and 'What If…?'". Variety. Archived from the original on June 5, 2022. Retrieved June 6, 2022.
- ^ "First Soundtrack Album for Marvel's Disney+ Series 'What If...?' to Be Released". Film Music Reporter. August 12, 2021. Archived from the original on August 13, 2021. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
- ^ Amin, Arezou (December 26, 2022). "'What If...?' Composer on Returning for Season 2 & Creating Music for "These Series of Little Films"". Collider. Archived from the original on December 26, 2022. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
- ^ "'What If… Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?' Soundtrack EP Released". Film Music Reporter. December 15, 2023. Archived from the original on December 25, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- ^ "'What If…?' Season 2 Soundtrack Album Details". Film Music Reporter. January 5, 2024. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
- ^ Tangcay, Jazz (August 9, 2024). "'Captain America: Brave New World' Adds Composer Laura Karpman (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on August 12, 2024. Retrieved August 14, 2024.
- ^ Ridgely, Charlie (July 8, 2021). "Marvel's What If...? Trailer Reveals Disney+ Premiere Date". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
- ^ Lussier, Germain (July 8, 2021). "Marvel's Multiverse Expands in the First Trailer for What If?". io9. Archived from the original on July 8, 2021. Retrieved July 8, 2021.
- ^ "What If...? on Disney Plus". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
- ^ Oddo, Marco Vito (July 24, 2022). "'She-Hulk: Attorney at Law' and 'Black Panther: Wakanda Forever' End Marvel's Phase 4". Collider. Archived from the original on July 26, 2022. Retrieved July 26, 2022.
- ^ Barnhardt, Adam (August 23, 2021). "What If...? Producer Says Season 2 Could Premiere in 2022". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on August 23, 2021. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
- ^ Adams, Timothy (November 15, 2023). "What If...? Season 2 Premiere Date And Release Schedule Revealed". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on November 15, 2023. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ Sandwell, Ian; Longridge, Chris (November 10, 2023). "Marvel's 'Phases' explained: What is Phase 5? What happened in Phase 3?". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on November 14, 2023. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
- ^ Power, Tom (October 30, 2024). "Marvel Phase 5: new MCU movie and Disney Plus show release dates, confirmed cast lists, trailers, plot synopses, and more". TechRadar. Archived from the original on November 11, 2024. Retrieved November 9, 2024.
- ^ "Disney Leads Corporate Demand Share As Disney+ Moves Into Second Place For Original Content [Parrot Analytics] | Scoop News". Scoop. November 11, 2021. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
- ^ "Local and Kids' Series Are Most Demanded Titles in Ecuador". TTV News. November 3, 2021. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
- ^ Mlot, Stephanie (December 28, 2021). "Disney+ Shows Top This List of 2021's Most Pirated TV Shows". PCMag UK. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
- ^ Spangler, Todd (December 30, 2021). "'WandaVision' Was 2021's Most Pirated TV Show on Torrent Networks". Variety. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
- ^ Boyle, Kelli (April 1, 2022). "'The Mandalorian,' 'Loki' Top Disney+ Most-Watched Shows". TV Insider. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ Porter, Rick (March 31, 2022). "'Star Wars' vs. Marvel: Which Disney+ Shows Are Most-Viewed". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
- ^ a b "What If...?: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 9, 2023.
- ^ a b "Marvel's What If...?: Season 1". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
- ^ a b "What If...?: Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 9, 2024.
- ^ a b "Marvel's What If...?: Season 2". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
- ^ Giardina, Carolyn (January 27, 2022). "'Belfast,' 'King Richard,' No Time To Die' Among American Cinema Editors Eddie Awards Nominees". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
- ^ Giardina, Carolyn (March 12, 2022). "The Mitchells vs. the Machines Wins Big at Annie Awards". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 13, 2022. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
- ^ Jackson, Angelique; Shanfeld, Ethan (March 13, 2022). "Critics Choice Awards 2022: 'The Power of the Dog,' 'Ted Lasso,' 'Succession' Win Big (Full Winners List)". Variety. Archived from the original on October 20, 2022. Retrieved October 29, 2022.
- ^ Tangcay, Jazz (January 24, 2022). "'Dune' Leads Nominations for Golden Reel Awards". Variety. Archived from the original on April 4, 2022. Retrieved January 24, 2022.
