What If…? Season 2 Review Episode 1-3: Return To The Possible Universes Of The Marvel Cinematic Universe
Stars: Jeffrey Wright, Karen Gillan, Jude Law, Michael Douglas, Hayley Atwell
Director: Bryan Andrews
Streaming Platform: Disney+
Filmyhype.com Ratings: 4/5 (four stars)
What If..? Season 2 finally arrived on Disney+ streaming platforms. What If animation saved the Marvel Cinematic Universe? With the release of the first season of Marvel’s What If…?, the first animated series of the Marvel superhero franchise proved to be a welcome experiment, harking back to the What If…? comics that had shown True Believers that there was much more than the multiverse. Bearing in mind that the cinematic dimension of the heroes of the House of Ideas is still trying to find a concrete use of the much-vaunted multiverse, what was a declaration of freedom from the comic book original has been borrowed into a component of the multiversal grammar of the franchise.
The first season of Marvel’s What If…? arrived in conjunction with the appearance of the first moments of crisis of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, intent on facing Phase Four which has become the origin story of the current franchise crisis. At that juncture, Marvel What If…? It had become an almost salvific experience, which deluded us into thinking that behind this tightrope superhero project, there was a plan capable of still finding ideas on which to build a satisfying narrative. But now that numerous disappointments have accumulated, from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania to Secret Invasion, with the only light being Loki, we can still consider the new season of Marvel’s What If…? a turning point for a struggling franchise? The series’ second season, which arrived for the Christmas holidays on Disney Plus, could tell us.
What If…? Season 2 Review: Story Plot
Episode 1
The second episode of What If…? Season 2, begins by following Peter Quill’s origin story already revealed in the first Guardians of the Galaxy film. The important change, however, begins when Yondu decides not to keep the boy with him and raise him as a member of the Ravagers but to hand him over to his father Ego who intends to make him a weapon of destruction and conquest. It is 1988, in the midst of the Cold War, and an unidentified object appears in the streets of New York and crashes into Gran Central Station which later turns out to be a spaceship containing a young Peter Quill who, in his past months with his father, he had been introduced to his “expansion” plan.
Meanwhile, in SHIELD Headquarters Howard Stark and Peggy Carter realize the gravity of the situation and how every solar system that has seen Peter’s passage has been destroyed. They therefore decide to bring together a team of Avengers different from the one we have known on the big screen, composed of Hank Pym, who lives in mourning of the death of his wife and the complicated relationship with his daughter, King T’Chaka, Bill Foster, Mar-Vell and The Winter Soldier still under Russian control. To these is added at the end of the episode a Thor who is increasingly intent on “destroying the threat”, without taking into account that we are talking about an 8-year-old child whose sole intention is to escape from his father’s oppression and return home.
Episode 2
Happy Hogan is Tony Stark’s famous head of security and, in episode 2×03 of What If…? He becomes the protagonist of the Observer’s narrative. After starting in media’s res, the story goes back through the flashback that refers to a few hours earlier, when the Christmas party organized by Tony Stark is interrupted by a break-in by Justin Hammer. In fact, after being incarcerated, Iron Man’s enemy organizes a technological revenge that takes place through the control of all the building’s security systems, while Jarvis is deactivated and undergoing maintenance. Since the Avengers are not available because they are busy with their Christmas, Happy is the only one who will be able to defend the Avengers Tower, after having – by mistake – taken the vial that transforms him into a particular version of the Hulk.
Episode 3
Happy Hogan is Tony Stark’s famous head of security and, in episode 2×03 of What If…? He becomes the protagonist of the Observer’s narrative. After starting in media’s res, the story goes back through the flashback that refers to a few hours earlier, when the Christmas party organized by Tony Stark is interrupted by a break-in by Justin Hammer. After being incarcerated, Iron Man’s enemy organizes a technological revenge that takes place through the control of all the building’s security systems, while Jarvis is deactivated and undergoing maintenance. Since the Avengers are not available because they are busy with their Christmas, Happy is the only one who will be able to defend the Avengers Tower, after having – by mistake – taken the vial that transforms him into a particular version of the Hulk.
What If…? Season 2 Review and Analysis
Faithful to the primordial spark with which What If..? of paper, the screenwriters led by AC Bradley, creator of the series, therefore borrowed from the paper version the essential traits of the spirit of What If..?, first of all by calling into action Uatu the Watcher, an extraterrestrial member of a race that witnesses events of great importance in the Universe, without ever interfering. This omniscient being, vocally performed in the original by Jeffrey Wright, is also allowed to identify the turning points of the story, those moments in which continuity found itself at a crossroads, situations that create infinite possibilities. Occasions in which, as the Observer reminds us in the incipit of each episode, we can ask ourselves ‘What If…?‘. Captivating narrative suggestion, which the Disney animated series presents with character and personality, captures a perfect synthesis between respect for the comic narrative formula and contextualization within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Without taking away the pleasure of discovering what these alternative universes are, we will simply confirm the quality of the work of the screenwriters, who were able to create situations in which the nature of the well-known characters is kept unchanged, with changes that take place in a reasoned and due to attitudes, that are the result of a substantial change in the course of events. These specific traits of the first season of Marvel’s What If…? made the animated series of the Marvel Cinematic Universe one of the products of greatest interest for fans of the saga. A narrative rendering that is also embellished by a satisfying technical realization. Made in cel-shaded, under the guidance of visual development manager Ryan Meinerding, the 9 episodes that made up the first season showed fluidity of animation and attention to detail, carefully capturing the nuances of the cinematic MCU, reproducing them faithfully and allowing for the right spaces of freedom to show your personality.
