According to executive producer Brad Winderbaum, Disney+’s What If…? is as important to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe as any of Marvel Studios’ other projects. Based on the comic series of the same name, What If…? explores its titular question by re-imagining classic MCU stories and characters had things played out differently. For example, the show’s first episode sees Peggy Carter (Hayley Atwell) take the super-soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers while the second has Yondu abduct Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa instead of Peter Quill.

When the animated series was first announced, it was thought by many to be an anthology series that won’t directly affect the MCU. Now, What…If? is set to premiere in the wake of Loki, which liberated the Scared Timeline, established the multiverse, and seemingly endless possibilities along with it. The series is narrated by Uatu the Watcher (Jeffrey Wright), a being tasked with watching over the multiverse. A staggering amount of MCU actors are reprising their roles in voice form for the series which is now expected to put “multiverse madness” on full display and perhaps lead into upcoming films like Spider-Man: No Way Home, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.

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In an interview with Deadline, VP of Production and Development at Marvel Studios, Winderbaum, briefly touched upon how What If…? will impact the larger MCU. The fact that What If…? takes place after Loki makes it potentially as important (if not more) than any other story in the MCU. Read what he had to say below:

It’s no coincidence that the show picks up right after Loki. The multi-verse has erupted in every possible direction. What If…? gives us a chance to explore that…I think that without going into great detail, I can tell you that What If…? as a project, as a story that exists in the MCU, is as important as any other and is woven into that tapestry.

The long list of returning MCU performers for What If…? includes Atwell, Chris Hemsworth, Paul Rudd, Mark Ruffalo, Samuel L. Jackson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Benedict Wong, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, Danai Gurira, Don Cheadle, Emily VanCamp, Evangeline Lilly, Jeff Goldblum, Jeremy Renner, Jon Favreau, Josh Brolin, Karen Gillan, Kat Dennings, Kurt Russell, Leslie Bibb, Mark Ruffalo, Michael B. Jordan, Michael Douglas, Michael Rooker, Natalie Portman, Neal McDonough, Ophelia Lovibond, Paul Bettany, Sebastian Stan, Tom Hiddleston, and the late Boseman in his final role. That said the show’s creators put a lot of effort into making Boseman’s episode not only pay homage to Guardians of the Galaxy, but the actor’s legacy, too. It is in this way that the series should examine the past, set the MCU up for the future, and be a zany ride.

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige has said the goal of the series is to turn classic moments on their heads and feature as many MCU characters as possible from all 23 movies. It’s possible the series may even reference the events of Loki or even further tease Kang the Conqueror (Jonathan Majors). Doctor Strange (Cumberbatch) is poised to play a prominent role in What If…? Episode details have revealed the Sorcerer Supreme facing off against a darker version of himself, implying the Scared Timeline’s Strange may be featured. It would make sense for Strange to be aware of all the branching realities following Loki. Overarching plotlines aside, What If…? will be adapting popular storylines like Marvel Zombies and, being an animation, will be largely unrestrained by budgetary concerns. This truly allows the multiverse to be put on full display.

Source: Deadline

Key Release Dates
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  • Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)Release date: Sep 03, 2021
  • Eternals (2021)Release date: Nov 05, 2021
  • Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)Release date: May 06, 2022
  • Thor: Love and Thunder (2022)Release date: Jul 08, 2022
  • Black Panther: Wakanda Forever/Black Panther 2 (2022)Release date: Nov 11, 2022
  • The Marvels/Captain Marvel 2 (2023)Release date: Feb 17, 2023
  • Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (2023)Release date: Jul 28, 2023
  • Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023)Release date: May 05, 2023
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Josh Plainse
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Josh Plainse is a writer, movie, and television fanatic based out of Wisconsin. Josh works for Screen Rant covering the latest in entertainment while simultaneously pursuing the never-ending dream of becoming an established novelist, screenwriter, and/or decent human being. Josh would accredit characters such as Goku, Han Solo, Simba, and Maximus Decimus Meridius for instilling within him an affinity for storytelling. It is this incessant obsession which has propelled him to seek opportunities that inform, entertain, and inspire others.

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