On December 22nd, the third and final season of Marvel Animation’s What If…? will get underway on Disney Plus. As was the case with Season 2, Marvel will debut one new episode a day with the series finale dropping on December 29th. Ahead of the season debuting next week, Marvel Studios has released an episode guide complete with the titles of the final eight episodes. And as you might expect, some are a little unexpected!
While quite a few of the episodes have been prominently featured in the marketing for the series, quite a bit more can be gleaned about their premises now that titles have been revealed. For example, it’s been known for quite some time that an episode would feature Mech Avengers taking on Kaiju; however, knowing that they will also take on the Hulk certainly spices up the episode a bit.
Episode 4, “What If…Howard the Duck Got Hitched”, will almost certainly be a follow up to Season 1’s “What If…Thor Were an Only Child?” which saw the Master of Quack-Fu fall in love with Darcy Lewis. An absurd idea, to be sure, but you know the old saying: first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Byrdie in a baby carriage.
Though it seems as though 2021’s Eternals may never get a proper theatrical or streaming sequel, Episode 5, “What If…The Emergence Destroyed the Earth?”, will at least acknowledge the project and remind everyone it exists before Tiamut pops back up in Captain America: Brave New World.
Featured heavily but without context in trailers and promo spots for Season 3 was Episode 6, featuring Hailee Steinfeld‘s Kate Bishop and Simu Liu‘s Shang-Chi. Inspired, it would seem, by the 2015 Secret Wars title, 1872, “What If…1872?” will explore the Old West similar to the way that Season 2’s “What If…The Avengers Assembled in 1602?” did with familiar characters in an unusual setting.
Finally, as has been the case over the first two seasons, it is likely that Episode 7, “What If…The Watcher Disappeared?” will dovetail into Episode 8, “What If…What If?”. And though we’d hesitate to go too far out on a limb, it’s likely that over the course of those two final episodes, Captain Carter’s ongoing What If…? story will be picked back up and taken to its denouement.
The final eight episodes of What If…? begin on Disney Plus on December 22nd!
On December 14, 2017, Bob Iger announced that Disney had acquired 21st Century Fox and explained that the company was “looking forward to expanding the Marvel Cinematic Universe to include X-Men, Fantastic Four and Deadpool.” Seven years later, an Marvel Studios X-Men film is only in the scripting stages and the Fantastic Four are still 8 months away from making their first MCU appearance. Somewhat astonishingly, Deadpool–the character who at the time seemed the least likely to find his way into the MCU–has found himself at the center of Marvel Studios’ efforts to reclaim its pop culture crown.
While it was not without its flaws, Deadpool & Wolverine accomplished exactly what Disney hoped it would: put butts in seats for a Marvel Studios movie. Heavily dosed in nostalgia, the third Deadpool film didn’t veer far from the same successful foul-mouthed formula that Ryan Reynolds put on display in the first two films, which were produced by Fox. And, of course, having Hugh Jackman along for the ride as Wolverine certainly didn’t hurt the film’s popularity. While rumors persist that Jackman will stay on as the MCU’s Wolverine for the near future, Reynolds has indicated that he isn’t in a huge hurry to suit up again anytime soon. Now, in a new interview, the star details his vision for the future of Deadpool and what it would take for him to return as the Merc with a Mouth.
“I have some pitches and ideas, but none of them center on Deadpool,” said Reynolds during an extensive conversation with The Hollywood Reporter. “Centering Deadpool works best if you take everything away from him and put his back against the wall. I can’t really do that again. A fourth time feels a little iterative and redundant. That doesn’t mean sacrificing fun. There is still an arc for Deadpool which is fulfilling and powerful,” he teased. “He is a great supporting or ensemble player. And I would always want Deadpool and Wolverine to be paired in some way.” After seeing the duo take the box office by storm in Deadpool & Wolverine, it would stand to reason that Disney would like to keep them paired up in the future as well.
Even as Reynolds shared that he does have a vision for how Deadpool can continue in the MCU, it sounds as though the next chapter in his story won’t be told anytime too soon. “There are no updates to share just yet,” Reynolds said. “But I trust Kevin and Lou D’Esposito with my life. The character trait I love most about Deadpool is that he’s a fanboy. His enthusiasm and longing to be part of a team is really endearing to me. It’s his overarching wish-fulfillment story. But I don’t think he should ever be an Avenger or an X-Man,” Reynolds explained. “If he becomes either, we’re at the end.“
However, that doesn’t mean Reynolds would fight to keep Deadpool out of either of Marvel Studios’ upcoming Avengers films or their X-Men reboot. “Just the opposite!” he told THR. “I think Deadpool works so well appearing with the X-Men and Avengers, but he always needs to stay an outsider. His ultimate dream is to be accepted and appreciated. But he can’t be accepted.”His coping mechanism of deflecting shame through humor works only when used to pave over his many inadequacies. If and when he does become an Avenger or X-Man, we’re at the end of his journey.”
