The newest Season 3 episode of What If...? doesn't just have the return of Edwin Jarvis but something else from his canceled Marvel Television show.
Fans were ecstatic when James D'Arcy made a cameo as Edwin Jarvis from Marvel Studios' canceled series Agent Carter in Avengers: Endgame. This made him the first official character from a Marvel Television production to jump to the films before Charlie Cox's Matthew Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home.
D'Arcy had expressed hope in the past of reprising Jarvis again in another project. While it's not another live-action appearance, he got his wish in the latest episode of What If...?, along with another surprise reference to Marvel Television's canceled period piece series.
Agent Carter's Stark Pictures Rolls Cameras in What If...?
Not only did James D'Arcy return to give his voice to Edwin Jarvis in the latest episode of What If...?, "What If...Agatha Went to Hollywood?" but one primary location from the second season of the canceled Agent Carter series made a surprising return: Stark Pictures.
In Season 2 of Agent Carter, after Howard Stark got a taste of Hollywood as he was closing a defense contract in Los Angeles, he decided to make the impulsive decision to start his own film studio, Stark Pictures. His first feature would have been a Western based on the in-universe comic books Kid Colt, Outlaw.
Funny enough, another episode in this final season of What If...? will be based around the Wild West, called "What If...1872?" which could mean the first appearance of the in-universe real-life Kid Colt, albeit in an alternate universe. But that's not the only influence Stark Pictures could have on the future of the MCU.
Where Could MCU's Movie Studio Appear Next?
Marvel Studios' upcoming Wonder Man series will be about lampooning Hollywood, making it the perfect opportunity for Marvel Studios to bring back Stark Pictures into the wider MCU. It'd just be too much of a missed opportunity for this piece of lore not to be referenced.
Not only was it a fun bit of meta-commentary on the legitimacy of movies based on comic books, like Kid Colt, Outlaw, but even as a small reference, it could go a long way in expanding the universe.
Wonder Man has been described as "a superhero’s perspective on the entertainment industry," just as She-Hulk was a superhero's perspective on the legal system. It'd be interesting to see if Stark Pictures had left any unseen impact on the pop culture of the MCU beyond just a vanity dream from Howard Stark.
A new episode of What If...? will be released every day on Disney+ until Sunday, December 29.