If there is one aspect of What If...? that has been completely consistent throughout the Disney+ show's first season, it is the return of tenured MCU actors to their respective roles.
The series' debut episode showcased Hayley Atwell's return to the franchise as Captain Carter alongside Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye; it also featured Samuel L. Jackson reprising his role as Nick Fury. As fans experienced a super-soldier version of Agent Carter for the first time, the World War II version of Red Skull used in Captain America: The First Avenger also made his presence known.
Red Skull was portrayed by Hugo Weaving in The First Avenger, but when the character made his return in both Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame on the planet Vormir, actor Ross Marquand was the one to don the mask and cloak.
Marquand reprised his role as Red Skull in What If...?'s first episode, but his acting versatility didn't stop there for the show. In an impressive display of versatility, he also appeared as a different character in the latest episode titled "What If... Ultron Won?"
Ross Marquand's Multiple What If...? Roles
With the powerful return of Ultron in Episode 8 of What If...?, Ross Marquand brought his talents back to the MCU yet again to voice the villainous robot. James Spader voiced the Tony Stark and Bruce Banner creation in 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron, making Marquand's version of the character surprising, yet welcoming.
As Ultron used the Infinity Stones to wreak havoc on anyone in his path, Marquand delivered the perfect one-liners and quotable phrases that the character is known for, such as "I didn't evolve by staying inside the lines."
Marquand was also credited as voicing Red Skull in What If...?'s first episode "What If... Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?," a role that he portrayed in live-action when he took over the character in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame.
The newest MCU veteran wasn't the only one that made his return to the franchise in the show's latest episode, as many familiar names also showed up in the episode's credits. Star actors such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Jeffrey Wright, and Lake Bell were also credited as returning to their respective roles of Doctor Strange, The Watcher, and Natasha Romanoff.
The credits also showcased a few new cast members in the episode, like notable Star Wars: The Clone Wars actor Matthew Wood and Maleficent's Terri Douglas.
The full cast list can be seen below:
The Many Voices of What If...?
With What If...? being set in an almost anthology style, and all of the episodes being their own separate stories until this point, it has allowed for many different actors to see time in the show. So many of the MCU's cornerstone characters have been portrayed throughout the series' first season, with many of the original actors coming back on to reprise their roles.
Actors that are no longer under contract with Marvel Studios, such as Chris Evans and Robert Downey Jr., weren't brought back on for their respective roles like Tony Stark and Captain America, which ultimately gave other talented voice actors a chance to shine as well.
With a second season of the show already confirmed and announced, it is safe to assume that many of the voices that fans have heard throughout season one will be coming back as well, solely for the sake of continuity. Since the show is animated, it wouldn't be a major problem to recast any of the roles, but that likely won't happen unless it is absolutely necessary.
Overall, it has been exciting for fans to not only get to see the crazy fan-fiction-like stories told throughout the show's first season, but also get to see and hear the many talented voices that are behind these characters.