Reynolds is a clever guy and has always been a wordsmith so while he explained that there are no updates “to share just yet”, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t know what’s next. Plenty of rumors have placed both Deadpool and Jackman‘s Wolverine in the mix for 2027’s Avengers: Secret Wars and given where their stories were left at the conclusion of Deadpool & Wolverine, those rumors certainly track. However, with the start of production on Secret Wars nearly a year away, it may be quite some time before we find out if there’s any truth to any of those rumors.
Deadpool & Wolverine is now streaming on Disney Plus.
At one point during its development, Avengers: Endgame was titled Avengers: Infinity War-Part 2. Five years later, given the talent that is being assembled for the next Avengers films, Avengers: Doomsday, it may be fair to consider changing its title to Avengers: Infinity War-Part 3. In an effort to ensure the Multiverse Saga ends on a high note, Marvel Studios has been dipping into the Infinity Saga well by bringing back talent on both sides of the camera.
According to Deadline, Haley Atwell, who has played several Variants of Peggy Carter in live-action and animation since 2011, has agreed to return in the role for Avengers: Doomsday.
As with Evans, the true nature of Atwell‘s character will likely remain a mystery for the time being. The Sacred Timeline Variant of Carter passed away at 95 years old in Captain America: Civil War. The final moments of Avengers: Endgame saw Steve Rogers travel to 1949 where he lived a full life with a Variant of Peggy in an alternate reality. Yet another Variant of the character, Captain Carter, has served as a main character over three seasons of Marvel Animation’s What If…? and a alternate reality Variant of that character appeared as a member of the Illuminati in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
The world has changed, and none of us can go back. All we can do is our best. And sometimes… the best that we can do is to start over.
While the most likely scenario involves Evans‘ Nomad pairing with Atwell‘s Carter in some way, plot details for Avengers: Doomsday have not yet been disclosed and, in a Multiverse, anything is possible.
Avengers: Doomsday is set to begin production next year in advance of its scheduled May 1, 2026 release.
After years of reports, rumors and speculation about his return to the Marvel, Chris Evans finally made his way back in Deadpool & Wolverine…just not in the way anyone was expecting. Evans‘ appearance as Johnny Storm, who he originally played in 2005’s Fantastic Four, was part of an homage to Marvel heroes who hit the big screen before the inception of the MCU. As memorable as his profanity-laced post-credit tirade was, it didn’t scratch the particular itch that most fans had.
While Evans‘ casting as Steve Rogers was initially derided by fans, his nearly-decade long performance as Captain America certainly changed minds. By the time Steve completed his MCU journey by finally danced with Peggy in the closing moments of Avengers: Endgame, fans began asking for more. Now, with a newly announced role in Avengers: Doomsday, Evans once again has the opportunity to return to the screen as Steve Rogers and it sounds as though that may well happen…sort of.
According to YouTuber Jeff “The In” Sneider, Evans won’t be appearing in Avengers: Doomsday as Captain America but rather as Nomad, an alternate identity the character once adopted in the pages of Marvel Comics…and on that should sound familiar to this who have followed the MCU closely.
In Captain America #180, Steve Rogers changed up his look and took on the mantle of Nomad after learning the U.S. Government to which he has devoted his life is run by the Secret Empire. An adaptation of this version of Rogers appeared in Avengers: Infinity War. It is unclear if the Doomsday version of Nomad will be the Sacred Timeline’s Rogers picked up by the TVA, whether it be from Infinity War or, perhaps, when he returned the Infinity Stones in Avengers: Endgame.
Over the years, several other characters went by the name of Nomad, including the character Jack Monroe who went on to appear in dozens of issues of Captain America, lead his own solo title and join the Thunderbolts. Even so, it seems far less likely that Evans would return to play one of those characters and far more likely it’s some version of Steve Rogers.
With Avengers: Doomsday slated to begin production in the UK in the first half of next year, the studio has begun locking up the talent that will make up what’s expected to be one of its most impressive casts. In a surprise move, Robert Downey Jr. was announced as the film’s lead, Victor Von Doom during Marvel’s Hall H presentation at SDCC ’24. A recent trade report revealed that Downey was set to be joined in the film by his four-time Avengers co-star Chris Evans though it wasn’t clear if a return as Captain America was in the cards. And now, another Avenger…and Captain America…has been added to the mix.
