Abandon All Canon, Ye Who Ask What If?
The Watcher: [narrating] “Basking in the boundless silence of his universe, Ultron ascended to a previously unattainable level of consciousness. He became aware of another. [Ultron turns] He became aware… of The…”
What If? “What If… Ultron Won?” (Season 1, Episode 8)
Infinity Ultron: “I see you.”
I was most excited for the MCU adaptation of What If? It promised to take classic moments from the franchise and show how stories might have changed if the writers weren’t required to protect continuity. Later seasons added a running storyline for better or worse, but the series always kept its promise by showing interesting alternate stories.
So what are the Top 5 Episodes of What If? What if we found out?
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#5 What If? Episodes: What If… Zombies?!
Starring: Spider-Man, The Wasp II, Bruce Banner
The Divergence: Janet Van Dyne was infected by a Quantum Realm virus that made her undead.
[The Wasp has blown up a zombie from the inside]
“What If… Zombies?!” – (Season 1, Episode 5)
Wasp: “Guys?! I’m covered in Sharon!”
Okoye: “…The kid has hand sanitizer?”
What If? episodes aren’t afraid to kill characters. The show exists outside the main universe, so who cares if writers break their toys? Three episodes from the first season killed off The Avengers, but this backdoor pilot for Marvel Zombies is the only one where Earth’s Mightiest Heroes didn’t stay dead.
Synopsis: Bruce Banner crash lands on Earth to warn his friends about Thanos. He is attacked by an undead Iron Man and Dr. Strange. Survivors led by Spider-Man save Banner and fill him in on the zombie apocalypse caused by Ant Man.
The survivors receive a radio broadcast about a sanctuary. With no better options, they fight through hordes of rotting ghouls and undead superheroes to reach it. But what if their sanctuary isn’t as safe as they think?
Why This Episode: What If… Zombies is a fun horror comedy. The zombie apocalypse is hopeless, and the few survivors are constantly hunted by the dead. Making matters worse, Earth’s Hungriest Corpses are smart enough to use their powers and fight as if they were alive.
Horror is balanced out by the survivors’ comedic indifference. They’ve seen everything get as bad as it possibly can, so they crack jokes to vent. Spider-Man films anti-zombie training guides to catch viewers up, like a superhero Zombieland. The other survivors snark about them and mock the grotesque events they see. Comedy occasionally deflates the scary moments, but they’re usually balanced well.
#4 What If… Kahhori Reshaped The World?
Starring: Kahhori
The Divergence: Odin shattering the Space Stone, causing its power to manifest on Earth.
Kahhori: We will make peace or there will be no future for your people.”
“What If… Kahhori Reshaped The World” (Season 2, Episode 6)
What If? episodes usually focus on established characters changing. They might choose a different path or die when they should have lived. This episode flipped the script by introducing a new hero.
Synopsis: Surtur attacks Asgard to claim the Space Stone. Odin destroys the relic, which destroys Asgard. A fragment of the Stone manifests as a lake on Earth, where it is found by a young Mohawk named Kahhori. She falls into the lake while hiding from conquistadors and is transported to a new world.
Kahhori discovers a nation of First Peoples who found the lake before her and have adapted to the super speed that the realm gives them. She quickly masters her new power and returns home to save her nation. But what if someone more familiar with superpowers learned of her existence?
Why This Episode?: What If… Kahhori Reshaped The World is a wonderfully different beast from other episodes. It’s entirely performed in Kanienʼkéha and Spanish aside from a handful of lines. There are no monsters or supervillains, just bigots with guns. And for all her protectiveness of her nation, Kahhori is not a superhero or beholden to their unspoken rules.
Kahhori is an intriguing protagonist. Native American heroes are rare enough, but one taking the spotlight with cosmic-level superpowers? That just doesn’t happen. The episode takes its time developing her personality and motives, even with the breakneck pacing needed to fit in everything.
#3 What If… Howard the Duck Got Hitched?
Starring: Howard the Duck, Darcy Lewis, Byrdie the Duck
The Divergence: Howard visited Earth with Party Prince Thor and fell for an intern.
Howard The Duck: “You’re not getting your mitts on our magical kid!”
“What If… Howard the Duck Got Hitched?” (Season 3, Episode 4)
Ebony Maw: “What? No, we’re here for a company retreat. We have a coupon. […] Wait, did you say magical kid?”
Darcy: [sighs] “Howard!”
