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The First Season Marvel's WHAT IF...? Animated Series Will Include 10-Episodes and Season 2 is Already in Development

A 23 episode animated TV series with the first season consisting of 10 episodes. The stories are told from the perspective of Uatu The Watcher, where he sees how major events might have changed under slightly different circumstances.

This show will be appearing on Disney+ in the Summer of 2021.      

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Chadwick Boseman's Final Performance as Black Panther Will Be in Disney+'s What If...? Series

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Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige has affirmed to Emmy Magazine that Boseman — whose final live-action performance as Black Panther wound up being in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame — voiced the Wakandan king and hero for What If…?, an animated anthology that explores fun, alternate takes on famous Marvel tales.

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Frank Grillo Will Return As Crossbones In Marvel’s ‘What If…?’ On Disney+

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Frank Grillo has confirmed that his villainous character, Crossbones, will return in the upcoming animated series Marvel’s What If…? when it makes its debut on Disney+ in 2021. Staying true to the title, the show will examine various alternate reality scenarios like “What if T’Challa became Star Lord instead of Black Panther?” or “What if Peggy Carter took the super-soldier serum and became Captain America instead of Steve Rogers?” It’s that last scenario where Grillo most likely comes into play, considering Crossbones’ history of squaring off with Cap, which made the jump from the comics to the big screen in both Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Captain America: Civil War.

 

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All The Marvel Actors Returning For Disney+'s What If?
JASON WIESE    JAN. 18. 2021 
https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2561469/all-the-marvel-actors-returning-for-disneys-what-if 

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Out of all the new TV shows coming soon to Disney+, the one that I think I am most looking forward to is What If…?, inspired by the comic book of the same name. It is described as a 10-episode animated anthology series that reimagines key events canon to the Marvel Cinematic Universe had things gone a little different. If that is not enough to surprise you, outside of first time Marvel actor Jeffrey Wright hosting the show Rod Serling-style as The Watcher, all of the MCU characters said to appear will be played by their original actors. I am certain that sparks a great deal of questions in your mind and I will be sure provide all the answers that I can in the following breakdown of every actor confirmed to lend their voice to the highly anticipated series, starting with the man who brought most of these characters together.

List of Actors:

Spoiler

Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury)
Hayley Atwell (Peggy Carter)
Dominic Cooper (Howard Stark)
Stanley Tucci (Dr. Abraham Erskine)
Toby Jones (Arnim Zola)
Neal McDonough (Dum Dum Dugan)
Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes/The Winter Soldier)
Frank Grillo (Crossbones)
Michael Douglas (Dr. Hank Pym/Ant-Man)
Paul Rudd (Scott Lang/Ant-Man)
David Dastmalchian (Kurt)
Michael B. Jordan (Erik Killmonger)
Jeremy Renner (Clint Barton/Hawkeye)
Mark Ruffalo (Bruce Banner/Hulk)
Chris Hemsworth (Thor)
Jeff Goldblum (The Grandmaster)
Taika Waititi (Korg)
Tom Hiddleston (Loki)
Natalie Portman (Jane Foster)
Josh Brolin (Thanos)
Karen Gillan (Nebula)
Djimon Hounsou (Korath)
Michael Rooker (Yondu Udonta)
Sean Gunn (Kraglin)
Chris Sullivan (Taserface)
Chadwick Boseman (T’Challa)

 

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An exclusive look at 26 of summer 2021's must-watch TV shows
By EW Staff    May 14, 2021
https://ew.com/tv/summer-2021-tv-preview/?slide=672c200f-e1ee-41df-8d88-ced66ae82155#672c200f-e1ee-41df-8d88-ced66ae82155 

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Marvel Studios' What If...? (August, Disney+)

What if instead of Steve Rogers, Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) actually became the first Super Soldier? That creative brainstorming exercise is the heart of What If...?, the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s first animated series. The anthology reimagines numerous major events from the movies in game-changing ways, and also features Chadwick Boseman, who was able to reprise T'Challa via voice work before his death. —Sydney Bucksbaum

 

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Marvel Producer Teases Plot Details For Hayley Atwell's What If...? Disney+ Episode
By Richard Nebens   May 25, 2021
https://thedirect.com/article/marvel-hayley-atwell-disney-plus-what-if-plot-episode

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Marvel Studios has plenty to look forward to over the next seven months including four Disney+ exclusives and four major movies coming to theaters across the world. In this huge batch is the MCU’s first dive into the realm of animation with What If…?, which was recently confirmed to be debuting in August.

This ten-episode streaming series will take a look back at the MCU’s Infinity Saga, exploring how certain stories would have been different with one major plot detail changed. This includes examples like T’Challa becoming Star-Lord instead of Peter Quill along with the introduction of zombies into the MCU with a zombie Captain America fighting Bucky Barnes.

More details have arrived pertaining to how this show will begin, particularly with another story that’s been teased since it was first announced.
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The Summer 2021 issue of Disney’s D23 Magazine obtained by The Direct teased plot details of the What If…? episode with Peggy Carter taking the Super Soldier Serum. 

Marvel Studios producer Brad Winderbaum teased how he and the team “[geeked] out” about the possibilities of certain moments in the movies playing out differently. Specifically, he asked “What if Peggy Carter got into that pod and became a Super Soldier,” leading to a discussion about that episode:

“As you can imagine, there are so many great moments in the films to choose from. Very quickly, you start to geek out. And you wonder, ‘What if Peggy Carter got into that pod instead of Steve Rogers and she became a Super Soldier? What would have happened in World War II?’ Then you start to think about what else was happening in that movie. The Red Skull would still be out there, of course, and the Tesseract would still be a problem.”

Winderbaum also revealed other details about the Iron Man suit that appeared in the trailer, confirming it was built by Howard Stark and that "the Tesseract was the thing that [powers] it:”

“You start piecing it together and it leads to another discovery: ‘If Steve Rogers stayed skinny, he’d still be a part of the story. He and Peggy would still fall in love, probably. What if Howard Stark build them an Iron Man suit and the Tesseract was the thing that powered it?’ When we looked at those initial ideas, we picked ones that took on a life of their own, where it was more than, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool it…?’ It was.”

Futhermore, Disney reconfirmed that this Super Soldier Peggy Carter scenario will be the premise of What If...?'s premiere episode when the series debuts this August.

 

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NEW WHAT IF…? CONCEPT ART LEAK REVEALS UNEXPECTED CHANGES TO GAMORA, ULTRON, HULKBUSTER, AND MORE
Braxter Timberlake | April 16, 2021
https://www.theilluminerdi.com/2021/04/16/what-if-concept-art-leak/ 

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A recent leak, via the Marvel Studios Spoilers Twitter account, revealed new looks at Gamora, Ultron, the Collector. Loki, and the Hulkbuster.

 


WHAT IF…? TOY LEAK REVEALS POSSIBLE LINE-UP OF PREVIOUSLY UNANNOUNCED CHARACTERS
Pedro H. Soares | Apr 21, 2021
https://www.theilluminerdi.com/2021/04/21/what-if-toy-leak-characters/  

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Information on an upcoming LEGO set of mini-figurines was shared by @bohner_bricks over at Instagram. The leaker claims that characters like Scarlet Witch, White Vision, Monica Rambeau, Sam Wilson Captain America, Bucky Barnes from The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, God of Mischief Loki, Throg, Lady Loki, Peggy “Captain Britain” Carter, Zombie Captain America, Star-Lord T’Challa, Warlord Gamora, AND Steve Rogers as Spider-Man will all be a part of this upcoming set.


PARTY THOR: EXCITING NEW STORY DETAILS ON THOR’S WHAT IF…? EPISODE: EXCLUSIVE
Richard Nebens | Jun 1, 2021
https://www.theilluminerdi.com/2021/06/01/party-thor-story-details/ 

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Our sources have told us that one of the stories set to be told in What If…? is that of “Party Thor”, who had previously been teased in leaked merchandise images. 
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Evidently, Party Thor is the person Thor would’ve become had he not found his humility on his hero’s journey in 2011’s Thor. Instead of being banished to Earth, Thor will reportedly come to Midgard to throw a massive intergalactic party that could potentially bring the end of the world as we know it.


WHAT IF…? STORY REVEAL FOR BLACK WIDOW’S POST-APOCALYPTIC EPISODE: EXCLUSIVE
Richard Nebens | Jun 3, 2021
https://www.theilluminerdi.com/2021/06/03/black-widow-what-if-episode/ 

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Our sources have told us that part of Marvel Studios’ What If…? will focus on Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff, who finds herself in a dire situation in this new universe. The story will show Black Widow as one of the only survivors of a cataclysmic event that came about due to the classic MCU villain Ultron.

Romanoff will also sport a new costume in this show to adjust to the times she’s in. While it looks similar to her past MCU outfits, her garb in What If…? will come with shorter sleeves and metal plating over her top, likely adjusting to her new darker surroundings.


Marvel Leak Reveals Official Name For Steve Rogers' Iron Man Armor In What If...?
Sam Hargrave    June 4, 2021
https://thedirect.com/article/marvel-iron-man-steve-rogers-leak-what-if-show

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It was recently confirmed the series will open with a World War ll-era episode that will see Peggy Carter take the Super Soldier Serum instead of Steve Rogers and become Captain Britain. Meanwhile, the still-skinny Steve Rogers will don the first-ever Iron Man suit developed by Howard Stark. 

