One of Marvel's neatest gimmicks over the many decades is easily their What If..? comic series, which started all the way back in 1977. The very first issue focused on "What If Spider-Man had joined the Fantastic Four?" — rather simple idea which paved the way for the many crazy storylines to come down the line.
So it was a pleasant surprise when Marvel announced that they would be doing an adaptation of that very idea on Disney+. This time, not only would the series be animated, but also set within the MCU, marking the first time that an animated show had a place within the vast Marvel Cinematic World. Times are changing.
It's been a while since the show's announcement, and information on the series has been rather slim. Fans have gotten one trailer for the show, and it only recently got an official release window for August this year.
While fans wait to find out what day in August they will need to save the date for, they can take solace in looking at four brand-new released stills from the upcoming animated MCU venture.
NEW STILLS FROM WHAT IF...?
Marvel has released some brand-new images for their upcoming series What If..?, which is set to premiere on Disney+ this August. The photos can be seen below.
The first photo is a rather simple look at Doctor Strange, and it's hard to tell what episode it is from. The real question is if this Doctor Strange is from one of the many alternate realities that the show will focus on, or if he is from our prime MCU timeline.
This still shows Nick Fury and Hawkeye in what seems to be from the Thor-inspired episode of the series—seeing as the setting seems to match several other shots in the past trailer.
This showcases one of the very first announced storylines of the show in Agent Carter becoming Captain Carter—instead of Steve having taken the serum.
Again, the last photo is from what is sure to be the iconic Captain Carter episode.
THE PRISM OF REALITIES
The very concept of What if..? presents an endless possibility of creative and extremely intriguing ideas—something that plays right into the idea of the show, and the prism of reality that the Watcher himself references in the trailer. Especially given the animated format, the show can go to places and scenarios that just aren't feasible for the upcoming live-action films.
Not many episode storylines are officially known yet, with Captain Carter, Zombies, and T'Challa's Star-Lord being among the few that are. There was some leaked concept art that seems to tease storylines such as Ultron wielding the Infinity Gaunlet, Gamora becoming the Mad Titan, and even Iron Man on Sakaar. The show seems like it's going to be one hell of a wild ride.
A big question that the show's very existence brings up is how the show will impact the larger MCU. Being officially set within the Marvel Cinematic Universe must amount to something, especially with a character as big as The Watcher showing up. So, when will fans potentially see him show up in the live-action side of things?
Or better yet, is it possible that someone from the many different episodes will show their face at some point in the future? With the heavy multiverse focus going forward, it would be strange for that avenue to not be taken at all.