There are very few sequels in What If? The anthology usually sticks to one-and-done stories with a cliffhanger ending. This sequel to “What If… Thor Was an Only Child?” is pure comedy focused on the least likely pairing in the series.
Synopsis: Howard the Duck has married intern Darcy Lewis. They live in domestic bliss with a giant egg, preparing to become parents. The Ducks are invited to an interstellar cruise with The Grandmaster. It goes swimmingly until they learn he wants to serve their child as an omelet.
The Ducks go on the run, with evil factions constantly stealing their egg. They learn that their child is a prophesied demigod. The Ducks hide out in Jotunheim at Loki’s Winter resort, but what if every Big Bad in the franchise shows up to steal the egg?
Why This Episode?: This screwball comedy holds nothing sacred. Serious villains are played for comedy while the screw-up parents try to protect the egg. Their worries about being unable to protect their unborn daughter play counterpoint to the laughs.
The finale is full Looney Tunes. Howard and Darcy play hot potato with the egg while an ever-increasing army chases them. Loki runs interference to help, Thanos is grouchy about his minions summoning him for an egg, and The Ducks channel the power of love through a karaoke rendition of Kiss’ “I Was Made For Lovin’ You.”
#2 What If? Episodes: What If… Hela Found the Ten Rings?
Starring: Hela, The Mandarin, Odin
The Divergence: Odin banished Hela instead of sealing her away.
Odin: “No god should have dominion over death who has so little appreciation for life!”
“What If… Hela Found The Ten Rings?” (Season 2, Episode 7)
Villains shine in What If? episodes. They aren’t forced to lose so that heroes can save the day. They can kill. They can conquer. But what if they can be redeemed?
Synopsis: Odin has second thoughts about conquering the Nine Realms. When his daughter Hela attacks him, he banishes her to Earth without her powers. A weakened Hela is brought to The Ten Rings and their leader, Xu Wenwu, who falls in love with the goddess after seeing her fight.
Hela escapes from her would-be paramour and searches for a way to reclaim her power. She finds Tao Lo, a magical realm where she can learn enchanted martial arts and control. But when Odin attacks Earth to kill Wenwu, can Hela find the strength to defeat her father?
Why This Episode: What If Hela Found the Ten Rings condenses many plots into a cohesive whole. It balances banishment, an unlikely romance between two underused Big Bads, Hela’s discovery of her empathy, and culminates in What If?’s best fight.
Martial arts take center stage. Shang-Chi’s Wenwu can’t match Hela and Odin’s raw power, but is a far more skilled fighter. Hela’s journey to enlightenment is reflected in graceful new techniques used to combat her war god father’s brutality. The final battle brings Mortal Kombat to mind with magical weapons, superpowers, and martial arts used in tandem.
#1 What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?
Starring: Doctor Strange Supreme, Christine Palmer, Uatu The Watcher
The Nail: Christine joined Strange on his fateful car ride.
The Watcher: [narrating] “He’s on the wrong path. I could warn him, intervene, but the safety of his world is not worth risking all others. Besides, I doubt he would listen.”
“What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?” (Season 1, Episode 4)
Strange Supreme: “…Hello? Who’s there?”
If villains tend to rise in What If? episodes, heroes often fall. They succumb to vengeance, die, or otherwise fail where they should have succeeded. The best What If? episode broke the Sorcerer Supreme.
Synopsis: Dr. Strange drives his ex, Christine, to an awards ceremony, but she dies in a car accident en route. Strange studies magic and steals the Time Stone to save her. But no matter how many times he resets or changes the circumstances, Christine always dies.
Constant failures lead Strange to dark magic. He kills and absorbs countless magical beings to increase his strength, shredding reality to save his love. But can he save Christine or is her death inescapable?
Why This Episode?: This is a tragedy where a modern day Faust damns a world to save his lost love. Strange’s desperation is on full display as he attempts dozens of rescues. His fall to the dark side and transformation into Strange Supreme mixes action and horror.
The final obstacle is a heroic Doctor Strange, summoned from a timeline where he accepted Christine’s death. But what Strange has learned of control is countered and surpassed by Supreme’s stolen power. Even The Watcher bending his oath against interacting with mortals isn’t enough to protect Strange Supreme from the consequences of his actions.
What episode of What If? is your favorite? Tell us in the comments.
Doctor Strange Supreme in Marvel Studios’ WHAT IF…? exclusively on Disney+. ©Marvel Studios 2021. All Rights Reserved.
Jared Bounacos has written for Movie Rewind since 2016.
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