Despite stepping into an older version of Tony Stark's iconic suit of armor, it seems Rogers won't be taking up the Iron Man mantle as a recent leak revealed a new name for the suit.
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According to an Instagram post from 1414falconfan, based on information from PROMOBRICKS, LEGO is set to release a “Captain Britain and the HYDRA Stomper” set tied to the upcoming What If...? animated series.


NEW WHAT IF…? STORY DETAILS FOR GAMORA’S LETHAL EPISODE OF THE MARVEL ANIMATED SERIES: EXCLUSIVE
Richard Nebens | Jun 11, 2021
https://www.theilluminerdi.com/2021/06/11/what-if-gamora-iron-man/ 

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Our sources have shared how Zoe Saldana’s Gamora will take a new turn in Marvel Studios’ What If…?, and a darker one at that with an unexpected enemy in her sights.
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She will don a similar outfit to the one she wore in both Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Endgame, complete with her warrior skills and her swords. However, after being trained by her father Thanos, her skills will be put to the test against a new and unusual target in the form of Tony Stark.


What If? Previews Peggy Carter's Captain Britain Transformation
BY REUBEN BARON    June 15, 2021
https://www.cbr.com/what-if-peggy-carter-captain-britain-transformation/ 

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Marvel released a new clip from What If...? showcasing Peggy Carter's transformation into Captain Britain.

The clip was revealed during the Annecy International Animation Film Festival panel, A Fireside Chat with... Victoria Alonso, hosted by Women in Animation. At the start of the clip, a Hydra agent shoots Chester Philips just as Steve Rogers is about to take the super-serum. Still-scrawny-Steve leaps out of the machine to stand up against the agent, getting shot multiple times. Next, the agent grabs a vial of super-serum, but Carter kills him.

Steve's alive but in no shape to take the serum, and Howard Stark says time there's no time to wait or else the serum is going to go to waste. Another soldier tries to convince Stark to take it, but he refuses. This ultimately leads to Peggy going into the machine herself, with the soldier disapproving of her actions but Stark going along with them. Peggy then comes out super-buff and asking, "Did it work?" to which Stark retorts, "And then some! You won't be needing those heels anymore." Steve's response is simply "Wow."

The clip ends with an action sequence of Carter leaping out of a forest, infiltrating a castle and knocking out a bunch of enemy soldiers with her Vibranium Captain Britain shield. "Where have you been all my life?" she quips while holding her new weapon.


NEW DETAILS FOR KILLMONGER’S EPISODE OF WHAT IF…?: EXCLUSIVE
Richard Nebens | Jun 17, 2021
https://www.theilluminerdi.com/2021/06/17/killmonger-what-if/ 

Spoiler

Our sources have informed us that Michael B. Jordan’s Erik Stevens/Killmonger will be a key player in an episode of Marvel Studios’ What If…?. However, rather than going after the throne of Wakanda, Stevens will go international thanks to a new friendship with Tony Stark.
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Tony Stark was recently confirmed to also be taking a trip to Sakaar in What If…?, potentially taking Thor’s place in Thor: Ragnarok. Whether this connects directly to his relationship with Killmonger is a mystery, but then again, nearly every part of this show remains a mystery at the moment.


INTRIGUING NEW DETAILS ABOUT THE WHAT IF…? STAR LORD T’CHALLA EPISODE: EXCLUSIVE
Richard Nebens | Jun 18, 2021
https://www.theilluminerdi.com/2021/06/18/what-if-starlord-tchalla-episode/ 

Spoiler

It was revealed in the initial trailer that T’Challa would be the one taken by the Ravagers and become Star Lord instead of Peter Quill. And that won’t be the only change to this batch of characters. It looks like T’Challa will not only take on the moniker of Star Lord he will also be leading the Ravagers, who in this version are reformed criminals, on galactic adventures.

 

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This looks awesome. I’m a sucker for A/U fan fiction. Do you think that one possible episode could give an A/U to Sharon Carter where she gets to be the hero she should have been in the MCU instead of the stupid Power Broker storyline?

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Discover A Multiverse of New Funkos and LEGOs for ‘What If…?’
RACHEL PAIGE   July 8, 2021
https://www.marvel.com/articles/gear/what-if-products-captain-carter-thor-hydra-stomper-watcher 

Spoiler

The upcoming series explores a multiverse of infinite possibilities and features fan-favorite characters, and famous events from the Marvel Cinematic Universe will be reimagined in compelling new ways. Say hello to Captain Carter, T’Challa Star-Lord, King Killmonger, Hydra Stomper Steve Rogers, and Doctor Strange and Thor who look suspiciously like characters we’ve never seen before…
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Victoria Alonso, Executive VP of Film Production at Marvel Studios, told Variety during the NALIP Media Summit that What If...? will not be their only animated project...

Marvel’s Victoria Alonso Teases ‘Mini Studio’ for Animation and Discusses Representation in Superhero Stories at NALIP Summit
By Ethan Shanfeld   July 20, 2021
https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/marvel-victoria-alonso-new-series-representation-1235023739/ 

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While Marvel’s next show, “What If…?” will be the studio’s first animated series, it is far from the last. “We’re going to have our animation branch and mini studio, and there will be more to come from that as well,” Alonso said. “We’re super excited about animation, which is my first love.”

 

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Exclusive: Marvel’s What If…? will feature a "tragic love story" and an "Agatha Christie episode"
By Matt Maytum, Paul Bradshaw    July 22, 2021
https://www.gamesradar.com/marvel-what-if-exclusive-image-killmonger/ 

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In the new issue of Total Film magazine, the filmmaking team behind What If…? discuss playing in the ultimate toybox and smashing expectations. Among the characters getting another spin is Black Panther’s Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), who can be seen in an exclusive image from Total Film below.
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The freedom of the format allows the tone to vary wildly from week to week. “Our episodes are either darker or lighter than a traditional Marvel movie, and we also have a couple of straight-up tragedies,” head writer A.C. Bradley tells Total Film.

“We have an episode that’s like a political thriller. We’ve got a dark Doctor Strange episode that’s like a tragic love story. One of them is just me wanting to goof off and relive my favourite movies as a kid. Can’t Hardly Wait was a touchstone… I can’t imagine any other point in my career when I’m going to get to write one of those National Lampoon crazy party movies…”

“Then we have a great Agatha Christie episode,” adds executive producer Brad Winderbaum. “It takes place in this obscure point of detail that only hardcore fans know called ‘Fury’s Big Week’...”

What If…? streams on Disney+ from August 11. ....


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Marvel's What If...? release schedule: When does episode 1 hit Disney Plus?
Jennifer Bisset   July 19, 2021
https://www.cnet.com/news/marvels-what-if-release-schedule-when-does-episode-1-hit-disney-plus/ 

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Here's the release schedule for all 10 episodes of Marvel's What If...? Note: Kevin Feige has already confirmed another 10-episode second season is in development!

  • Episode 1: Available Wednesday, Aug. 11 -- 12 a.m. PT/3 a.m. ET/8 a.m. GMT
  • Episode 2: Available Wednesday, Aug. 18 -- 12 a.m. PT/3 a.m. ET/8 a.m. GMT
  • Episode 3: Available Wednesday, Aug. 25 -- 12 a.m. PT/3 a.m. ET/8 a.m. GMT
  • Episode 4: Available Wednesday, Sept. 1 -- 12 a.m. PT/3 a.m. ET/8 a.m. GMT
  • Episode 5: Available Wednesday, Sept. 8 -- 12 a.m. PT/3 a.m. ET/8 a.m. GMT
  • Episode 6: Available Wednesday, Sept. 15 -- 12 a.m. PT/3 a.m. ET/8 a.m. GMT
  • Episode 7: Available Wednesday, Sept. 22 -- 12 a.m. PT/3 a.m. ET/8 a.m. GMT
  • Episode 8: Available Wednesday, Sept. 29 -- 12 a.m. PT/3 a.m. ET/8 a.m. GMT
  • Episode 9: Available Wednesday, Oct. 6 -- 12 a.m. PT/3 a.m. ET/8 a.m. GMT
  • Episode 10: Available Wednesday, Oct. 13 -- 12 a.m. PT/3 a.m. ET/8 a.m. GMT

 

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 'What If…?’ Poster Reveals First Look at The Watcher
BY RACHEL PAIGE    July 28, 2021
https://www.marvel.com/articles/tv-shows/what-if-the-watcher-poster
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Marvel's What If...? star Jeffrey Wright talks charting a new path with the all-knowing Watcher
By Sydney Bucksbaum    July 28, 2021
https://ew.com/tv/marvels-what-if-jeffrey-wright-the-watcher/ 

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The Emmy-, Golden Globe-, and Tony-winning actor stars in What If...? — the Marvel Cinematic Universe's first animated series — as Uatu, the all-knowing and all-seeing extraterrestrial being known as The Watcher. Serving as the narrator for the Disney+ series, The Watcher takes viewers on a journey, showing what would happen if certain pivotal moments from the MCU unfolded differently. And while some would instinctively voice The Watcher with a British accent given his vast knowledge and powers, Wright had other ideas.

"A lot of times, we hear a character like this that's very powerful and wise and dramatic, if you look at some of the old films of Greek mythology and even Egyptian mythology and things like this or history, we find that the characters have a British accent," Wright tells EW. "And I have never really figured out why that is. Why does every wise man in the history of cinema or wise woman or sage need to be British? So the first time we encounter The Watcher in the comics on the moon, I figured it was wide open where we could go with the voice and how can we craft together an idea and music to his voice that's resonant today. So I just went for it and put it down."