Each episode of the first season delighted us with its respect for the continuity of the MCU in re-proposing locations, notes, and movements of the characters with obsessive attention, surprising us with a lively and impeccable color, which contributes to the sensation of finding ourselves once again in the presence of a high-quality product. quality of the MCU, capable not only of reproducing the visual sensations of the cinematic chapters of the saga but of creating cosmic situations, especially in the presentation, which echo the mastery of masters such as Starlin and Shooter. Could we therefore expect a less exciting second season? The recent disappointments of the MCU and the creation of a rudimentary continuity had left fans with the hope of being able to witness the creation of a seriality that is both strongly vertical and open to horizontal development, with the chance to participate in that multiverse of which we still know frighteningly little. And perhaps, given the progress of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, even Marvel Studios knows little about it.
The incredible success of the first season of Marvel’s What If…? It’s also part of the second season’s weakness. We don’t criticize the visual system, which always remains at very high levels, but what pays the price is the imagination, the lack of a surprising narrative figure that shows the potential of the concept of ‘What If..?‘. The first episode, dedicated to Nebula, is the most intriguing, thanks to a sci-fi noir vision that is more influenced by the atmosphere of Blade Runner than by the Marvel comics context. The rest of the episodes seem to suffer from a complacency that abandons the concept of an alternative vision to rely on a more established abuse of quotations, with a minimum effort of variation. Even going so far as to create an entire episode that parodies none other than a Christmas cult like The Crystal Trap.
Whether it’s being influenced by Thor: Ragnarok or Black Widow, the second season of Marvel’s What If…? seems to suffer from the same lack of clarity that has plagued the entire franchise for too long. As fun, as it is, this new batch of episodes fails to show enough personality to be considered an essential addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, remaining a lazy and overly cautious divertissement, almost self-satisfied to the point of not wanting to push the adventure, timidly anchored in fixed points that fans will hopefully be forgiving of. As appreciable as the idea of being inspired by under-appreciated comic cycles such as 1602, the second season of Marvel What If…? It is appreciated more for the improvement made to the visual sector, which was previously of a very high level. The biggest and most commendable improvement in the second season of this animated series is the better animation and overall higher production quality. Looking back for comparison, the animation in the first season seems stiffer and cheaper.
The choreography has also been significantly improved, with some impressive fight scenes that seem to abandon the comic book inspiration and move even closer to the visual grammar of anime. The choice to present the second season of Marvel’s What If…? A Christmas gift to fans can be an intriguing and functional mechanism to create an emotional bond between product and fandom, but on the other hand, it raises a question: should we treat it like a sipped Holiday Special? Thinking back to last year’s special dedicated to the weirdos par excellence of the Marvel franchise, this approach seems to once again indicate a lack of direction for the franchise, which has no longer valorized fixed appointments with fans that can create traditions, losing sight of the potential such as the Special Presentations.
Despite the various speculations, we cannot ignore that the second season of Marvel’s What If…? Is both a container of adrenaline-filled moments and fragments of poetry, which are diluted in a narrative that is not always up to par. For better or worse, this makes Marvel’s What If…? a mirror of the current condition of the franchise, without however suffocating the hope of witnessing the resumption of the multiversal saga of Marvel’s heroes. The second season of What If maintains what was seen in the first season and, once again, Captain Carter is the protagonist of the main story. Through ups and downs, they prove to be good episodes, some interesting while others leave something to be desired (see the racing episode on Sakaar or the one with the Hydra Stomper). Certainly, seeing other stories set in the 1602 universe in the future could be very interesting and provide surprises. The next upcoming animated series from Marvel Studios are X-Men ’97, Marvel Zombies, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and Eyes of Wakanda!
What If…? Season 2 Review: The Last Words
The choice to present the second season of Marvel’s What if…? Like a Christmas gift to fans, it can be an intriguing and functional mechanism to create an emotional bond between product and fandom, but on the other hand, it raises a question: should we treat it like a sipped Holiday Special? Thinking back to last year’s special dedicated to the weirdo’s par excellence of the Marvel franchise, this approach seems to once again indicate a lack of direction for the franchise, which has no longer valorized fixed appointments with fans that can create traditions, losing sight of the potential such as the Special Presentations. What If follows in the wake of the first season and, together with the Watcher Uatu, we discover new worlds and alternative realities of the MCU. Like most anthology series, some episodes are more interesting than others but it’s still a good season with more ups than downs.
What If…? Season 2 Review Episode 1-3: Return To The Possible Universes Of The Marvel Cinematic Universe - Filmyhype
Director: Bryan Andrews
Date Created: 2023-12-25 12:35
4
Pros
- Stronger narrative focus: Episodes generally have more defined storylines and emotional stakes compared to the sometimes scattered nature of Season 1.
- Improved animation: The animation continues to be impressive, with even smoother action sequences and more detailed environments.
- Witty dialogue and humor: The show retains its signature humor and playful tone, making it a fun watch despite the multiverse's often dark scenarios.
- Greater character development: Some episodes delve deeper into certain characters, offering fresh perspectives and unexpected arcs.
- Surprising connections to the MCU: The season throws in some exciting twists and Easter eggs that tie into the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Cons
- Uneven episode quality: While some episodes are considered highlights, others may feel less impactful or predictable.
- Reliance on familiar MCU tropes: Some episodes retread familiar ground, with scenarios that feel like variations on existing storylines.
- Lack of innovation in animation style: The consistent animation style, while polished, could be seen as limiting for some viewers who enjoyed the stylistic variety of Season 1.
- Rushed finale: The season's overall arc culminates in a finale that some found underwhelming or lacking in resolution.