- ^ Nordyke, Kimberly (August 14, 2022). "HCA TV Awards: 'Severance,' 'Ted Lasso,' 'Dopesick' Win Top Streaming Awards on Night 2". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 15, 2022. Retrieved August 15, 2022.
- ^ Coates, Tyler (June 23, 2022). "'Hacks' and 'Somebody Somewhere' Lead Dorian TV Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on June 23, 2022. Retrieved August 14, 2022.
- ^ "2022 Creative Arts Emmys: See full winners list". Entertainment Weekly. September 4, 2022. Archived from the original on September 5, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
- ^ Davis, Clayton (August 2, 2022). "Golden Trailer Awards: The Batman and Top Gun: Maverick Among Nominees, Disney Leads for Studios (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on August 3, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
- ^ "Winners of the 22nd Annual Golden Trailer Awards" (PDF). Golden Trailer Awards. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 12, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2022.
- ^ Simons, Dean (October 27, 2022). "Here are the winners of the Saturn Awards 2022". Comics Beat. Archived from the original on October 27, 2022. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
- ^ Paige, Rachel (February 16, 2021). "Marvel Studios Announces Assembled, a Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Making of the Marvel Cinematic Universe". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on February 16, 2021. Retrieved February 16, 2021.
- ^ Ridgely, Charlie (September 22, 2021). "Everything Coming to Disney+ in October 2021". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on September 22, 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
- ^ a b c d Lussier, Germain (May 30, 2024). "Does Marvel's New What If? VR Game Connect to Its Movies?". Gizmodo. Archived from the original on September 3, 2024. Retrieved September 3, 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Marvel Studios and ILM Immersive Announce 'What If...? – An Immersive Story' Coming Exclusively to Apple Vision Pro". Marvel.com. May 8, 2024. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
- ^ a b Spangler, Todd (May 8, 2024). "Marvel Fans Are the Heroes in One-Hour Mixed-Reality MCU Experience Coming Exclusively to Apple's Vision Pro". Variety. Archived from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
- ^ Ayala, Nicolas (May 30, 2024). "Harry Styles' Marvel Character Returns In New MCU Multiverse Project Played By A Different Actor". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on June 2, 2024. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
- ^ Perine, Aaron (June 1, 2024). "Deadpool Invades What If...? – An Immersive Story". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on June 1, 2024. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
- ^ Ankers-Range, Adele (May 22, 2024). "Marvel's What If...? – An Immersive Story for Apple Vision Pro Gets Release Date and Trailer". IGN. Archived from the original on May 22, 2024. Retrieved May 22, 2024.
- ^ Davis, Wes (May 29, 2024). "Marvel's What If…? Vision Pro app is an awkward mix of video game and movie". The Verge. Archived from the original on June 1, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
- ^ Jirak, Jamie (August 16, 2024). "Marvel's What If…? – An Immersive Story Just Won an Emmy". ComicBook.com. Archived from the original on September 2, 2024. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
- ^ Penagos, Ryan; Cink, Lorraine; Iglehart, James Monroe (November 12, 2021). "First Look at Disney+: X-Men '97, Spider-Man details!". This Week in Marvel (Podcast). Event occurs at 24:52–25:14. Archived from the original on December 10, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2021 – via Simplecast.
- ^ a b Fang, Sam (November 15, 2024). "Marvel Zombies' Main Voice Cast Revealed With Many MCU Fan Favorites Confirmed". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on November 16, 2024. Retrieved November 15, 2024.
- ^ Nattrass, JJ (October 14, 2022). "MCU Marvel Zombies Writer Reveals the Spinoff's Surprising Episode Count". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on October 14, 2022. Retrieved October 14, 2022.
- ^ Davids, Brian (August 10, 2021). "'What If...?' Writer and Director on Their Last Call with Chadwick Boseman and a Captain Carter Movie". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 11, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- ^ Truitt, Brian (August 10, 2021). "Exclusive: Hayley Atwell's Captain Carter brings 'chutzpah and style' to Marvel's 'What If...?' series". USA Today. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 11, 2021.
- ^ Garbutt, Emily (May 5, 2022). "The Illuminati members in Doctor Strange 2, listed and explained". Total Film. GamesRadar+. Archived from the original on May 5, 2022. Retrieved May 5, 2022.
- ^ Vary, Adam B. (October 6, 2021). "Inside Marvel's 'What If…?' Finale, Season 2 Plans and the T'Challa Spinoff That Never Was". Variety. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.