Wright laughs as he points out how "every ancient Egyptian seems to have spoken with a British accent, every ancient Egyptian went to Cambridge apparently. I don't know how that worked, but apparently, that's how it went down." So he figured it was time to do something different with his version of The Watcher.
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ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How much did you know about the What If...? comics before landing this role?
JEFFREY WRIGHT:
Just like marginally versed. But I went back and dug in, went back to 1963 to the moon with the Fantastic Four to discover Uatu, The Watcher, first, and then I dipped into some of the What If...? comics themselves, which I think began in 1977. It's a really exciting opportunity to go back and reinvent some of the characters from the MCU that everyone loves, reinvent not only the characters but more importantly, reconfigure their stories and their narratives and their heroic arcs. There's infinite possibilities with this thing that is pretty exciting and fans will be surprised by.
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What kinds of conversations did you have with head writer A.C. Bradley and director Bryan Andrews about how to approach voicing this all-knowing, all-powerful character?
There was a lot of discussion about how does this guy talk? How does he sound, this extraterrestrial celestial all-knowing being who has powers in some ways beyond most of the characters that we've seen from the Marvel films? So how does he speak? I wanted to make sure that the tones of the character were new, that they were born of the moment now.

So how did you go about finding his voice?
It took us some time to develop the voice and to settle in on something that we all felt good about. That took a bit of time, a little exploration. And then it was just the process of looking at some of the visuals that they would show me, different ideas about what he was, different ideas about the tone of the show, because the animation is really dense and edgy and cinematic but at the same time really warm. So that gave me a sense of what we were playing with. And then I would get the scripts and we got to work.
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What did you enjoy about bringing The Watcher to life?
He's described as the most dramatic being in all the multiverse when he first appears in Fantastic Four in 1963 on the cover of the comic book, so this idea of the most dramatic being in anyone's imagination gives you a lot to play with. I love the idea of just being able to be theatrical and a little over the top and at the same time kind of subtle with the language. That's always fun.
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Do you have a favorite episode that you can't wait for fans to see?
I was really taken by the Doctor Strange episode, which you will see when you get there. For some reason, it just really pulled at my emotions. [Laughs] And as well, it becomes a story of interest to The Watcher too, so in that way, we kind of see things from a similar perspective. So yeah, check out the Doctor Strange one when it comes. When you land on that one, you'll land in a place where I sat up even further in my seat.

But also, I was really moved to hear Chadwick Boseman voice T'Challa again as he does in the show. I actually first met him when Black Panther was being introduced at Comic-Con. We saw each other from time to time after that and just to watch him grow as an actor and watch him take on this character, to see what that character meant, and to understand that he was doing that while facing serious challenges, I just find to be on the level of heroism that Black Panther himself is on. So to be a part of just a little bit of what some of his last work is is really special. And I can't wait for folks to just hear him.

 

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Here's the MCU cast list for What If...? (plus Jeffrey Wright as The Watcher, but no RDJ, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson or Tom Holland). Also, the media got an advance screening of the first three episodes - some early twitter reactions are quoted below (with tweet links)...

Kaitlyn Booth (Bleeding Cool) - "I got to see the first three episodes of #WhatIf. This is probably the most 'made for TV' concept of the #Marvel #DisneyPlus shows so far. The animation is pretty good, but it's a style that takes a minute to settle into. Nice, brisk, 30 minute episodes." and "There doesn't appear, at least in the first 3 of #WhatIfMarvel, that there is any sort of season-wide story so this does appear to be a bunch of one-shots. Comic fans are going to get a kick out of this one as we explore the multiverse. In order of preference: Episodes 2, 3, 1."

Steve Weintraub (Collider) - "Saw first 3 episodes of #whatif . Loved the comic so I’m obviously primed to enjoy the series and it delivers. 2nd episode is T’Challa as Star-Lord and it’s a great episode that features @chadwickboseman’s voice and cool surprises. 3rd episode is a better mystery than some movies."

Brandon Davis (ComicBook) - "First three episodes of #WhatIf are an interesting start. First episode didn't grab me. Second is super entertaining & filled with heart. Third is dark, surprising, and hands down my favorite! Got better as it went by a lot, each episode! Ambitious new style. Loads of MCU nods!"

Josh Wilding (ComicBookMovie) - "I've seen the first three episodes of #WhatIf and cannot say enough good things about this show. @MarvelStudios definitely hasn't disappointed with its first foray into animation (it looks amazing), and the premise works brilliantly...you WILL love #CaptainCarter. @whatifofficial" and "The third one stretches the premise a little too thinly, but is still fun. However, #ChadwickBoseman's #StarLord episode is just...you'll be blown away. His performance emphasises why he was such a special actor, and I couldn't help but get emotional listening to him. #WhatIf."

Rohan Patel (ComicBookMovie) - "#WhatIf opens a whole new world of stories for the MCU. It does take some getting used to, but the first three episodes are all great, each for different reasons, and are packed with a myriad of surprises and stunning animation. (1/2)" and "#WhatIf (2/2) - @MarvelStudios bringing back so many MCU stars is a huge plus, they add so much to the experience. #HayleyAtwell as Captain Carter & #ChadwickBoseman as Star-Lord are the big standouts. You can tell Boseman was having a blast voicing this T’Challa. He’s so good."

Matt Ramos (Complex) - "Marvel Studios’ #WhatIf is INCREDIBLE! I watched the first 3 episodes and I enjoyed them all. So many callbacks and references to the previous films. There’s also surprise characters that appear that’ll leave you speechless. I can’t wait to see more! ...."

Herb Scribner (Deseret News) - "Early review for Marvel’s #WhatIf — It’s fun! #WhatIf does a great job of giving us alternate reality stories while offering nods and winks to the original tales. The first three episodes work were really fun. Each had a different genre, too."

Jacob Fisher (Discussing Film) - "Got to watch the first 3 episodes of #WhatIf and it is incredible! Each story for each episode is fantastic and bolstered by a strong voice cast and splendid animation. I couldn’t be more happy with how this series has turned out, one of the best animated TV shows this year."

Erik Davis (Fandango) - "I’ve watched the first three episodes of Marvel’s #WhatIf and I’m hooked. Each episode is better than the last w/ the third being my favorite.  Love how they take a story we know by heart & twist it in all kinds of ways.  It’s like the MCU’s Twilight Zone - weird, wild, good fun."

Michael Lee (Geeks of Doom) - "#WhatIf is a colorful and fun new twist on your favorite MCU stories. The animation makes everything sighing the frame feel like a comic book in motion. And @jfreewright  is the perfect storyteller to guide fans on a journey of what if’s & hypotheticals." and "It’s fun to see how Marvel Studios uses animation to give MCU heroes and villains a chance to explore those big what if’s that our on our minds. That being said, it is something that is not for everyone. Also the voice work can be a bit clunky at times."

Geek Vibes Nation - "Marvel’s #WhatIf series is captivating, imaginative, and brilliant. This might be Marvel’s best yet. It’s great seeing your favorites in new roles and adventures. With the multiverse in full swing, we might actually see some of these characters in live-action very soon" and "If you were a fan of the Marvel comic series #WhatIf then you’re going to love the show. Great storytelling and the animation is eye-catching and beautiful. We’re optimistic that Marvel will have a bright future with animated films and television shows."

Germain Lussier (Gizmodo, io9) - "After 3 episodes, Marvel’s What If…? has potential to be their best D+ show yet. Yes, it’s funny and exciting but the way each twist snowballs in hugely surprising ways kept me guessing and engaged too. Ep 2 in particular (with T’Challa) is one of my fave Marvel things in years."

Ryden Scarnato (Heroic Hollywood) - "I recently watched the first three episodes of #WhatIf and I'm happy to report it's a ton of fun! I think MCU fans will really enjoy the twists and turns these stories take, especially with the earlier films. Out of the three, the third was my personal favorite! Excited for more!"

Tessa Smith (Mama's Geeky) - "Marvel throws us head first into the MULTIVERSE with What If...? & it's INCREDIBLE! There's STUNNING animation & SHOCKING twists! One choice can change EVERYTHING & the possibilities are ENDLESS! If the first 3 episodes are any indication, this show is gonna be WILD! #WhatIf."

Charles Villanueva (Murphy's Multiverse) - "#WhatIf is... fine? Has tons of fun ideas on what these familiar stories could be. Has crazy easter eggs that will send fans into a frenzy. Animation feels stiff at times but really comes to life when the action ramps up. What really makes me scratch my head is the voice work.." and "Some of it is decent, some are pretty bad. With big-name talent like that, it makes you wonder why it feels off. Is it bc it's animated? Delivery feels hammy and forced in a way the live-action characters would never do or say. It'll take some getting used to for sure." and "Nonetheless, #WhatIf  will surely tide fans over the next several weeks. The Chadwick episode is, hands down, one of the best episodes of TV Marvel Studios has put together yet. People will gasp, cheer, and cry when it comes out."

Tania Lamb (Rotten Tomatoes) - "Expect the unexpected has never been more true in Marvel’s #WhatIf! It’s a crazy, trippy ride and while it’s not my favorite series, it’s good to hear some familiar voices of characters I love! I respect the twists and turns in the multiverse, even if I don’t like some of them."

Ethan Anderton (SlashFilm) - "Marvel's #WhatIf offers compelling twists on the #MCU along with stylish animation and outstanding action. However, the abridged storytelling creates a disjointed feeling, and lacks the Marvel magic and heart of the movies. Plus, many MCU stars are not great voice actors."