According to Deadline, Anthony Mackie has joined the cast of Avengers: Doomsday.
Mackie has been an MCU mainstay since debuting as Sam Wilson in Captain America: The Winter Soldier over a decade ago. After taking over as Captain America in the D+ streaming series, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, Mackie‘s Wilson is set to be front and center in next February’s Captain America: Brave New World.
According to Deadline, the idea of both Mackie and Evans suiting up as Captains America seems unlikely; however, the characters recently shared the mantle in the pages of Marvel Comics with Sam Wilson working as the Symbol of Truth and Steve Rogers as the Sentinel of Liberty. Whether or not Marvel Studios would follow suit is debatable, especially when there are so many other options for Evans.
Over the past year, Marvel Studios’ Multiverse Saga has undergone major overhauls behind the scenes. While the planned endpoint remains fixed, the path to it has been greatly altered. Films and series have been reworked and reshot while others have been postponed and potentially abandoned to course correct in midflight. Avengers: Doomsday, the highest-profile project to undergo major changes, has become the center of controversy following the revelation that Robert Downey Jr. will star as Doctor Doom and that Anthony and Joe Russo will once again team up to direct the film.
Originally developed as Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, Marvel Studios changed gears on the project following the firing of Jonathan Majors. Moving on from Kang meant not only replacing him with Doom but also scrapping the original plans entirely. With Doomsday expected to begin production next Spring ahead of its planned May 1, 2026 release, it seems as though the studio has begun locking in talent, including bringing back another of its biggest stars to share the screen with Downey.
According to Deadline, Chris Evans has struck a deal with Marvel Studios to appear in Avengers: Doomsday. Evans nor Marvel Studios has confirmed the news and the trade report indicated that the nature of Evans‘ role is currently unknown.
Before appearing as Johnny Storm in Deadpool & Wolverine, Evans‘ return to the MCU had always been expected despite the satisfying conclusion provided to Steve Rogers in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame. In early 2021, Deadline reported that the star had struck a deal to return for a project or two, though it was never clear what those projects might be. One popular theory was that Evans would reprise the role of Captain America in a Nomad project but after years of being developed, we’ve heard that the studio has finally moved on from that particular piece. Though Evans admitted he was open to returning to the MCU, it wasn’t something he was in hurry to do.
I’ll never say never, just because it was such a wonderful experience. But I’m also very precious with it. It’s something that I am very proud of. And like I said, sometimes I can’t believe it even happened. And I wouldn’t want the black eye if it felt like a cash grab or if it didn’t live up to expectations or if it just felt like it wasn’t connected to that original thing. So, no time soon. And ultimately I really hope to just maybe act a little bit less in my life. I have a lot of other interests.
-Chris Evans on his potential return to the MCU
While it may be a bit sooner than he imagined, Evans‘ return in Avengers: Doomsday is sure to generate another round of significant interest in the project, especially given the uncertainty around the size and nature of his role. While it’s easy to jump to the conclusion that he would simply suit up as 616 Steve Rogers again, there are plenty of other options. Given the film’s importance in the overall narrative of the Multiverse Saga, Evans could just as well play an alternate dimension Steve Rogers. Should Marvel Studios be truly willing to push the envelope, Evans could join Downey as a villain of the piece by portraying a version of the HYDRA-influenced Captain introduced in Marvel Comics Secret Empire. Alternatively, he could be playing any number of non-Cap characters set in opposition to Doom, pitting his character against Downey’s again as was done to great success in Captain America: Civil War. For now, all options are on the table until further developments provide additional information.
What If…?, Marvel Animation’s first MCU-set adventure, is set to return for its third and final season just in time for folks to be home a bit more for the holidays. As was the case with Season 2, one new episode of What If…? will arrive daily from December 22nd through December 29th.
Season 2 was a marked improvement over Season 1 in part because it expanded beyond the slightly altered retelling of familiar origin stories to take advantage of the true nature of the What If…? premise. Season 3 looks to be headed in that direction as well and will also greatly increase the size of the roster of characters. That said, you’ll likely want to refeesh your memory about some of the stories and characters set to make a splash in the new season. So if you’re looking for something to watch while you wrap your presents and guzzle your egg nog, we present The Ultimate List of What to Watch Before Season 3 of What If…?.
