It occurred to me less than four hours before my mom and I planned to sit down and watch Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness that I forgot to watch something. And that something was actually important to little bits of the plot.
I skipped Marvel’s What If?
Now, I will admit this was initially skipped for two reasons: Mom doesn’t like “What If” storylines on a good day and refused to watch it, and I just wasn’t feeling the animation. However, in the leadup to Doctor Strange 2, I heard from the grapevine that actually watching some of the episodes of What If was actually somewhat important.
So, we’ve pushed watching Doctor Strange 2 off until Sunday night, and I’ve spent most of my downtime blasting through all nine episodes. And here are my thoughts for each one. Well… kinda.
(My apologies, but you can clearly watch my descent on this one and it goes so so fast.)
What if… Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?
As a first episode, I ended up somewhat surprised. While the story does follow the original film’s storyline, with changes to account for Peggy Carter switching places with Steve Rogers, it ended up working pretty well. I very much enjoyed the different scenes that highlighted that Steve couldn’t join the war effort the way he wanted to after being shot, and that Howard Stark came up with a way for him to help. There were a few things that just didn’t really click with me beyond the animation style and the shaky voice acting work (which is something across the board, but I respect Marvel Studios for bringing back all the voices of the original characters). For one, there’s a lot going on for just thirty minutes. Whole scenes of information were shoved down into thirty seconds. For another, character development was rushed: we don’t get to see Bucky become friends with Captain Carter, and hell, he spends most of the episode shafted to the side.
All in all, it was pretty solid, with some notable small issues.
What If… T’Challa Became a Star-Lord?
I almost skipped this episode because I knew I was going to cry. And yes, I did cry, if anyone is curious. T’Challa’s portrayal as a hero is spot on, not just for the character, but also because of how inspiring Chadwick Boseman was in real life. By showing T’Challa as someone who goes on adventures, but also uses the spoils of those adventures to help the universe, is a tribute in of itself. I did enjoy the build with his character’s story, though again, it was rushed. This episode felt more solid and contained even with the timing issues. The only glaring thing I really saw was that there was no mention of Gamora, who should have already been by Thanos’ side by the time T’Challa talked him into changing his ways. I will say however, the ending was perfect (Peter Quill working at Dairy Queen with Ego appearing to talk to him). And the tribute? That was done well.
What If… The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?
So, how does one kill every one of the OG6 in four days (baring, of course, Captain America, who is still frozen)? A mad Hank Pym, obviously. I wasn’t exactly surprised by who actually died, but the manner they all did. The worst, honestly, was Hulk, which made me gasp because of the brutality of it, followed closely by Natasha’s. Clint’s made me want to cry as Fury defended him to the end. I wasn’t at all surprised that Loki decided in the end to rule Earth. While this one didn’t have as many loose ends, I have to wonder (since I’m writing these blubs as soon as I’ve watched each episode and I’m not looking ahead), is everything going to end up connected in the end? Hmm…
What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?
Ugh. This was never going to be a favorite episode of mine, I knew it from five minutes in. But the entire premise just did not do justice to the MCU or to Strange’s character. The thing I dislike the most is that the whole thing revolved around Dr. Palmer and fridging her. Seriously, she “has to stay dead” is the theme of the episode. It’s so very disappointing. My only kudo goes to the voice acting, specifically Benedict Cumberbatch. If this is what I have to look forward to in Doctor Strange 2, I’m gonna hate those scenes.
What If… Zombies?!
… I hate zombies, I hate zombie stories, and I really dislike this episode. But Peter was cool, even if it was a dark and depressing episode. Seriously, like most of the currently MCU cast appears in some facet, and only three of them officially survive by the end. Nope.
What If… Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?
Killmonger is one of my favorite villains in the MCU. This episdoe made me not like him. Also, Tony Stark is not this naïve, but wow he is here. I spent the entire episode rolling my eyes. Nope. I still don’t like this. (Did the writers just have a thing in their contract that Tony Stark must be killed off ASAP in every episode?
What If… Thor Were and Only Child?
Um.
What If… Ultron Won?
Well..
What If… The Watcher Broke His Oath?
So here’s the thing-
Season Thoughts as a Whole
Alright, confession time. I didn’t get past Episode 6.
I gave the show long enough to hook me, much longer than I normally do (which is two or three episodes). If only one episode out of the six I watched hooked me or impressed me enough to continue, then why would I continue on? I have far too much left on my summer watch list to be trying to force myself to continue watching something that just hasn’t hooked me.
However, in writing this review, I think I can identify exactly why I’m not a fan of this show. I’m not a fan of properties that are dark and depressing just for the sake of it. This show had most episodes end on a cliffhanger with something bad on the horizon, which just doesn’t work for me. But that’s just my opinion, not anyone else’s.
I’ve read the summaries for the remaining three episodes so that I have a basic understanding of what happens with the different metaverse characters. It will have to be enough in the lead into Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.
I still give all the props to the creators and team behind the show. It was an ambitious endeavor, even outside these pandemic times! The idea was absolutely sound. Just because it didn’t get me excited doesn’t mean it won’t be something that you might not enjoy. I highly encourage everyone who hasn’t seen Marvel’s What If to give it a few episodes.
Just so it’s clear, I won’t be watching Season Two when it airs later this year. I’ll instead continue to read the detailed episode summaries (thanks MCU Fandom Wiki).
Until next time!
