What If...? has been a unique ride for fans, one that has told stories that simply aren't feasible to do in live-action. Being able to go back and adjust any little detail and explore the cascading effects has made for an awesome journey.
Generally speaking, when Marvel Studios has a project, it, in some way, shape, or form, will tease/build toward something in the MCU's future. Can fans expect the same for this show as it reaches its final hour?
Throughout the first season, What If...? was, unbeknownst to fans, building the foundation for Infinity Ultron. Not only that, but the answer to beating this huge threat is with the likes of Captain Carter or Doctor Strange Supreme—even Party Thor is going to play a part in beating Stark's creation.
While building up to the events of the finale is one thing, can fans expect future MCU projects to be set up as well, maybe even, say, Avengers 5?
No Avengers Set Up Here
Talking with Entertainment Weekly, What If...? head writer A.C. Bradley touched upon the idea that the show is building toward another big live-action event movie.
According to her, "[they're] not a show that's designed to set up Avengers 5:"
"We're not a show that's designed to set up Avengers 5... It's supposed to be just about entertainment and what these heroes mean to us. When I took the job, one of my rules was let's be free. We're in the multiverse — we should be as free as can be and go and run into the wild, into the stories the movies will never do, into the stories the TV shows will never do, and show both Disney and the fans all the possibilities of these characters."
Will What If...? Change the MCU?
The events going down in What If...? right now are larger than life.
There's an Ultron with six Infinity Stones punching through multiverses and bullying an alien being who may be as old as creation itself. It's kind of hard to believe that something as big as that will have no setup for the MCU's future.
While Avengers 5 may not be set up by the end of the show, that honor may go to Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness instead. There have already been rumors that Captain Carter will be making her live-action debut in the film and how Strange will even go up against an Ultron bot or two.
As for when fans will start seeing true teases for the next Avengers film, that's unknown. It's probably safe to assume those teases will likely be associated with Kang the Conqueror, the big bad first seen and introduced in Loki's season finale.
With the character's next appearance being in Ant-Man: Quantumania, that could be a good place for fans to keep their eyes on. The film releases on February 17, 2023, so sadly, there will be quite a long wait until fans know how that will all pan out.
The Season 1 finale of What If...? will stream exclusively on Disney+ on Wednesday, October 6, 2021.
