What If...? had a stellar first season on Disney+, ultimately leading to it being renewed for another batch of installments on the streaming service. Although the stories showcased in What If...? are not connected to the main MCU, the show still managed to unveil exciting adventures, such as the introduction of Captain Carter and a Multiversal team-up that saved every reality against a rampaging Ultron infused with Infinity Stones.
During this year's San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel officially unveiled what's in store for What If...?'s sophomore season. Aside from the confirmation that the episode featuring Tony Stark and Gamora will be included in Season 2's lineup, more Phase 4 heroes are confirmed to show up, such as Shang-Chi, Yelena Belova, and Kamala Khan.
Now, an overview of the roster of What If...? Season 2 has been revealed.
MCU Characters Back for Marvel's What If
What If...? Season 2 is set to feature a plethora of MCU characters from across the board.
During Marvel Studios' animation panel at this year's San Diego Comic-Con, the studio exclusively premiered the first episode of the show's sophomore season.
In the installment, Jeffrey Wright's Watcher returned alongside several key characters, such as Hayley Atwell's Peggy Carter, Josh Keaton's Steve Rogers a.k.a. the Hydra Stomper, and Lake Bell's Black Widow. Rachel Weisz also made her animated Marvel debut as the voice of Melina Vostokoff in the Season 2 premiere.
At the tail-end of the episode, Elizabeth Olsen made a triumphant MCU comeback as the voice of the Scarlet Witch.
In the exclusive SDCC trailer of What If...?, more MCU characters were revealed.
Iron Man (Mick Wingert) can be seen racing on Sakaar alongside Gamora (Cynthia McWilliams), Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum), Taka Waititi's Korg, and an unknown voice actress portraying Valkyrie.
There is also a shot of Hela in the trailer. A Variant of Steve Rogers' Captain America was also seen fighting against Thanos set in Avengers: Infinity War.
Other characters that were featured in the trailer are Bucky Barnes, Wenwu, Ying Li, Odin, The Great Protector, and Ant-Man.
Marvel's official website also confirmed that there are even more surprising characters in Season 2, which includes Yondu, a young Peter Parker, a young Peter Quill, Ego, Shang-Chi, Red Guardian, and more.
Will What If Impact the MCU's Multiverse Saga?
Based on the character lineup of What If...? Season 2, fans should expect more interesting yet unexpected twists in the new round of installments in the show's upcoming run.
The confirmation that several big Marvel stars, such as Elizabeth Olsen and Rachel Weisz, are included in Season 2 is a welcome development, and this could mean that more MCU veterans will soon become part of the animated anthology. Simu Liu previously expressed interest in lending his voice to Marvel Games, meaning that there's a chance that he could be a surprise addition in Season 2 as the one who portrays the MCU's master martial artist.
While What If...? Season 1 had notable heroes and villains from the Infinity Saga, Season 2's stacked roster will definitely raise the stakes and the show's storytelling potential. This could also mean that a threat bigger than Infinity Ultron will be introduced in the finale, and The Watcher could end up recruiting more heroes for another grand battle.
Aside from the already-confirmed characters in Season 2, there's a strong chance that more unexpected heroes and villains will show up. The likes of She-Hulk, Moon Knight, and even Charlie Cox's Daredevil could serve as last-minute additions.
What If...? Season 2 is set to premiere on Disney+ in early 2023.
