by Chris Snelgrove
| Published
Marvel animated series what if…? On paper, it provides the franchise's most comprehensive examination of the multiverse by showing us stories from very different realities. However, while all three seasons of the series have been mostly entertaining, they increasingly highlight the biggest weakness of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's multiverse storytelling. like Star Trek: Lower Decks Lately, Marvel has been focusing on giving us “lazy derivative remixes” and what if…? It would be stronger if its multiverse had a better connection to existing movies and TV shows.
Now, some fair warnings before we go any further: we'll get to major spoilers at the end Basement floors As well as the third and final season of what if…?So read on at your own risk.
Star Trek calls out the multiverse
The last two episodes of Basement floors Our Starfleet heroes were involved in investigating quantum rifts and creating a kind of stable wormhole to other dimensions. Along the way, an alter ego, Captain Boimler, complains about the multiverse as a concept, saying that they keep finding “lazy derivative remixes” of familiar characters rather than anything new. Honestly, it's hard not to see that feeling directed at him marvelwhich includes her various films and shows (including what if…?) They severely wasted the storytelling potential of the multiverse.
Movies like Doctor Strange And the multiverse of madness And even a lover Spider-Man: No way home We mostly used the multiverse as an excuse to bring us either new versions of familiar characters (like Dr. Strange and Mr. Fantastic) or cameos from other films (like Green Goblin, Doctor Octopus, and other Sony-era Marvel villains). marvel what if…? The show is designed to be bigger by creating standalone stories set in their own multiverse. However, as huge fans of the original comic series, we can't help but feel that this show would be stronger if it had stronger connections to the current universe.
Just what the Marvel multiverse needs
If you don't know, the original what if…? The comic was about exploring what would happen if a big Marvel event went differently, such as what would happen if the Hulk was killed Wolverine In one of their early battles. Some episodes of the show reflect this by imagining how different the MCU would be if, say, Ultron won Avengers Or that Odin never adopted Loki. But more episodes of this show explore possibilities completely outside the norm, from T'Challa becoming a Star-Lord or Agatha Harkness seeking great power by becoming a Hollywood star.
As Marvel fans, we've enjoyed some of these antics what if…? stories, but Star Trek was right: ultimately, Disney It continues to offer lazy remixes of our beloved characters, effectively dispelling the idea of a multiverse. The show should have been more like a comic book, rooting its stories in an exploration of what would happen if it were big MCU Events had turned out differently. There will still be plenty of opportunities to create fun variants (after all, we have to sell those action figures), but audiences will be more invested in these “new” characters thanks to their connection to the cinematic universe we all know and love.
It's possible that Marvel has taken this advice to heart already: what if…? It ends with its third season, and we'll likely see the death of the multiverse (at least temporarily) after that Secret Wars. As fans who really want to see the series succeed, we will always be haunted by the unique question we think about every time the credits roll. Simply put, what if Marvel did a better job with him? what if…? And the multiverse in general?
And if TVA can bring us into this reality, please do so immediately… We can only watch dead pool & wolverine Often to fix our multiverse storytelling.
