What If...? will explore the MCU's multiverse like never before, giving established heroes and villains different storylines. The anticipation is high for the upcoming project, mainly because this will be Marvel Studios' first foray into the realm of animation.
What If...? will feature the voices of a plethora of MCU veterans like Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, and Samuel L. Jackson, and all of them will bring new life to their respective characters in animated format.
Several storylines from the animated series have already been confirmed, such as T'Challa taking over the Star-Lord mantle and Peggy Carter becoming a super-soldier instead of Steve Rogers. The latter has been a major part of the show's marketing, with the trailer showcasing pivotal moments from Peggy's episode.
While Agent Carter will debut as Captain Carter in the show's debut episode, Steve will also be featured in the episode in his own Iron Man-inspired suit known as the HYDRA Stomper.
Now, it seems that another returning villain from the Captain America franchise will also take part in What If...?
RED SKULL RETURNS IN WHAT IF...?
The official LEGO website listed an upcoming LEGO set for Marvel's What If...?, showcasing a fresh look at Hayley Atwell's Peggy Carter, HYDRA Stomper, and the MCU return of Johann Schmidt a.k.a. Red Skull.
The set sees the team-up of Peggy Carter, who is wearing a Winter Soldier-inspired suit, and Steve Rogers' HYDRA Stomper while Red Skull tries to escape with the Tesseract.
Red Skull appears to be defeated by the Star-Spangled duo, with Peggy obtaining the Tesseract while Steve guards the Nazi villain.
The LEGO set includes miniature figures of the three main characters that will be involved in the What If...? episode.
RED SKULL VS. CAPTAIN PEGGY CARTER
The return of Red Skull in What If...? is not surprising, mainly because the episode will follow the events that transpired during 2011's Captain America: The First Avenger. Still, part of the fun of seeing the villain's comeback will be the intriguing dynamic between him and the newly-introduced super-soldier, Peggy Carter.
The inclusion of the Tesseract in the narrative could hint at a similar motivation for the Red Skull in the episode, meaning that he intends to control the world in his own nefarious way. The arrival of Captain Carter will eventually spoil this planned domination, likely leading to multiple encounters with the head of HYDRA.
Steve Rogers and Red Skull had interesting dialogue exchanges during The First Avenger, and the same could be true for Carter and her new nemesis.
It will be interesting to see the matchup between Captain Carter and Red Skull, especially considering that the former has intensive military training, unlike the original Captain America. This means that Red Skull will be challenged even more due to Carter's expertise as a soldier.
What If...? will reportedly premiere on Disney+ in 2021.