How It Started…
It’s been quite some time since Season 1 of Loki and most of Marvel Studios’ Multiverse Saga plans have been altered since then; however, without Sylvie knifing He Who Remains, there’s no Multiverse at all. That action went down in Season 1, Episode 6, “For All Time Always”, which is one of the best episodes of TV Marvel Studios has put together.
How It Went…
Even though Marvel Animation is adding characters such as Agatha Harkness, Shang-Chi and Moon Knight to the mix in Season 3 you’ll likely want to refresh yourself on some of the series’ central characters. While What If…? is ostensibly Uatu’s show, Captain Carter takes the lead in many episodes across both seasons and will be back for more. Additionally, the MCU original character Kahhori, who debuted in Season 2, is confirmed to return in the new season.
What If…?, Season 1:
Episode 1, What If… Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?
Episode 9, What If…The Watcher Broke His Oath?
What If…?, Season 2:
Episode 5, What If…Captain Carter Fought the HYDRA Stomper?
Episode 6, What If…Kahhori Reshaped the World?
Episode 8, What If…The Avengers Assembled in 1602?
Episode 9, What If…Strange Supreme Intervened?
Where It’s Going Next
Not to beat a dead horse here but…the voice cast for Season 3 is MASSIVE. An unbelievable amount of stars are back to lend their voices to the characters they’ve played in Marvel Studios live-action projects. The list of first timers includes Kathryn Hahn, Oscar Isaac, Hailee Steinfeld, Simu Liu, Dominique Thorne, Kumail Nanjiani and more.
The trick here is that the appearances of each of these characters does not necessarily indicate an alteration of any individual story one of the may have had. For example, Kate Bishop’s appearance in a Western-set episode may not be a result of some small changes to her origin story which means watching Hawkeye may not provide any additional context for her actions in What If…? That’s certainly a change from Seasons 1 and 2 which included quite a few episodes that were just alt takes on familiar stories. All that said, here’s a list of projects that include characters that will appear in Season 3.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
Ant-Man and The Wasp (2018)
Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019)
WandaVision (2021)
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (2021)
Black Widow (2021)
Eternals (2021)
Hawkeye (2021)
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (2021)
Moon Knight (2022)
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
Secret Invasion (2023)
The Marvels (2023)
X-Men ’97 (2024)
Agatha All Along (2024)
The third and final season of Marvel Animation’s What If…? will debut new episodes daily for eight days beginning on December 22nd.
About What If…?, Season 3
Marvel’s animated series What If…? returns in Season 3 for its culminating adventure through the multiverse. Watch as classic characters make unexpected choices that will mutate their worlds into spectacular alternate versions of the MCU. The Watcher (voice of Jeffrey Wright) will guide viewers as the series traverses new genres, bigger spectacles, and incredible new characters.
The series features an incredible voice cast that includes a host of stars who reprise their iconic roles. Season 3 features fan-favorite characters like Captain America/Sam Wilson, The Winter Soldier/Bucky Barnes, Hulk/Bruce Banner, The Red Guardian, Captain Peggy Carter, Agatha Harkness, Shang-Chi, Storm the Goddess of Thunder, and numerous others.
Episodes are directed by Bryan Andrews and Stephan Franck and are written by Matthew Chauncey, Ryan Little, and A.C. Bradley. Executive producers are Brad Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt, and Bryan Andrews, with co-executive producer Matthew Chauncey, and producers Danielle Costa, Carrie Wassenaar, and Alex Scharf.
So, I can say that up until this point, we’ve been a little bit cagey about what’s Sacred Timeline and what’s not. That was born, frankly, out of a period at the studio where we were like “we have to stick the landing with Avengers.” It was another part of the company developing the Netflix stuff; we were aware of what they were doing, they were aware of what we were doing, but it was a lot.. it was a lot to balance anyway. But now that some time has passed, now that we actually see how well-integrated the stories are, I personally, Brad Winderbaum, will confidently say that they are part of the Sacred Timeline.
Wilson Bethel was among the key contributors to the Netflix series who was brought back into the fold to reprise his role as Benjamin Pointdexter, aka Bullseye. From the looks of photos from the New York City set of Daredevil: Born Again, the all-new, all-different Bullseye will cause chaos at some point in the first season of the Marvel TV streaming series. Perhaps taking a page from his character, Bethel recently caused quite a stir with comments about the amount of time that will have passed in the MCU between the final season of Daredevil and Season 1 of Daredevil: Born Again.
In an interview with Collider, Bethel discussed the challenges of picking back up with a character five years after last inhabiting him. As he continued on, he also claimed that the same five-year gap will apply to the series, meaning Daredevil: Born Again would begin five years after the conclusion of Season 3 of Daredevil.
