Fans who watched What If…?’s final season trailer seemingly caught a glimpse of the MCU’s Mysterio.
In Marvel’s animated streaming series What If…?, Uatu the Watcher serves as a tour guide as he takes viewers through the all-encompassing MCU Multiverse. Past concepts explored include a world where Thor grew up an only child and one in which Peggy Carter became a super soldier instead of Steve Rogers.
Mysterio Makes a Comeback in What If
The trailer for What If…? Season 3, released on Monday, November 11, is chock full of intriguing new details about the animated program’s last run (and even an all-new, What If…?-exclusive superhero).
But one of the most exciting shots was one of a figure strongly resembling Mysterio (First introduced in 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home). He’s seated on some sort of high-tech throne and hooked up to a series of tubes and cables that extend upwards:
Mysterio wasn’t featured in any other shots from the What If…? trailer, making his role appropriately mysterious.
What Is Mysterio Up to in What If…?
So, what brings Ol’ Fishbowl Head to What If…? Well, fans may recall that in Far From Home, the villain already had Multiverse ties. Or at least, he pretended that was the case.
Jake Gyllenhaal’s Quentin Beck, in a quest to pilfer the dangerous EDITH interface from young Peter Parker, concocted a polished and highly elaborate backstory in which he escaped his world, another earth within the Multiverse, after battling supernatural, elemental creatures.
It’s clear to the audience that Beck is full of you-know-what, but he does manage to pull one over on Parker for much of the film.
So, maybe Mysterio’s inclusion in What If…? contains references to his past fakery. It might just be that this animated Mysterio was a Variant who was actually telling the truth about his world being under siege by unstoppable monsters and that he is all that remains.
But facts and truth just don’t feel on-brand for Quentin Beck, who has long used his illusions to screw with Spider-Man and other heroes in the comics. It’s much more probable that what is shown in the trailer constitutes yet another trick from Mysterio.
It is also not yet known if Jake Gyllenhaal will reprise his role as Mysterio for this animated entry. However, since Gyllenhaal has recent television credits (see: Apple TV+’s Presumed Innocent) it might be that Marvel was able to cast him in What If…? as well, provided he wasn’t too pricy.
Worth noting is the fact that Mysterio is a Sony-owned character in live-action, but Marvel retains animation rights, meaning they are likely free and clear to use him in those projects.
With Mysterio additionally being one of Kevin Feige’s favorite Spidey foes, future animated appearances from the character could be possible.
Marvel Animation’s What If…? Season 3 premieres on December 22, exclusively on Disney+.