Jacob Hall (SlashFilm) - "Maybe it’ll get better as it goes along, but I was not particularly inspired by the episodes of Marvel’s WHAT IF…? sent to critics. Leans too heavily on the 'Isn’t this crazy?' factor, never telling particularly compelling stories. Voice acting feels literally phoned in." and "Unless you’re willing to really *go for it* like SPIDER-VERSE, this CG-animated 2D has got to go. Every action scene looks good, every dramatic scene couldn’t look more stodgy."

Tom Power (TechRadar) - "#WhatIf may be Marvel's most interesting project in a while. A superhero sandbox of infinite possibilities & surreal happenings that I didn't know I needed. The sky's the limit & this is the series that could run for as long as Marvel wants. Pumped to see more!" and "Full thoughts to come in my #WhatIf review later this month, but it *really* is great to see a new Marvel animated series. It's aesthetically beautiful, full of humor and wonderfully creative. And that 2nd episode with Chadwick Boseman's final performance... man, it's emotional."

Tom Percival (The Digital Fix) - "Watched the first three episodes of #WhatIf this week. Impressed with what’s basically Marvel’s version of the Twilight Zone, they make some bold, out there decisions that I don’t think you’d get away with in live action and I’m looking forward to seeing things Get strange (1/2)" and "That said I worry how essential the series will feel for casual MCU fans."

Rodrigo Perez (The Playlist) - "#WhatIf is fun and the animation itself is terrific, but the more it veers away from familiar MCU storytelling (ep 3) and the less it just retells a known MCU origin, simply flipped through the perspective of a different character (Ep2), the better."

Jenna Busch (Vital Thrills) - "@Marvel's #WhatIf is a fascinating and incredibly satisfying look at what might have been. When I did my show with @StanLee, he once told me that he loved thinking about other ways stories could have gone. It made me think of him. That's the best compliment I can ever give."

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This first season will have only 9 episodes (not 10 episodes), but the second season will also have 9 episodes...


Exclusive: Marvel's 'What If...?' Episode Count Revealed — And It's Not What You Think
BY JEFF SNEIDER    AUGUST 2, 2021
https://collider.com/what-if-episode-count-marvel-disney-plus-animated-show/ 

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On December 18, 2019, Marvel's Kevin Feige revealed that Season 1 of the animated series What If...? would consist of 10 episodes and that a second season of 10 episodes was already in pre-production. A few weeks later, the COVID-19 pandemic struck Hollywood, wreaking havoc on production schedules. This includes What If...? which Collider can now exclusively reveal will consist of just nine episodes — as will Season 2.

Collider spoke to executive producer Brad Winderbaum, who confirmed that the original plan called for 10 episodes before the pandemic forced Marvel brass to reassess.

"We had to push an episode into Season 2. It was just, honestly, like everything else, that was a COVID impact. There was an episode that just wouldn't hit the completion date, but luckily we do get to see it in the second season of the show," said Winderbaum, who added that "Season 2 will also be 9," thereby confirming 18 episodes in total.
*  *  *
"We targeted a half an hour for each episode. Some of them come in a little longer, some of them come in a little shorter," said Winderbaum. "We wanted to tell as many stories as we could and we had a certain budget we had to work with so it felt like that 10-episode — now 9-episode run — was the right quantity."


Marvel’s What If…? Crew Explains Why They Went 3D Over 2D & A Scrapped Episode That Was Too Close To GOTG 3
ALLEEF  ASHAARI  PUBLISHED DATE:AUGUST 2, 2021
https://kakuchopurei.com/2021/08/02/marvels-what-if-crew-explains-why-they-went-3d-over-2d-a-scrapped-episode-that-was-too-close-to-gotg-3/ 

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Courtesy of Disney+ Hotstar Malaysia, we were lucky enough to be the only Malaysian media to participate in a roundtable interview with Marvel’s What If…? Executive Producer Brad Winderbaum, Head Writer AC Bradley, and Director Bryan Andrews. This interview has been edited for clarity.

Why is now the right time for the debut of Marvel’s What If…?
Brad Winderbaum:
Now is the right time for What If…? because we finally had enough stories behind us to be able to riff on them, change them and move the pieces around, as well as play with the stories that we have told in the past in brand new ways.

In terms of being animated, we really wanted to explore the infinity of the Multiverse and the only way to do that is to be unbounded and animation as a medium is inherently unbounded. If you can see it, you can do it. That’s how What If…? became our first animated project.
*  *  *
Can you tell us more about how Marvel’s What If…? works as an anthology series?
A.C. Bradley:
When it came to creating the first 10 episodes of season one, ironically the first question was not What If…? The first question was let’s take all these heroes and figure out what makes them tick. Let’s find the heart behind the hero. The hero behind the shield, so to speak, and explore that, because, at the end of the day, the reason we love these movies is that we feel a connection to these characters.
*  *  *
In each story, we wanted to play in genre and tone. As a writer, it was great to be able to stretch my talents and abilities and to make every episode stand-alone, both story-wise and we wanted everything to feel visually different. Everything is edited differently, the sound is different.

We want people to drop in during each of these episodes and feel like they’re watching one short Marvel movie. We have a spy thriller, we have a party episode, there’s comedy, there’s horror, there’s a mystery, a heist episode. It was a real treat to be able to play around with different genres. and tones and styles.
*  *  *
Was it the plan to go for 3D CGI animation from the beginning or did you ever consider 2D animation?
*  *  *
Bryan Andrews: We did actually consider 2D animation. I love it, and I think it would’ve been great to do it in 2D. It would’ve been very challenging because it’s a big and complicated show so we would need an army of exceptional draftspeople to pull it off. As a result, we couldn’t find that because there’s a lot of studios making a lot of projects at the time and we just couldn’t find them or they just couldn’t do it for what we’re asking.

So, we actually pivoted into the 3D look with a heavy emphasis on making it look like 2D. That’s what we do, we want this illustrative, almost painterly look harkening to old-school illustrators like J.C. Leyendecker, American illustrators. We’re trying to achieve that and 3D for 2D would help us because we just couldn’t find a studio that was ready or able. They’re all making other stuff, darn it.
*  *  *
Will Marvel’s What If…? tie into the live-action Marvel Cinematic Universe?
Brad Winderbaum:
If you go back and look at the history of the What If…? comics, you’ll see that a lot of them found their way into the main continuity. We’re going into this eyes open and knowing that in the MCU, things ricochet, they bounce around, they tend to hit each other often.

The potential is there for characters from What If…? to appear in live-action, I would say.
*  *  *
Most of the characters revealed so far in What If…? have been variants of existing MCU characters. Can we expect the introduction of never-before-seen characters in What If…? that we haven’t seen in the MCU?
*  *  *
Bryan Andrews: We basically had operating instructions from Kevin Feige. Basically, we can’t introduce anyone or any character that hasn’t already been introduced in an MCU movie. You won’t be seeing, like, some random person pop up from the comics or other franchises that we hadn’t seen already in MCU proper.
*  *  *
Were there any episodes or ideas you had to scrap for whatever reasons?
A.C. Bradley:
I pitched an entire episode. It took me a couple of days to break it. I was very excited about it. I went to Bryan and was like, here we go, this is what happens, do you think Kevin Feige would approve? He went, oh, yeah, Kevin would love that, that’s half the plot of Guardians Of The Galaxy Volume 3.

I was like, you’re kidding, and he went, nope, good job, you guessed it. I was like getting ready to go home and crack open a beer and go, I’ll go back to the board tomorrow. So, that one I can’t do because the amazing James Gunn is already going to do it.

 

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What If...? Is Officially MCU Canon
By Joe Skrebels   Aug 3, 2021
https://www.ign.com/articles/what-if-marvel-mcu-canon-multiverse 

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Speaking to IGN, What If...? head writer AC Bradley made it very clear that, despite its animated style and anthology premise, everything in the show is being considered as canon. "The events of What If...? are canon. It's part of the MCU multiverse. The multiverse is here. It is real, and it is absolutely fantastic, people."


What If Producer: MCU Animated Series Is “As Important” to Marvel's Multiverse as Loki
By CAMERON BONOMOLO - August 1, 2021
https://comicbook.com/tv-shows/news/marvel-what-if-producer-animated-series-just-as-important-mcu-multiverse-as-loki/ 

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A producer of What If...? says it's "no coincidence" the Marvel Studios original animated series picks up where Loki left off — with the opening of the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse. When Loki (Tom Hiddleston) and Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) discover He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors) in the Citadel at the End of Time, they learn the creator of the Time Variance Authority and the keeper of the "Sacred Timeline" was protecting reality from someone far worse: his multiversal variants known as Kang the Conqueror. As the multiverse expands on both the big and small screen, executive producer Brad Winderbaum teases going where the MCU has never gone before when Marvel asks: "What If...?"

"It's no coincidence that the show picks up right after Loki…The multiverse has erupted in every possible direction," Winderbaum said during a virtual press event attended by ComicBook, adding Marvel Studios' first animated series "gives us a chance to explore that."
*  *  *
Amid rumors some of these characters might return in the feature film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Winderbaum said What If...? is just "as important" to the MCU as its live-action series and movies.

"I think that without going into great detail, I can tell you that What If…? — as a project, as a story that exists in the MCU — is as important as any other and is woven into that tapestry," the executive producer said.

