D23 has been the source for a ton of news this weekend, which makes sense considering Disney owns everything. On Saturday, Aug. 10, they began announcing details of the many animated Marvel series. One of the most entertaining has beenWhat If…?, which just confirmed that Iron Heart, Shang-Ch, Captain America, Monica Rambeau, and Moon Knight will appear in episodes of the upcoming third season. Season 3 will be the final chapter in the MCU series, as it concludes the Watcher’s storyline and arc. As Brad Winderbaum, Marvel Studios' Head of Streaming, toldThe Official Marvel Podcast:
[It] feels like the completion of a trilogy. It goes beyond the first two seasons in its exploration of the multiverse, and it pulls in characters that are very unexpected, and has what I think is an extremely moving and fulfilling culmination for the Watcher.
What If…?director Bryan Andrews told the crowd at D23 (viaEmpire Magazine on X), “We can take big swings. The wilder What If…? got, it seems the more the audience responds. He said to expect “some Western stuff going on, some stompy robot stuff going on…”
The first season ofWhat If…?premiered back in 2021, and explores various alternate timelines across the multiverse in which major moments from the Marvel Cinematic Universe occur differently, as observed by the Watcher, a member of an alien race who observes the multiverse…but do not interfere. Created by A. C. Bradley for the streaming service Disney+ and based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name,What If…?flips the script on the MCU, reimagining famous events from the films in unexpected ways. Marvel Studios’ first animated series, it focuses on different heroes from the MCU, featuring a voice cast that includes a host of stars who reprise their roles.
The Multiverse Continues, Now with More Success
What If…?
What If… ? is an animated anthology series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe which features fan-favorite characters, including Peggy Carter, T’Challa, Doctor Strange, Killmonger, Thor, and more. The new series, directed by Bryan Andrews with AC Bradley as head writer, features signature MCU action with a curious twist. The show sees Uatu the Watcher, an omnipotent being that observes the events of multiple universes from afar as they unfold, unable to interfere. However, things shift when an entity peers beyond the veil, jeopardizing the multiverse.
The series will once again be narrated by Jeffrey Wright as the Watcher, and will no doubt once again unleash the possibilities of the MCU multiverse. The series has been a big part of the franchise’s Multiverse Saga, which most recently saw both Deadpool and Wolverine join the MCU. Since the first season of the Disney+ series,Loki, the multiverse has been a focal point of the franchise, with the likes ofSpider-Man: No Way HomeandDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madnesstackling the ramifications of such madness on the big screen. Meanwhile, Loki has found himself neck-deep in multiversal shenanigans throughout both seasons on Disney+.
But it’s this year’sDeadpool & Wolverinethat has truly made the multiverse a success thanks to the titular duo and a whole host of crowd-pleasing cameos. While currently unconfirmed, both Deadpool and Wolverine are expected to play a part in,Avengers: DoomsdayandAvengers: Secret Wars, which will bring the Multiverse Saga to an end.
