Review: Marvel’s What If…? “What If… What If?”

OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)

The Watcher faces his superiors with the help of Captain Carter and her team, and a new chapter in the Multiverse begins.

OUR TAKE

And that’s a wrap on What If, at least for now. Just like the last two seasons, this one ends with a much larger threat to the entirety of existence than any other MCU show or movie has ever faced, but it’s also so small and self-contained that it will likely never be acknowledged. But I have to say, this is about as fitting an ending as this version of the show could get. The Watcher (at least this version) is given the most fleshed out character and backstory he has ever gotten, as we get the biggest glimpse into Watcher society and how he began his job. Throughout the series we have seen him straddle the line between detached observer and someone who wishes to protect those who he has the ability to, as well as how that chafes against the code he was made to follow. And yet, if he had not broken his oath, trillions of lives would be lost, and some stories would have never truly started. The other Watchers represent an adherence to the status quo of standing by and not interfering that they wish to uphold, but this final battle is a rejection of that and a push for the idea that if you have the power to help, you also have the responsibility.

Unfortunately, as mentioned last time, due to the nature of streaming television now and “bigger universe reasons” that the writer couldn’t get into, this is the end of the What If story for the foreseeable future. Whether that means something for the MCU multiverse as a whole or simply that Marvel has decided to scale back on TV shows is anyone’s guess, but they certainly picked a good way to at least close this chapter. They’ve been coy about whether or not it will continue in some form, though a show that is all about exploring the endless possibilities, as well as coming up with new things to turn into marketable merch, is more than likely never quite gone for good. And even if the next version is completely different from this one, it will still feel like it in some form or another, because that’s simply the nature of the show. But as we begin the wait for more, we have twenty six good to great episodes to go through, and a big question to ask. This time it won’t be WHAT if, but WHEN.