In a press brief, Winderbaum described What If...? as an anthology narrated by Uatu the Watcher (voice of Jeffrey Wright). "The Watcher introduces us each week to these alternate storylines— each a kind of cautionary tale in the spirit of The Twilight Zone,'" he said. "We bounce around genres and tone—some episodes will be dramatic; some will be tragic or comedic."


Ask The Question | Marvel Studios’ What If…? | Disney+
Marvel Entertainment   Aug 3, 2021

 

 

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The ‘What If…?’ Creators On Chadwick Boseman, Being Able to Use Spider-Man, And The Return Of Howard The Duck
MIKE RYAN     AUGUST 4, 2021
https://uproxx.com/tv/what-if-ac-bradley-bryan-andrews-interview/ 

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Head writer A.C. Bradley and director Bryan Andrews were given the mandate to “have fun.” ....

After Loki, What If…? seems to have a new meaning. Like we are watching variants, as opposed to just one-off stories.
A.C. Bradley: Yeah, the multiverse is here and it is going to be a blast.

Bryan Andrews: Yeah, it really feels like Marvel’s going that way once the end of Loki happens. So, yeah, the multiverse is out there. And our show explores some crazy things that you can see that are out there. And how much more the films want to dial into that as the phases progress? We’re waiting to see as much as you are. We’ll see. We don’t know.

Do you like that approach? Or would you rather it be kind of how the comics were in the ’80s where it’s more like, “Ah, these are fun to read and maybe don’t tie in with anything else”?
Bryan Andrews: It’s funny, I think it’s fine that things can tie in. I think it’s fine that there’s a multiverse. And I don’t think that’s going to take away anything from whatever Marvel wants to do. There are characters that we have come to know and love, and they will always be there. And it’s okay to have a little step next door to see some craziness. It’s all good.

A.C. Bradley: Our prime mandate was to go show as much fun and fantastic sides of the multiverse as possible.

Chadwick Boseman provides his voice in one of the episodes they sent us. So for a lot of people there’s still this unseen performance from him that that is still out there. And all of a sudden this takes on so much more meaning than you probably ever assumed it would?
Bryan Andrews: That’s totally true. It was really rough at first for everyone, of course. But I think now we can look at it as a gift. We get to enjoy his talent and we get to enjoy him playing that character one more time. And we can embrace that and enjoy that together. He was here just too short. Again, there was so much more work we would’ve all loved to have seen from him. And just him as a person just in the world, we need people like that, like him in this world. But hopefully people can look at this episode and have a smile on their faces. He loved the idea of doing this and he wanted to bring this version of T’Challa to life. And so we can take that to heart and feel joy in the fact that he knew what he was doing when he did it. He knew what he was going through. And he brought it full-on.

You got a lot of actors to reprise their roles for this series. But not everyone. How does a “no” work? Does Robert Downey Jr. just say, “I’m sorry, I’m busy”?
Bryan Andrews: A lot of it is it’s like herding cats. All of these people are extremely talented and they’ve got a lot of stuff going on. And we figured we probably wouldn’t be able to get everybody, just because scheduling is so difficult. But we got a lot, and that was great. So yeah, it’d be awesome to have everybody, but you’ve got to deal with what you’ve got to deal with. And if someone’s too busy and they can’t make it, it’s a bummer. We pivot and we get someone in that can rally and play to the spirit of that character. Not necessarily do “an impression,” but at least try to embody that and then make it a little bit their own, but hopefully not bug the audience too much.
*  *  *
We always hear about the difficulties of the Sony arrangement with Spider-Man and getting him in the movies, but how did that work here? Because he’s going to be in one of these. How does that work?
A.C. Bradley: I think that works with “people above our pay grade.” Though, I think I did ask that early on. I was like, “Can we just touch Spider-Man?” And they went, “Don’t worry about it. We’re going to figure it out. Just tell the best story you can, and we’ll cross that bridge.” That was kind of the mandate across the board with Marvel: As long as you’re not doing something that we’re doing in the movies, go have fun and we’ll figure it out.

Bryan Andrews: No, they want the quality. They want to go for the quality and they’re like, “Yeah, let’s go. And all that BS is stuff that we have to deal with.” It’s like, “We’ll deal with that. Don’t worry about it.” Which I think that’s awesome. From day one on all their projects, it’s quality all the way down the line. You know what I mean? And that’s great.

Was there anything you wanted to do that was too weird that your bosses were not totally into?
A.C. Bradley: We had to stay PG-13. So we couldn’t go too raunchy and we couldn’t go too “har har.” Because we are going to be on Disney+ and there is going to be a six-year-old who ends up watching the show. Whether or not we’re looking for it to happen or not. Otherwise, we were kind of given the keys to the toy store and told to have fun. For me, the whole joy was taking these iconic characters, deconstructing them at times, trying to find the heart in them, finding new stories to tell. And for me, I was able to tell some stories that I don’t think I would have been able to do in other projects. I wouldn’t have been able to write about loss and love and feminism and throwing the world’s greatest party in any other show.


“What Is What If…?” Featurette | Marvel Studios’ What If…? | Disney+
Marvel Entertainment   Aug 4, 2021

 

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How What If Fits Into The Multiverse Of The Marvel Cinematic Universe
ERIC EISENBERG   AUG. 5. 2021
https://www.cinemablend.com/television/2571505/how-what-if-fits-into-multiverse-marvel-cinematic-universe?pv=related_list

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But what is the relationship between the various What If chapters and the MCU? Are they designed to be wholly separate from the canon first established with Jon Favreau’s Iron Man, or do the different adventures play out in alternate realities that run parallel in a larger Marvel multiverse? According to producer Brad Winderbaum, there isn’t an “official” answer to the question at the moment, but things do seem to be leaning toward the latter.

Speaking with the filmmaker this past weekend during the virtual press day for What If, I asked directly about how Marvel Studios views the relationship between their animated series and the live-action movies/shows, and he explained,

"Well, I think you're asking a very philosophical question, and it's something we are defining right now and will continue to define in the stories as we explore the multiverse. And that is, you know, what is it? What is the multiverse, and how do stories that take place in other realities impact the 'Sacred Timeline,' as the TVA would call it? And without going into detail, I could tell you 'quite a bit' is the answer."

 

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Bryan Andrews & A.C. Bradley Interview: Marvel's What If
BY JOE DECKELMEIER   AUGUST 8, 2021
https://screenrant.com/bryan-andrews-ac-bradley-interview-marvel-what-if/ 

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Director Bryan Andrews and writer A.C. Bradley spoke to Screen Rant about the collaboration process for the show, the animation style they chose, and the stories they’re most excited to explore.

Screen Rant: I have probably been anticipating What If...? more so than any other of the Marvel Disney+ shows because I had such a fondness for those comics. A.C., how has What If...? changed the way that you look at future Marvel films. 
A.C. Bradley:
I want to write one of them. I love Marvel; I've been trying to get in that building for a few years. So, when they approached me to do What If...?, I couldn't resist the possibility of almost creating my own little universe of Marvel stories. I got to do ten small Marvel movies.

I feel like it was a real education of how to write an iconic character. How to take them apart, deconstruct them, find out what makes them tick, and then find new ways to tell the story. I'm a big sucker for an underdog and, at times, that's what Peggy Carter is. She's the woman who was not supposed to be in the room. She’s the woman who is supposed to be on the sidelines, pining for Steve Rogers. And we're like, "No. We're gonna show a woman who knows her worth, and sees how that changes the world."
*  *  *
A.C., were there any mandates on which stories or movies to tackle? Was there anything off the table, or was it pretty much free rein as you got to really play in their sandbox with all their tools?
A.C. Bradley:
When it came to creating these episodes and which characters we wanted to make sure we gave them diversity. I was not allowed to do just 10 episodes of Tony Stark, although I could've. It was kind of making sure we represent as many of the first three phases of Marvel as humanly possible and giving room for cameos while bringing back as many of the actors. 

The only other mandate was, "Don't do what's in the movies," and "Have as much fun." Show Marvel and show the fandom how big and vast and weird the multiverse can get.
*  *  *
Bryan, can you talk about your experience working with Chadwick Boseman?
Bryan Andrews
: It was amazing. We only got him for such a small moment, compared to the experience of everyone who worked with him on Black Panther, or Ma Rainey, or any of the other things that he's done. He was amazing. 

We were just glad that we got him. He was one of the first actors that actually responded and was like, "Yeah, yeah! I'm gonna do this with you guys. This is great." He was really excited about this version of T'Challa because he got to be a little bit goofy and got to be a little bit funny. He didn't have the mantle of the king, so it was a different way for him to put his stamp on T'Challa, Black Panther, etc. It gives the audience another version. 

And it's amazing because he knew what he was going through, and he knew what was happening. And this was something that he wanted to help bring into the world. To me, that speaks volumes, because he felt it was important. It's T'Challa. We love T'Challa, we love Black Panther, but we also love Chadwick Boseman. And just being able to work with him in such a small capacity was epic. He's gold, and the guy's got talent days. It was just so amazing, just seeing him work, having a front-row seat to that, and helping him bring this to life. It was great.


