Category: Reviews

In 2003, author Neil Gaiman’s eight-issue limited series, 1602, reimagined the existence of a couple dozen Marvel Comics heroes and villains in Elizabethan England. Make no mistake, while it was fun and won an award or two, the series was no critical darling. While it hit the mark with readers and ultimately spawned three sequels, critics were split on Gaiman’s first work for Marvel since he wrote Marvelman in the early 1990s. In fact, Comics Bulletin’s Cody Dolan described the series as a “glorified What If…? series” that was neither “revolutionary” nor “groundbreaking.” Unfortunately for Marvel Studios, their attempt to adapt that very same series into their own animated What If…? series is even less revolutionary.

This is certainly not to say that there’s no fun to be had in Episode 8, “What If…The Avengers Assembled in 1602?”; in fact, it’s rather loaded with solid performances, fun one-liners and even the return of The Freak. However, despite all the magic at the disposal of Wanda Merlin, who is revealed to be responsible for bringing Haley Atwell’s Captain Carter to the 1602 universe, the episode fails to capture even the limited magic of Gaiman’s original and oft-derided series.

Unfortunately, a collection of moments does not a good episode make. And so not Jon Favreau’s Sir Harold “The Happy” Hogan, nor Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang, nor even Tom Hiddelston’s Loki doing Hamlet can find the right additive recipe to make the episode nearly as engaging as Gaiman’s comics. In the end, it feels as though the 1602 episode was one that the creators of What If…? were determined to shoehorn into the series from its inception.

Despite the lack of creative chutzpah apparent in it (to be fair, it’s likely that many of the characters that made the comic book series so entertaining were not available to the creators), the episode does come tantalizingly close to entangling the animated series in the larger ongoing issues that predominate the Multiverse Saga. Though it’s not explicitly stated, the presence of Steve Rogers “Hood”–once again the Man Out of Time–in 1602 is causing an Incursion. And, of course, there’s the much more axiomatic premise that no matter where or when these stories take place, Marvel’s core heroes remain Marvel’s core heroes. And as the Multiverse Saga approaches its swan song, “What If…The Avengers Assembled in 1602?” reminds us that Earth’s Mightiest Heroes can assemble anywhere and anywhen.

Derivation is the fundamental underlying concept of What If…?. In both the comic book series and the streaming series it inspired, stories are spawned by imagining an alternate history of a familiar character whose path diverged at some point. That point of divergence–or Nexus Point–begets an entirely new universe on an entirely new timeline. And it also begets an entirely new set of consequences. To that end, Season 2 of What If…? may not have a more intriguing installment than Episode 7, “What If…Hela Found the Ten Rings?”.

Set within the once-hidden history of Asgard that was revealed in Thor: Ragnarok, “What If…Hela Found the Ten Rings?” creates a new scenario in which rather than banishing his sanguinary daughter to Hel, Odin casts her out down to Midgard. The scene unfolds parallel to the more familiar banishment of Thor (as seen in director Kenneth Branagh’s 2011 film) right down to the spell the Allfather places on Hela’s signature helm. Make no mistake, this decision sets the episode on the precipice of becoming a boringly derivative adventure where Hela simply follows in the footsteps of the Sacred Timeline’s Thor (watch Episode 5, “What If…Captain Carter Fought the Hydra Stomper?” if that’s your thing); however, writer Matt Chauncey‘s creative choices allow for a wonderfully bold new adventure to unfold on Earth…and beyond.

By setting the episode roughly one thousand years before the events of Thor, Chauncey opened the door for Hela, one of Marvel’s most audacious villains, to cross paths with someone nearly as ruthless as her: Xu Wenwu. Awestruck by the now powerless Asgardian’s will, Wenwu proposes an alliance that would see Hela join him in protecting the people of Earth. Clearly uncomfortable with the idea, Hela flees Wenwu’s compound and-with the help of the dijiang Morris–finds her way to Ta Lo where one of its Protectors, Jiayi, helps her break free from Odin’s conditioning and break free to walk her own path and regain her crown. Once reunited with Wenwu the result is hardly what one would expect of the two characters from the Sacred Timeline. Rather than amplify each other’s destructive qualities, Hela and Wenwu choose to become champions of peace and, after defeating Odin, join with Asgard to help rid the universe of callous warlords and conquerors.

What’s put forth on-screen during the episode is worthy enough; however, what’s possible within this new alternate universe created by the divergence is equally fascinating. As the original change to the familiar story ripples throughout time, a fascinating cascade of changes emerges. With Odin storming across the galaxy liberating those who are held down, is Thor ever born? And if he is, it’s highly unlikely his journey would have much in common with his Sacred Timeline counterpart. Given that the Asgardian-Ten Rings alliance is seen charging at Thanos and a young Gamora, it would seem unlikely that the Mad Titan’s quest for the Infinity Stones would ever happen. And since in the Sacred Timeline Gamora and Shang-Chi are the same age and given Wenwu’s partnership with Hela and his lack of interest in seizing the power of Ta Lo for himself, there’s probably no Shang-Chi waiting for his own adventure. Much as the episode allowed Hela to explore her true nature, it also fully embraces the true nature of the premise of What If…?. One change leads to a new one and each new action leads to another until familiar characters exist in an entirely unfamiliar universe. And now, as happened on occasion in the comics, the streaming series has created an alternate universe worthy of further exploration.

What If….? Season 2 will stream new episodes daily through December 30th.

Though tradition dictates presents are to be opened on Christmas morning, plenty of families allow their children to open one on Christmas Eve. As Marvel Studios continues to release daily episodes of Season 2 of What If…?, they gave fans a doozy of a Christmas Eve gift with Episode 3: “What If…Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?”.

An unabashed tribute to one of the greatest Christmas movies of all time, Episode 3 puts Jon Favreau‘s Happy Hogan in John McClane’s bare feet and gives the Forehead of Security a chance to be the hero. Up against Sam Rockwell‘s wonderfully petulant and pedantic Justin Hammer–who gets the full Hans Gruber treatment in the episode–Hogan blunders through defending Avengers Tower and ultimately and unwillingly becomes an all-new, all-different version of himself.

Sometime post-Iron Man 3 and pre-Age of Ultron, Hammer and his pair of Russian goons have chosen the Yuletide season to break into Avengers Tower, which on this particular night, finds itself without its Avengers. It’s no random act of terror, however, as Hammer has one objective in mind: obtaining a vial of Bruce Banmer’s gamma-irradiated blood. While attempting to defend the precious serum, Hogan accidentally injects it into himself unleashing a very obscure comic book version of himself: The Freak.

First appearing in “If This Guilt Be Mine…”, one of three stories in 1965’s Tales of Suspense #74, the Happy Hogan version of the Freak came to be when Tony Stark used a typically wacky of the time sci-fi device to try to heal injuries Hogan sustained at the hands of Titanium Man. As the Freak, Hogan exhibited superhuman powers including but not limited to strength and durability and a propensity for some pretty epic rage tantrums. Other characters have also gone by the moniker the Freak as well, including Stark employee Eddie March and, more recently, a vagrant junkie that appeared in Bob Gale and Phil Jimenez‘s Spider-Man run.

Though it’s Hogan in the driver’s seat, the MCU’s version of the Freak seemed to take a little more aesthetic inspiration from Jimenez’s pencil. Favreau is fantastic as the powered up Hogan, clearly having fun letting his Freak flag fly and getting a chance to be the hero of the day. Director Bryan Andrews and writer AC Bradley did such a great job bringing the obscure character to the MCU that it would be a shame if we didn’t see him again sometime soon.