“So there’s kind of like this funny thing stepping back after five years where Born Again will pick up with that amount of time having transpired. The show doesn’t pick up the day after we last saw it. It picks up five years later. And so in theory, these are characters who have all lived five years of life and all of the twists and turns that you take in the meantime. So whether or not even those stories are necessarily on screen, there’s just that little extra bit of life in there, which I think is… as an actor, it gives you an opportunity to bring whatever your own journey has been in that time and they get sort of a little longer in the tooth.”
-Wilson Bethel
That claim by Bethel has proven problematic for hardcore fans. Though the events of Netflix’s Daredevil series were not included in the MCU Official Timeline book, the best approximation is that they took place in universe in 2017. A five-year jump forward from then would set Daredevil: Born Again, or at least part of it, in 2022. Setting it in 2022 would mean that part of the series would take place during the Blip, which is a theory that has been discussed before. With Charlie Cox‘s first MCU appearance as Matt Murdock in Spider-Man: No Way Home was set in 2024 and his appearance as Daredevil in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law was set in 2025, it is possible that the studio set portions of Daredevil: Born Again between 2017 and 2024. However, it’s also clear that part of the new Marvel Television series takes place after the events of Echo which is clearly set after Hawkeye which was set definitively in 2024. Chaos.
Of course, it’s entirely possible that Bethel misspoke or was mistaken; however, it’s certainly worth considering that Daredevil: Born Again may cover quite a bit of territory and not be set solely in the MCU’s present day. With the March 4, 2025 release date creeping up on us, it won’t be long until we know for sure!
According to a new tidbit shared by frequent social media rumor monger My Time To Shine Hello, Marvel Studios may have outlined Moon Knight’s next steps in the Multiverse Saga. Should the information prove accurate, Isaac will find himself a busy man over the next few years as the rumor has him potentially suiting back up for both Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars. Additionally, MTTSH reports that Moon Knight is also expected to be a part of the team of heroes who assemble to tackle supernatural threats in Midnight Sons, a film which has not yet been confirmed to be in development by the studio but around which quite a bit of talk has buzz has been generated over the last year.
Both Avengers films are expected to sport massive character rosters and Isaac is among the biggest stars in Marvel Studios’ impressive stable, so one or both of the films does feel like a safe place to see the return of not only Moon Knight but other Multiverse Saga heroes who have been hiatus such as She-Hulk and Shang-Chi. In the case of Midnight Sons, Loonie Moonie’s inclusion on the team is all but a sure thing…if the project ever makes its way to theaters.
In 2008, The Incredible Hulk followed Iron Man into theaters in the earliest days of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. For years, fans debated if the film, which was distributed by Universal, was truly part of the MCU. Fortunately, those concerns were cast aside as, slowly but surely, other characters from the film found their way back into other stories. Like Bruce Banner, Thunderbolt Ross, Abomination, and soon, Betty Ross and Samuel Sterns, all have found further roles to play but because of complicated rights issues, they’re always roles in someone else’s stories. However, a new rumor points toward Marvel Studios having found a way to circumvent those issues to an extent while giving the people exactly what they want.
According to scooper My Time To Shine Hello, perhaps inspired by the brief tease of a battle between the two in Deadpool & Wolverine, the Marvel Parliament has begun development on a Wolverine vs. Hulk film.
If the rumor pans out, it’s both a bold and nimble navigation of the rights issues that have forced Hulk’s ongoing arc in the MCU to be told over the course of several films on which he was a supporting character. With Hugh Jackman believed to be staying on as Wolverine for the foreseeable future, the Parliament may have devised a way to make Hulk the co-lead/antagonist of a “solo Wolverine film.” It may be a bit disingenuous for Marvel to set Hulk up as the co-lead of a Wolverine film that will be known as Wolverine vs. Hulk no matter what it’s title is…but hey, that’s showbusiness.
Of course, this isn’t the first time rumors of a Hulk project have made the rounds. After legitimate reports of a World War Hulk circulated for years, it’s begun to look like the meat of that project may have been butchered up and tossed into other projects. And even if the rumor of a Hulk vs. Wolverine project being in development at Marvel Studios is true, it’s probably fairly important to keep in mind that Marvel Parliament member Brad Winderbaum recently made it clear that the studio is developing more projects than they’ll ever produce. So while the idea of seeing the conclusion of that brief tease in Deadpool & Wolverine might have you excited, it’s best not to hold your breath. Don’t go penciling this one into an open spot just yet.
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