What If...? Jeffrey Wright on being The Watcher for Marvel's new animated series
HeyUGuys   Aug 5, 2021

What If...? Head Writer A C Bradley & Director Bryan Andrews on Marvel's intriguing new show
HeyUGuys   Aug 5, 2021

 

What If...? Brad Winderbaum on deflecting Fan Theories, and Chadwick Boseman's final MCU performance
HeyUGuys   Aug 5, 2021

 

 

Moment | Marvel Studios’ What If…? | Disney+
Marvel Entertainment  Aug 9, 2021

 

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'What If...?' Producers and Jeffrey Wright on Creating the Show and Which Marvel Character Might Play a Bigger Role In the Future
BY CHRISTINA RADISH     AUGUST 11, 2021
https://collider.com/what-if-marvel-interview-jeffrey-wright-brad-winderbaum-bryan-andrews-ac-bradley/ 

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What are the odds that we’re going to see any of these stories continue in episodes beyond their introduction?
WINDERBAUM:
We realized, early on in development, as we were starting to get AC’s scripts, and starting to look at the arc of the series that there was gonna be a character that bubbled up and became not more important than the rest, but had a strong relationship with The Watcher, who is really our driving force behind the series, and that’s Captain Carter. We realized, as we started developing the second season, that Captain Carter was gonna be the character we would revisit in every season and continue that adventure. We’re telling a story on a giant, multiversal canvas, so you never really know who’s gonna pop up where and when. It’s very much an anthology, but there’s always opportunity for fun connections to be made.
*  *  *
What made you want to include Marvel Zombies in the show?
BRADLEY:
They’re zombies. I think I might have mentioned Marvel Zombies early on, as a what if we did this, pie in the sky throwaway, not thinking that there actually has been a very famous run. And then, Brad was excited and Kevin surprised us by being like, “No, you’re doing Marvel Zombies.” And then, the fun part of Marvel Zombies, at least for me, was to delve into that initial run. Probably more than any other What If…? episode, we drew directly from the comic for inspiration and for actual pieces of scenes because it is so good, and less from the movies. That was actually a no-brainer that we came up with by accident. I made a zombie pun with "no-brainer." I just realized that.


‘What If…?’ Writer and Director on Their Last Call with Chadwick Boseman and a Captain Carter Movie
BY BRIAN DAVIDS   August 10, 2021
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-features/what-if-disney-chadwick-boseman-captain-carter-1234995760/  

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What episode number are you most excited for people to see beyond the first three episodes?
Bradley:
The production numbers are different from the airing numbers.

Andrews: They did some switcheroos a little bit, so I’m not sure how accurate this would be. Honestly, I’m excited for people to see all of them because you get different things out of each, but I think five is particularly amazing. But I also think seven is going to blow people away.

Bradley: There’s an episode where we reference The Price Is Right, and it’s probably my favorite episode.


Exclusive: Hayley Atwell's Captain Carter brings 'chutzpah and style' to Marvel's 'What If...?' series
Brian Truitt   August 10, 2021
https://autos.yahoo.com/autos/exclusive-hayley-atwells-captain-carter-193642443.html

Quote

Putting the focus on Captain Carter was "a natural place to begin the 'What If...?' storytelling, to look at a movie that has been around longer than most of the MCU films and use that as our first foray into the multiverse," says executive producer Brad Winderbaum. Carter is "one of the most integral characters in the show" and fans can expect to see her again, he says, with the likes of Doctor Strange.

Good reviews of the first episode...

In its first episode, Marvel’s What If…? imagines a sweeter, stronger Marvel universe
Sam Barsanti    August 11, 2021
https://www.avclub.com/in-its-first-episode-marvel-s-what-if-imagines-a-swe-1847423462 

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It’s a good sign, then, that the first episode of Marvel’s What If…? on Disney+ actually manages to include pretty much every thing I like to see in an alternate-universe superhero story, meaning it’s a fantastic example of the ideal version of what this show could or should be in my mind. The premiere has someone new taking on the mantle of an iconic hero, winky jokes about the regular timeline, and ends in such a way that hints at where this particular timeline could go by teasing a reality that is arguably cooler than the one shown in the actual MCU. It notably stumbles into a mistake that always irks me in alternate-universe stories like this, but aside from that, it’s just an absolute blast.
*  *  *
Plus, in what little downtime there is, Peggy and Steve make repeated references to someday being able to “dance” with each other (wink, wink, just like in the movie), and there’s a very sweet moment where she tells Steve that he’s her hero because of the way he keeps fighting even though he’s a little guy, and then he responds by saying that she’s his hero. As an enormous fan of Steve/Peggy’s romance in the movies, I absolutely love this stuff. It’s a deepening of their relationship in a way that there wasn’t really time for before, and it shows just how much potential for good stories there is in this concept—beyond, you know, how awesome it is to see Peggy Carter beating the shit out of Nazis.

But, unfortunately, there is that aforementioned stumble. Hold on while I get real nerdy with this: In Captain America: The First Avenger, the Tesseract that the Red Skull initially finds in the church is a fake, and the real one is hidden nearby. In this episode, (and maybe this is just me missing it) the sequence of events regarding the fake Tesseract isn’t totally clear, so it seems like the Red Skull doesn’t actually find the real one until the end of the episode when he uses it to summon a tentacled space monster—meaning the one that Peggy swiped early on was the fake.

This is what bugs me: In the movie, Red Skull destroys the fake cube because he knows it’s fake, and then he gets the real one right after. If that’s not exactly how it happened in this What If...? reality, and it doesn’t seem to be, then it cheats the basic concept by altering two unrelated things about the original universe. Everything has to spiral out from Peggy getting the serum instead of Steve, or else this becomes “What if Peggy replaced Captain America and also the Red Skull didn’t find the real Tesseract until later?” (On rewatch, I see now that the show skipped over the whole fake Tesseract, and apparently the real one was inside the Hydra Stomper, but they don’t show any of that, so it’s unnecessarily confusing.)


Marvel’s What If…? Episode 1 Review: Peggy Carter Changes MCU History
Kirsten Howard    August 11, 2021
https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/marvel-what-if-episode-1-review-captain-carter-mcu/ 

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It’s a fun episode! Your mileage may vary depending on how much you love Peggy Carter, but since I love her a whole lot I had a good time watching this. The main downside, I suspect, to any of these installments, is that they’re inherently redundant. As far as we know, none of the fantastical concepts here will bleed into the live-action MCU. But if you’re here for a good time and not a long time, What If…? should make for a neat weekly diversion.
*  *  *
Other more minor changes include Peggy probably not making out with her own niece during any Civil War shenanigans in the future – and please do not direct me to any fan art depicting that scenario in the comments, I beg you.


Marvel's What If...? Premiere Review: It's Captain Carter to the Rescue
JULIAN ROMAN   Augist 10, 2021
https://movieweb.com/what-if-review-marvel-disney-plus/ 

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What If...? episode one jams the entire storyline of Captain America: The First Avenger into thirty ass-kicking minutes. Captain Carter's adventures largely mirror Steve Rogers' transformation. The characters switch places, but both have to continuously prove they belong in the fight. Peggy more so because of the sexual stereotypes of the time. They do team up, in an interesting way, to pummel Hydra and the Nazis. The fight scenes are beautifully animated. Every punch, kick, and explosion jumps off the screen. The characters are not overly intricate. They pretty much look and act like their live-action versions.
*  *  *
Episode one goes big on purpose. What If...? gives Peggy Carter her due, but also allows Steve Rogers another way to contribute to the beatdowns. There's little nuance, but never a dull moment. Adults and children will be equally entertained by the premiere. It's straightforward and cinematic by adhering closely to the film's structure. More complex narratives are in store for later in the season. ....

 

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Marvel Studios Planning ‘Multiple’ New Animated Series Following Debut of ‘What If…?’
By Adam B. Vary   Aug 11, 2021
https://variety.com/2021/tv/news/marvel-what-if-animation-dave-bautista-1235039699/ 

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Marvel’s advantage has always been its interconnected universe, but at first, it was unclear whether “What If…?” could take full advantage of it, given the dozens of in-demand movie stars who play the MCU’s major roles. Winderbaum says the team even debated getting a cast of sound-alike voice actors to play them instead.

Instead, Winderbaum estimates that 85% of the actors from the MCU agreed to reprise their roles for “What If…?”, including Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson, Natalie Portman, Paul Rudd, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Rachel McAdams, Michael B. Jordan, Josh Brolin, Paul Bettany, Hayley Atwell, Sebastian Stan, Don Cheadle, Benicio del Toro, Michael Douglas, Danai Gurira, Tom Hiddleston, Djimon Hounsou and, in his final performance as T’Challa, the late Chadwick Boseman.

Winderbaum demurs, though, when asked about the actors who didn’t return for “What If…?”, including Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Holland, Zoe Saldana and Elizabeth Olsen.

“Part of it, I think, was literally the schedule — maybe. I mean, I don’t know,” he says with a shrug. “We didn’t push that hard.”

Winderbaum is more direct when asked about Dave Bautista, who said on Twitter that he was “never asked” to return as the hilariously deadpan Drax the Destroyer from the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films.
*  *  *
“I saw that, too,” Winderbaum says. “It’s my understanding that everybody was asked in some way, shape or form, either through their agents or directly. I don’t know really what happened behind the scenes there, but certainly, we would have loved for him to be in the show. So there’s probably some miscommunication somewhere.”


Everything You Need to Know Going into ‘What If…?’
BY CHRISTINE DINH   August 11, 2021
https://www.marvel.com/articles/tv-shows/marvel-studios-what-if-guide-disney-plus?linkId=127314074 

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As for what to expect, Winderbaum stated, “We bounce around genres and tone—some episodes will be dramatic; some will be tragic or comedic.”
*  *  *
“The multiverse has now erupted in every possible direction,” revealed Winderbaum. “What If…? gives us a chance to explore that. And you can tell, in this saga, the multiverse is gonna be crucial.”


