Critic Reviews

“What If…?” might not win over the superhero-averse, but if you’re a fan who has grown a bit fatigued of Disney’s biggest franchise recently, this could be the antidote you’ve been needing.

It’s off to an excellent start, has continued well, and there’s plenty of prismatic possibility of what else is out there in the far corners of Marvel’s multiverse. More of this type of foundational writing and questioning in Marvel overall, please.

What If…? hasn’t lost any of its sense of fun, and its bizarre MCU mash-ups are cleverer than before. But the show’s gradual reveal of an overarching storyline is starting to become too predictable. .... It’s nothing that a Marvel fan should turn their nose up at just yet, but it is more of a “try to act surprised” holiday gift than a “how did you know?!” holiday gift.

"What If...?" might be the most Marvel Comics thing that Marvel Studios has done, translating the what-might-have-happened-if comic-book concept from page to screen, with all its geekiness intact. The highly stylized animation and access to key actors enhances the fun, creating an extremely logical Disney+ add-on to an increasingly packed multi-verse.

Energetic and flippant, unlike some modern Marvel productions, which tend towards the exhaustingly epic, this is old-school, thwack-pow fun.

Each of the three half-hour episodes made available for review locked me in with breezy scripts, an agile narrative energy and a mesmerizing, near-photorealistic animations style.

T’Challa’s nobility shines through thanks to Boseman’s commanding presence. Nonetheless, the material’s heart and soul is its central gimmick, and it works just as well when episodes choose to more boldly stray from conventional MCU lore.

What If…? is a fun exploration of alternate versions of the MCU, with animation that does a good job of conveying the action that’s baked into the MCU recipe.

Overall What If…? offers an entertaining new take on Marvel continuity that will fill the gap between the main Disney Plus series.

What If…? Starts its second season on an unexpectedly strong note. While the series is clearly in no rush to continue the overarching storyline that connected the episodes of season 1, it does succeed in giving us a satisfying standalone episode featuring Karen Gillan’s Nebula playing in a Blade Runner-influenced sandbox. The central detective mystery fueling this episode may fall a bit flat, but the action, humor, and general tone more than make up for any shortcomings.