A Review of “Marvel’s What If…? (2021)”

 

Marvel’s What If is their first attempt at an animation show. “What If…? explores the various alternate timelines of the multiverse in which major moments from the Marvel Cinematic Universe films occur differently”. So does What If deliver a fascinating multiverse tale or is it just whatever? WARNING: SLIGHT SPOILERS IN THIS REVIEW!

Firstly, I love the concept of the show. I am a sucker for the multiverse idea so Marvel’s What If exploring the consequence of one small change in MCU movies was very intriguing. Some of the ideas they pick are great as well such as Doctor Strange losing his love instead of his hand, what if Ultron won and even a full-on zombie episode. The Doctor Strange episode (episode 4) is an honestly amazing story and is the one that manages to pack the most punch. It tells a more emotional story than the actual film does.

I also think bringing back the actual MCU actors to return and voice for the show was great. Special mention to Chadwick Boseman (R.I.P 2020) who gives a great voice performance as a more cocky T'Challa Star-Lord.  It makes the alternate realities still genuinely feel like it was a branch of the mainline MCU. Unfortunately, they couldn’t bring back everyone from movies but the ones that are doing impersonations are still good; for the most part.

However, the actual MCU actors returning to voice feel stiff in their performance. It is clear voice actor isn’t their forte as they lack a lot of tone and emotion in their scenes. Additionally, the animation can feel awkward and clunky; especially in non-action scenes. The length of each episode is 30 minutes and they are mostly standalone stories. The problem is that the length is not enough to get us invested in the world they are telling. It also leads to rushed pacing as they have to spend time introducing the world and change while also telling a compelling story in just half an hour.

Furthermore, most of the episodes are genuinely forgettable or just wasted. None of the episodes apart from Doctor Strange (Episode 4) and Ultron (Episode 8) are that memorable. In terms of wasted ideas, Episode 1 has Peggy Carter get the super-soldier serum but the story ends up being the same as Captain America: The First Avenger (2011). Episode 6 has Killmonger save Tony but just results in him speedrunning to Black Panther. Episode 7 has Thor be an only child and that somehow makes him party a lot. The writers could’ve done any idea but they wasted it on party Thor. There is also a lot of awkward humour that ruin the moment in each episode. This is especially noticeable in the zombie episode which is probably the darkest timeline. However, characters are constantly making quips and jokes even when a character dies. The goofy nature ruined that episode.

The story does build up to a “Guardians of the Multiverse” by the final episode. However, the team chosen is awful and is being carried by Doctor Strange. Also, why on Earth would they get Party Thor instead of a more serious Thor is beyond me. They also do Tony Stark and Thanos dirty in this series by having Tony Stark be inadequate and making Thanos such a weakling. The series also does things that I feel would be disproven from the MCU movies. For Example, Thanos struggling in battle makes no sense when he was able to take down Hulk without any stones.

Overall, Marvel’s What If is an interesting experiment by Marvel. It is the most Comic Booky thing they did that is not necessary viewing at it doesn’t lead to anything. The stories themselves are very flawed and tends to contradict the MCU rules and power levels. However, if you can suspend your disbelief and try not to question everything; then it can be an enjoyable binge watch. It’s a show made for the more serious MCU fans and there is nothing wrong with a little extra MCU stuff before the big movies and show come out.