Watch Peggy Carter become the first Avenger in sneak peek at Marvel's What If…?
By Sydney Bucksbaum   August 10, 2021
https://ew.com/tv/marvel-what-if-premiere-preview-ac-bradley-bryan-andrews/ 

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What If…? director Bryan Andrews reveals that an early idea for the first episode was to make Steve Rogers the villain, but that didn't come to pass. "Way early on we were kicking around all these different ideas, just weird stuff," he says, noting that he felt like the ultimate fan brainstorming each episode. It was Bradley who came up with the idea to have Peggy Carter receive the supersoldier serum instead of Steve in the premiere. "Then it was off to the races," Andrews says, adding that the series continues to build other stories from that point forward. "We're going weirder and crazier, just nerding out on what we would want to see. Just wait. You have no idea what's coming."
*  *  *
And with most of the MCU live-action actors coming in to reprise their characters through voice-over, Bradley reveals that many of them were shocked by just how different these new versions of their iconic characters are. "The biggest compliment we ever received is when they'd be like, 'This is weird. This is a weird story. This is not something I'd ever got to do in the movies,'" Bradley says. "Sebastian Stan was like, 'I don't get to make jokes in the movies, are you sure this is for me?' He was surprised. We were like, 'Yeah, you get to make jokes. That's your what-if: You're funny.'"

"There were some [actors] that had that kind of reservation at first, but then by the end of it they were digging it and riffing and trying to play and bring some new stuff to the material," Andrews adds. "It's funny, they all had a blast once they got through it, but some were definitely like, 'Why am I here?' But then it switched for them and they're like, 'Oh, this is cool!' It's that stigma of animation that it's always just for this age range, but now that they know, 'Oh wait, you guys are like the movies, that's great. This is exciting.'"

Bradley remembers Cobie Smulders and Samuel L. Jackson especially having a lot of fun in the studio recording their lines, but she calls out Paul Rudd as the MVP voice actor of the season. "He was in for like three hours and he almost won office employee of the month," she says. "He came in second [place]. That's how much fun Paul Rudd had — he doesn't even work here."
*  *  *
What If…? also features the final appearance of the late Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa, a.k.a. Black Panther, as the actor recorded his lines before his death from colon cancer in 2020. Bradley reveals that when Michael B. Jordan came in to record his lines as Erik Killmonger, "He felt like we were still doing justice to both T'Challa and Killmonger, while also taking the story in new directions," which gave her and Andrews a real sense of pride. "We're very careful to make sure that we stay true to what people loved about these characters and the heart of them," she adds. "You want to reward the audience for being on this journey for so long."


Marvel Studios’ What If…? I Question Everything | TUCSON | Hyundai
HyundaiUSA   Aug 11, 2021

 

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Who Plays Steve Rogers In What If? (& Why Chris Evans Didn't Return)
BY MITCH BROOK   August 11, 2021
https://screenrant.com/what-if-steve-rogers-captain-america-actor-josh-keaton 

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... For What If...? Steve Rogers – no longer Captain America – is voiced by Josh Keaton, a decision likely made because Chris Evans' time in the MCU has come to a close, or for scheduling reasons.
*  *  *
Speaking with Uproxx, What If...? director Bryan Andrews spoke briefly about why certain members of the cast didn't return to voice their iconic MCU roles while so many others did (the cast list is extensive, with everyone from Chadwick Boseman and Mark Ruffalo to Tilda Swinton returning). He said, "All of these people are extremely talented and they’ve got a lot of stuff going on. And we figured we probably wouldn’t be able to get everybody, just because scheduling is so difficult." ....

Josh Keaton has decades of voice acting experience in TV, movies, and video games, and this isn't even his first time voicing a character from Marvel Comics, or for Disney. His major credits include voicing Young Hercules in Hercules (1997), Takashi 'Shiro' Shirogane (a.k.a. "Space Dad") in Voltron: Legendary Defender, and even Spidey/Peter Parker himself in The Spectacular Spider-Man animated TV show. He has a major role in What If...? episode 1, but it's yet to be seen whether Skinny Steve Rogers returns once again in the series, or if Josh Keaton voices other characters on the show. With What If...? already confirmed for season 2, it's not unlikely that MCU fans will get to see more of Josh Keaton's Steve Rogers.

 

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Director Bryan Andrews and head writer A.C. Bradley revealed other What If...? storylines that were proposed and rejected...

What If Marvel’s What If? Had Covered These Abandoned Story Lines?
BY ANTHONY BREZNICAN    AUGUST 12, 2021
https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/08/what-if-marvel-unused-stories 

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Marvel’s speculative What If…? series was always going to start with something retro. Director Bryan Andrews envisioned a story set during the 1940s involving Captain America and Peggy Carter at the dawn of what would become the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But this time, there would be a mind-melting twist.
*  *  *
“It was also in the vein of doing something vintage and pulpy, because I love that,” says Andrews, who previously worked as a storyboard artist on the Avengers films, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Doctor Strange. “There were three heroes back-to-back, and they’re fighting, like, all the Nazis. It’s Cap with the super-serum, as we know him, Peggy Carter, just being her normal badass self because she doesn’t need the serum—and the Rocketeer.”
...
Yes, that Rocketeer, as in the non-Marvel comic book hero created by the late artist Dave Stevens, which was adapted into a cult-favorite live-action movie in 1991. The Rocketeer does take place during the World War II era, and Disney did release that film, which was directed by Joe Johnston, who also made 2011’s Captain America: The First Avenger. So there was plenty of connective tissue. But adding a new hero from an entirely different universe wound up being a dimension too far, even for a show like this.

“Kevin was just like, ‘Uh, yeah, no, no, we’re not gonna do that. But I like the drawing!’” Andrews recalls. 

As exciting as that may sound to Rocketeer fans, there were good reasons for not going there, beyond copyright entanglements. “There’s a big can of worms because [Tony Stark’s father] Howard Stark is basically the Marvel version of Howard Hughes,” notes Andrews. The famed aviator and entrepreneur was a key figure in The Rocketeer story, played in the film by future Lost actor Terry O’Quinn. “If you have The Rocketeer in Marvel, does Howard Hughes exist?” Andrews asks. “But the multiverse is infinite! So maybe they both can exist at the same point in time, you know? I don’t know. Anyways, I tried.”

Now that the first season of What If…? is rolling out and a second season is already underway, Andrews and the show’s head writer, A.C. Bradley, took Vanity Fair on a journey through some of the other ideas that were too weird to live, but too fun to forget.

Captain Hydra
...
The set-up was simple: What if Steve Rogers had fallen off the train into a frozen wasteland instead of his friend Bucky Barnes? 

This was another alt-version of the Captain America story line. The concept was proposed by Marvel as a test while recruiting a prospective head writer. “This was the story I had to pitch to get the job,” says Bradley, who previously wrote for the Netflix animated series Trollhunters and its alien spin-off 3Below.
*  *  *
“My idea was, if Steve fell off the train, we would jump forward in time,” Bradley says. The Steve Rogers version of Winter Soldier would not slyly operate in the shadows, but instead aggressively and openly pursue the cause of his new evil overlords.

“Steve Rogers is the kind of man that when he believes something is right, he goes to the ends of the Earth to do it,” Bradley says. “But he actually is not a very good soldier. He doesn’t follow orders.” As we saw over and over again in the movies, Cap follows his own lead. “So if he’s brainwashed by Hydra to believe that Hydra is right, he’s going to go full throttle,” Bradley says. Rather than become a mere agent of that evil organization, he would have ascended to be its commander—Captain Hydra.

In Bradley’s take on this alt-universe premise, Peggy, Howard Stark, and Bucky would have joined forces to take down Captain Hydra with the help of a fourth accomplice. (No, not the Rocketeer.) “The fun twist is that it would have been Red Skull, who has now been replaced by Captain Hydra,” Bradley says. “They would have had to stop [Rogers] and then make him remember who he really is.”
*  *  *
The Young Iron Man Chronicles
...
“I always wanted to do a story looking at the relationship between Tony and Howard Stark,” says Bradley. “I’ve always been fascinated by the notion of the sins of the father playing out in the son, and also that age or that moment when a child sees their parent as an actual person, flaws and all, for the first time.”

Her inspiration for this abandoned What If…? story line came from yet another universe, this one a Lucasfilm TV series from the ’90s. “I’m a big fan of The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, and I’m a huge fan of that first 15 minutes of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,” she says. That sequence in the Steven Spielberg movie featured River Phoenix as a Boy Scout version of the future archaeologist, scrapping with looters and setting up the combative relationship with his father (Sean Connery) that would unspool later in the film.

This Marvel father-son tale involving Iron Man and his dad would have been something similar, with a young Tony Stark clashing with the dynamic, entrepreneur father whose absence is key in the official Marvel story line. Bradley wanted to see actual sparks fly between them, and perhaps set Tony on a different course.

“At the end of the day, Tony Stark is the guy who was never supposed to be the hero, becoming the hero,” she says. The real promise of this alternate story line might have been showing us who Tony was before he put on the cynicism that became his very first, unseen armor.

The Noble Loki
...
One unbreakable restriction the What If…? creators had to accept was that they had to avoid focusing too much on characters who were already leading their own Disney+ shows. That meant no Wanda or Vision, no Falcon or Winter Soldier, and no Loki either. 

