Marvel Studios' What If...? was the MCU's first foray into animated content, taking stories that fans knew well and turning them on their heads. That being said, reaction to the series' nine-episode first season was decidedly mixed. While audiences seemed to enjoy the overall premise, elements like the animation style, pacing and level of attention to detail were met with dissatisfaction from some fans.
What If...? has a second season making its way to Disney+ in early 2023 and a third is already confirmed to be in development. Now, Marvel Studios is usually in the business of showing fans what they want to see in their various projects. That's why John Krasinski appeared as Reed Richards in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. So, viewers being less than enthusiastic about more of the animated Marvel show couldn't have gone unnoticed by Marvel's top brass.
What If...? Season 3 Receiving New Head Writer
What If...? head writer A.C. Bradley has confirmed via Twitter that Season 2 will be her last working on the series. In response to a post from the official Marvel Studios Twitter account announcing the second season, Bradley responded: "This is my final project!! It’s been an adventure. All my love to our brilliant cast & crew! Can’t wait for the world to see our work!"
As mentioned above, Season 3 of the animated Marvel program is already very much in development, but a new head writer has not yet been announced. However, series director Bryan Andrews had seemingly confirmed he'd be working on the show's third season when he informed the crowd at San Diego Comic-Con that "We keep pushing the envelope of what’s possible in the multiverse.”
Why the What If Writer Shake-Up?
As pointed out at the top of the article, the fan response to What If...? season one was rather divisive. Perhaps Marvel has taken this into account and decided to drop A.C. Bradley as a writer and go with someone else?
It's also worth pointing out that the standard procedure for many animated television shows is to produce two seasons in bulk before moving on to a third. It's very possible that Bradley, who was also a writer on Ms. Marvel Season 1, just chose to move on after her duties were completed.
Or it's very likely that she just wanted to move on to another project at another studio. The scriptwriting industry can be a very fast-paced business and it's entirely plausible that Bradley was hired away to develop another series.
Whatever the case may be, the entire first season of Marvel Studios' What If...? is now streaming on Disney+ with the second season arriving in 2023.
