Marvel Studios has always been known for taking large risks with its expansive cinematic universe, however, What If...? could be the studio's biggest risk yet. As the live-action multiverse's role in the MCU continues to grow, it seems the animated series will serve as Marvel's biggest reality-hopping venture to date as fans are introduced to a multitude of alternate takes on their favorite stories.
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.
LEGO LEAK REVEALS STEVE ROGERS IRON MAN SUIT NAME
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.
The $30 USD release will take inspiration from the series premiere, centering around Peggy Carter's Super Soldier Captain Britain while Steve Rogers dons a World War ll Iron Man suit, now confirmed to be called the HYDRA Stomper.
This information lines up with a leak from Marvelous News that suggested a large deluxe Marvel Legends figure was in the works under the name of the HYDRA Stomper. The figure is set to retail for $50 USD, and up until now, it wasn't clear exactly what the HYDRA Stomper was.
HOW DOES A 1940S STEVE ROGERS BECOME IRON MAN?
What If...? will take the MCU in a direction it has never gone in before as it explores alternate takes on fan-favorite characters and films. The premiere episode will offer Peggy Carter the Super Soldier Serum in place of Steve Rogers, allowing her to become Captain Britain. Due to her military connections, this makes logical sense, however, it remains a question how exactly a skinny Steve Rogers will acquire the HYDRA Stomper suit to join Carter in the fight against the German group.
One option for how this could play out would be to see Rogers go through military training as happened in Captain America: The First Avenger, however, ultimately seeing Carter chosen over him to take the Serum. The bond formed between skinny Steve Rogers, Howard Stark, and Peggy Carter could be what leads to Stark developing the first Iron Man suit for Rogers decades earlier than Tony.
While many of the MCU's biggest stars have already been confirmed to be reprising their roles, Chris Evans has yet to be officially confirmed for the series despite his character's obvious return. As it is an animated series, Marvel could easily opt to replace Evans with a voice actor if he wasn't available, however, many fans will still be holding out hope to see the former MCU star reprise his role.
Leaks and news surrounding What If...? have ramped up greatly in recent months, potentially indicating that Marvel and Disney are preparing to begin the marketing campaign for the series. Assuming the series is still on track for a summer launch, fans can expect an official release date will likely be confirmed in the near future alongside more trailers, images, and information.
What If...? is set to debut on Disney+ this summer with a ten-episode first season.
