Marvel Studios is now three episodes into their first animated series, What If...?, and at this point, it is obvious that each adventure will be wildly different. They feature different characters, but the stories themselves follow different genres to mix things up and lend even further to the anthology feel.
In Episode 1, fans pondered the question What If... Captain Carter Were The First Avenger? with a war story mirroring the events of Captain America: The First Avenger. Episode 2 asked the question, What If... T'challa Became A Star-Lord? radically changing the events of both Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1 & 2 using a cosmic heist as the point of focus.
Episode 3 is arguably the most shocking. Even the title is grim with What If... The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes? and the episode itself goes a step further by altering the events of Iron Man 2, The Incredible Hulk, and Thor. The three titular heroes are murdered alongside both Hawkeye and Black Widow. Another Avenger is even killed off-screen - The Wasp.
A mystery spy-thriller, Episode 3 also features some hidden details. For instance, The Wasp being killed before the events of the episode was the moment that changed everything. Hope Van Dyne's Wasp replaced Black Widow on a mission to Odessa, Ukraine, where Natasha was famously shot by Bucky Barnes, a.k.a. Winter Soldier, though Hope wasn't quite as lucky.
It is never explicitly stated that Hope's death came at the hands of Winter Soldier, but the dialogue is in place for the pieces to be put together. Knowing the mission that Hope died on was the same one where the brainwashed buddy of Cap shot Natasha, it is easy to figure out that he was responsible for the death of The Wasp, which ultimately caused evil Hank Pym to kill the candidates for the Avengers Initiative to get back at Fury.
What do you guys think of this development, and how did you like the episode itself? Regardless of your thoughts, be sure to sound off in the usual spot!
Enter the multiverse of unlimited possibilities. Marvel Studios' first animated series, What If...?, starts streaming August 11 with new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+. “What If… ?” features fan-favorite characters, including Peggy Carter, T’Challa, Doctor Strange, Killmonger, Thor and more. The new series, directed by Bryan Andrews with AC Bradley as head writer, features signature MCU action with a curious twist.
Marvel Studios' What If...? premieres new episodes each Wednesday, only on Disney+.