But when Andrews crafted his original concept-art pitch for Feige, he didn’t know that—and he concluded with a startling image: “We had Loki with Thor’s hammer, like Loki was worthy.”
*  *  *
“At first it seems superficial, but how do you get to that point without changing who he is?” Andrews says. Loki’s duplicitous ways were a survival mechanism in the prime MCU story line. He was always treated as an outcast by his adoptive father, Odin, who snatched him away from his natural father, the warrior king of the Frost Giants.

Loki holding the hammer means something major has changed. “You’re given a thousand questions to answer. It’s like, Oh, did he stay a Frost Giant? Was Odin not a dick and taught him better? You know what I mean? There are so many aspects of that life you can explore,” Andrews says.

While the image of Loki triumphantly wielding Mjolnir was alluring, the story line was nixed due to the existing Hero Loki tale that was in the works. “They didn’t want us to go there because basically they were doing that in the Loki series,” Andrews says.

Kafkaesque Spider-Man
...
For more than a century, Franz Kafka’s 1915 novella The Metamorphosis has unsettled readers with its story of an ordinary man who wakes up one morning to find that his body has morphed into the repellent form of a giant insect. He suffers unspeakable anguish; his family is disgusted, horrified, and ashamed; and it all ends tragically.

Stan Lee’s take on Spider-Man imagined the fun side of possessing the characteristics of an arachnid, but Bradley proposed a What If…? story in which Peter Parker’s radioactive spider bite transformed him into a living nightmare rather than a superhero. “When you’re given the entire toy store to play with, you start thinking, What do I actually want to write?” she says. “I would love to write something that was darker, that’s a little bit more angsty and horror-based. So I was like, Ooh, what if there was a *Metamorphosis–*meets–Spider-Man story that’s really dark body horror?”

The reaction from Marvel: No.

“It would have been hard-R for a show that probably your kids will end up watching,” Bradley says. “It was a little too dark. So I was like, Okay, that’s fine. Can I do zombies? And they said yes, you can do zombies.”

The term “body horror” naturally conjures another master—director David Cronenberg, particularly his 1986 take on The Fly, in which Jeff Goldblum’s scientist merges his body with the genetic elements of a house fly to become a revolting, mutant monster. “It was definitely Cronenberg. It was definitely me wanting to go real dark,” Bradley says.

Her goal was to show the bleaker version of a teenage hero who rises to the occasion and saves the day. “I wanted to strip that apart. Like, what if the gift you’re given is more of a burden that actually is tearing you apart? How do you cope? How do you survive? How do you still stay a 16-year-old kid when you’re dealing with something far bigger and darker than yourself?” Bradley says. “I wanted to take Peter Parker and put him through the ringer.”

Romancing the Infinity Stones
...
Tony Stark got to venture into deep space (and nearly died there as a result), but this What If…? story line would have imagined more of an adventurous rom-com with Iron Man and Pepper Potts galavanting through the galaxy. Its inspiration was a 2,900-year-old epic poem.

“I pitched a big, romantic space-opera episode that was basically The Odyssey but with Pepper and Tony,” Bradley says, adding sarcastically: “Of course, The Odyssey is what really resonates with viewers today.”

While this concept might have harnessed some 1980s-era Michael Douglas–Kathleen Turner energy, the Pepper–Stark animated adventure never achieved liftoff. “It ended up being too big of a story. And there are so many other aspects of Tony Stark to play with,” Bradley says.

 

Edited by tv echo
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On 8/16/2021 at 7:10 AM, tv echo said:

Director Bryan Andrews and head writer A.C. Bradley revealed other What If...? storylines that were proposed and rejected...

What If Marvel’s What If? Had Covered These Abandoned Story Lines?
BY ANTHONY BREZNICAN    AUGUST 12, 2021
https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/08/what-if-marvel-unused-stories 

 

I’m pretty sure six-armed Spider-Man was a classic What If that was popular enough that he was a part of the multiversal Spider-verse comic arc. Honestly less body horror overall IMO than Spiders-man, the “hero” comprised of thousands of spiders in a hive mind (in a classic costume) who believes he’s Peter Parker.

I would have loved the Rocketeer in this. But besides the crossover being a big issue, I’ve also read that it was a rule that this show wouldn’t be the place to introduce any character from the (regular Marvel) comics into the MCU.

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Why X-Men Aren't in Marvel's What If, According to EP Brad Winderbaum
Collider Interviews   Aug 18, 2021

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With the first season of What If…? now streaming, I recently spoke to executive producer Brad Winderbaum. During the interview, he talked about how they decided on thirty-minute episodes, how he hoped to get at least fifty percent of the MCU actors to reprise their roles for the series, if Tom Holland’s Sony contract was the reason he didn’t voice Spider-Man, how the series opens the door to a lot of cool new merchandize, and more. In addition, we discussed the Season 2 episode count, if they plan on having it air next year, and why the X-Men and Fantastic Four won’t appear on the series.

 

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Marvel's What If Season 2 Confirmed To Include Phase 4 Movies
BY JOSH PLAINSE    AUGUST 20, 2021
https://screenrant.com/marvel-what-if-season-2-phase-4-movies/ 

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In a Screen Rant exclusive interview from the Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings press junket, Kevin Feige talked about season 2 of What If…?. In particular, he was asked how Phase 4 and the exploration of the multiverse will tie into What If….? Read what he had to say below:

“That’s the fun thing about having the What If…? series now; we can explore questions just like that,” said Feige. “And I will say, just as season 1 is tapping into films and storylines from the MCU that you’ve seen up to this point, season 2 will definitely incorporate movies from Phase 4.”

 

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Mind Bending | Marvel Studios’ What If…? | Disney+
Marvel Entertainment   Aug 22, 2021

 
A Prince Goes Home (From "What If...T'Challa Became a Star-Lord?"/Audio Only)
MarvelMusicVEVO   Aug 23, 2021

 

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Jeffrey Wright on What If…?, The Watcher, and Westworld Season 4
Collider Interviews   Aug 25, 2021

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During the interview, Wright talked about why he loves both DC and Marvel fans, the passion of comic book fans, how The Watcher is always watching, how much Marvel told him when he signed on for the role, his reaction to the finished episodes, and more. In addition, with Wright currently filming Westworld Season 4, he teased what fans can look forward to on the upcoming season.

 

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Nick Fury and the Avengers have one hell of a week on a dark (and disappointing) What If…?
BySam Barsanti   August 25, 2021
https://www.avclub.com/nick-fury-and-the-avengers-have-one-hell-of-a-week-on-a-1847533086 

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It’s not a disaster, as there is good stuff here, but it is certainly the weakest of the three episodes Disney+ has shown so far—and it also happens to have the loosest What If? premise. There’s less of a clean break from the main MCU reality in this episode, or at least the show obfuscates the clean break for the sake of its central mystery, and that makes it all more frustrating than it needs to be.
*  *  *
Everything in What If…? is silly, that’s the point, but there’s a difference between fun silly and silly silly. Too much of the whodunnit? in this episode is silly silly, tweaking little things about the universe to streamline its story, and it just pulls me straight out. Why make a fan service-heavy tribute to the Marvel Cinematic Universe if you don’t assume that certain audience members (like me) will catch these little cheats?
*  *  *
The episode was already pushing it for me, but this reveal was where it really started crumble. The killer is eventually revealed to be Hank Pym, Hope’s father, who is murdering the Avengers with the Yellowjacket suit from Ant-Man to get revenge against S.H.I.E.L.D. and Nick Fury for the death of his daughter. In this reality, she joined S.H.I.E.L.D. and died on a mission, which pushed Hank over the edge and turned him into a murderer. I like that as a plot point, because Hank Pym was a real bastard for an extended period of time in the comics and this seems like the only way to get something like that into the MCU, but I almost wish Pym took a beat to properly lay out how and why he became a serial killer (maybe with some flashbacks of how things happened differently in this reality) to explain it better.

Everything after the reveal, though? Goddamn great. The fight between Pym and “Nick Fury” (I caught on pretty quick, but I still liked the surprise) is really good, Michael Douglas should be Termite-Man based on how brilliantly he chewed the scenery, and Loki’s last-minute… well, it’s not a heel turn if he was always bad, but it’s always nice to see Loki being Loki. Fury basically says “thanks for your help, feel free to leave whenever,” and then there’s a hard cut to Loki and the armies of Asgard marching into the United Nations building. Like last week’s Ego reveal: Whoops!
*  *  *
- What’s the What If? What if… Hope Van Dyne joined S.H.I.E.L.D. and also died?

- Did they cheat? The “and also” right up above is a cheat, as far as I’m concerned. That’s not to mention the “every Marvel movie is happening at the same time as every other Marvel movie thing.”


Laura Karpman - Sound and Fury (From "What If...? (Episode 3)"/Audio Only)
MarvelMusicVEVO    Aug 27, 2021

 

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12 hours ago, tv echo said:

Nick Fury and the Avengers have one hell of a week on a dark (and disappointing) What If…?
BySam Barsanti   August 25, 2021
https://www.avclub.com/nick-fury-and-the-avengers-have-one-hell-of-a-week-on-a-1847533086 


Laura Karpman - Sound and Fury (From "What If...? (Episode 3)"/Audio Only)
MarvelMusicVEVO    Aug 27, 2021

 

In point of fact they did not cheat.  It was established in the actual MCU universe that Iron Man 2, Hulk and Thor happened very close together - within the same week.  There's even a tie-in comic called, wait for it, "Fury's Big Week" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fury's_Big_Week

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