No one really knows what the future holds for the characters in season one of What If...?. But with a season filled with an endless world of possibilities and season two coming, there are no limits to where these characters can go.
The first half of What If...? hinted at some continuity with dreams of the Guardians of the Multiverse being sprinkled in every episode. This led many fans to believe that this season, despite being alternative realities and one-off stories, could come together for an Avengers-level finale. And with the most recent cliffhanger mixed with some promotional footage that hasn't made its way to the screen, that theory still holds a lot of hope.
However, there has been one episode that feels like it is two leaps away from the continuity and will live as a singular story moving forward. That of course is the Zombie episode.
Audiences did not see any of the remaining characters with a pulse in What If...? "Zombies" be pulled into a different universe as Captain Carter was in the season premiere. The cliffhanger of zombie Thanos also leads one to believe that there is a serious big bad threat on the other end of this Quinjet ride between Scott Lang, T'Challa, and Peter Parker.
While the zombie episode seems to be heading down a one-way track, that does not mean that fans need to wait for Zombies Part Two to see these characters again. T'Challa, voiced by the late great Chadwick Boseman, is already in more episodes of What If...? than any other character. So that means that everyone's favorite neighborhood Spider-Man is open game for even more adventures in What If...?
So far in this show, the voice actors brought in to replace the original actors who could not be signed on, have carried their role throughout multiple versions of a character. The best example of this is Josh Keaton who has played Steve Rogers in multiple episodes. That means that whoever voiced Spidey in the zombie episode is more than likely going to be the What If...? Peter Parker moving forward. That man is Hudson Thames.
Hudson sat down with The Direct to discuss his future with the Web-Head in an exclusive interview.
Hudson Thames on His Peter Parker's Future
In the first of many interviews as Peter Parker on What If...? Hudson Thames was given the ultimate test for actors in the MCU. When asked when the next time he will be voicing Peter Parker, he knew right away that was something he was "not allowed to talk about."
"Oh man, that is one I am not allowed to talk about. That is some good investigative journalism. I wish I could tell you more, but that is a short leash for me."
So while Thames cannot give exact details as to when audiences will hear him again, the beauty of What If...? is the power of imagination. Thames went on to talk about his dream Spider-Man What If...? episode that could happen in season two or further down the line. Much like any star, Hudson wants to go toe-to-toe with the best and fight some kind of iconic villain" in the animated series.
"The whole premise, obviously, is like different universal situations, right? When I was first thinking about the role, and I didn't know much about the episode, I didn't know the zombie aspect. I knew I was fighting some sort of villain, but I didn't know what that was going to mean. I was like, 'Oh, man, how cool would it be for 14-year-old Hud to fight Doc Ock, or one of those guys.' But, I think it would be really cool, and hopefully the show continues, and we get to do more, but to fight another one of the Avengers villains like Thanos or whoever it is. Because obviously, everything is kind of mismatched in a really cool way. I would love to fight some kind of iconic villain I am familiar with. That would be rad."
With the zombie hunter Peter Parker on his way to his next big battle, fans are already on the edge of their seats for Hudson's return in What If...? While Zombies part two is going to be a highly anticipated event, hopefully, there are plenty more Peter Parker stories to be told.
The Beauty of What If...?
Being able to tell unlimited stories with unlimited characters is an advantage What If...? has that no other project in the MCU has ever experienced. The appeal of Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame is the simple fact that over 25 different characters from the MCU live between the opening and closing credits. That is a feat that shattered the expectations of anyone following along and will likely not be matched in achievement ever again.
What If...? was able to pull off that effect in their mid-season Zombie episode.
A world like that leaves possibilities endless and fan fiction more and more likely as the story progresses. Audiences have already been treated to a super soldier Peggy Carter, a space-bound T'Challa, and a party to end the universe hosted on Earth, by the God of Thunder. So with a character as beloved as Spider-Man, and an actor like Hudson Thames who is ready for anything, it is safe to imagine that a new and exciting Peter Parker story is somewhere down the line.
Will Spidey being squaring off against the likes of Thanos? Well, in Zombies part two he definitely will, which is an awesome thing. Seeing a Sinister Six What If...? episode would be an amazing way to pay homage to the legendary character but maybe use MCU villains to fill out the squad. Or maybe just a revamped version of Spider-Man: Into The Spiderverse where various types of wall-crawler appear.
Regardless, Hudson Thames will return someday to voice Peter Parker and much like in his first adventure, it is certain to be a weird and wild ride.
