2021 is a big year for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), mainly because of Disney Plus. There’s a whole bunch of new live-action TV shows planned, with Loki being the next on the way. However, there’s also quite an intriguing animated show in the mix.
What If…? will explore alternative possibilities of what could have happened in classic Marvel storylines. For example, what if Peggy Carter got the super-soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers?
If you want to know more about What If…?, we’ve rounded up all the information we know. You can also check out all the Marvel shows and films that are on Disney Plus right now.
When does What If…? air?
Disney has now confirmed that What If…? will drop on 11 August 2021, in line with the new Wednesday releases from the platform.
The show will run for ten episodes, which we assume will be released on a weekly basis.
Watch the trailer
On the Disney Plus Investor Day, a full trailer was dropped for the series. You can watch this below:
The second trailer dropped on 8 July – watch it below:
Enter the multiverse of unlimited possibilities. Marvel Studios’ first animated series, What If…?, starts streaming August 11 with new episodes Wednesdays on @DisneyPlus. @WhatIfOfficial pic.twitter.com/MksL2Wa8B9
— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios)
July 8, 2021
There’s also a new poster, with a look at some of the characters that will appear:
One question changes everything. Marvel Studios’ first animated series, What If…?, starts streaming August 11 with new episodes Wednesdays on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/wh69wOqPAa
— What If…? (@whatifofficial)
July 8, 2021
Who are the cast and crew?
Whilst the show will be animated, there will be a number of Marvel actors reprising their roles for this series.
Those confirmed to voice act include Robert Downey Jr., Michael B. Jordan, Sebastian Stan, Josh Brolin, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Chris Hemsworth, Haley Atwell, Chadwick Boseman, Karen Gillan, Jeremy Renner, Paul Rudd and Michael Douglas. Jeffrey Wright will also act as the narrator – also known as the Watcher.
The show is being written by A.C. Bradley and is directed by Bryan Andrews. The animation has been co-developed by Marvel Studios and Squeeze, with Stephan Franck serving as head of animation.
What If…? plot
What If…? is an anthology series, so every episode will stand as its own story. The character narrating throughout will be Uatu, the Watcher, an extra-terrestrial being who plays out alternative timelines within the multiverse to see how the stories end.
The trailer confirmed that the following scenarios will be played out:
- What if Peggy Carter got the super-soldier serum and became Captain Britain?
- What if Prince T’Challa was picked up by Yondu and became Star Lord, rather than Peter Quill?
- What if Tony Stark was rescued by Killmonger?
We don’t yet have confirmation on what the other stories will be, however, we saw one shot of Loki in a seemingly powerful position – so perhaps this could be an alternative universe where the God of Mischief was successful in the Battle of New York, and wasn’t defeated by the Avengers.
There’s a rather frightening shot of a zombie Captain America facing off against Bucky Barnes. Perhaps this is a universe where Hydra reign supreme and turn Captain America into an undead super soldier?
There’s also a scene of Doctor Strange facing off against an evil clone of himself. If we had to guess, this could tie in with the multiverse theory being introduced in the sequel film.
There were also clips of other famous avengers such as Iron Man, Captain Marvel and Thor – but beyond knowing that they appear, we can’t yet guess what the plots will be about.
Will there be a What If…? season two?
It’s likely that there will be more than one season of What If…?. In an interview with Discussing Film, showrunner Showrunner Ashley Bradley confirmed that 30 episode ideas have been written – so if they all get used there will be room for three seasons in total.
Brad Winderbaum also confirmed to iO9 that Captain Carter will have multiple episodes across the seasons, and will be connecting thread for the overarching narrative.
How to watch What If…?
What If…? is a Disney Plus exclusive, which means you’ll only be able to watch it on there. At the time of writing, Disney+ costs £7.99/$7.99 per month for a rolling subscription, and £79.90/$79.99 for an annual pass. You can sign up for Disney Plus here.
