Murphy's Multiverse

Tag: What If…?

  • Clark Gregg Teases Coulson’s Return in Next ‘WHAT IF…?’ Episode

    Clark Gregg Teases Coulson’s Return in Next ‘WHAT IF…?’ Episode

    Some time ago, we finally got the confirmation that Clark Gregg will make his grand return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the animated series What If..?. There has been no confirmation when we might expect him, but it looks like it might be sooner rather than later. The actor took to Twitter to tease his appearance in the next episode set to release this Wednesday. He’ll join Nick Fury and Black Widow, who take center stage in this entry. While not an outright confirmation, he hasn’t shared any of the other posters. Plus, this episode seems to take place around Iron Man 2 going by various trailers and the posters, which he had a big part in.

    The episode is the perfect choice for Coulson’s return, as the posters confirm this is the adaptation of Fury’s Big Week from the Avengers prelude comics. We heard some time ago that it will get inspired by Agatha Christie that could end badly for our favorite heroes. As there’s still some time before the episode premieres on Disney+, we might get a trailer teasing his return tomorrow to promote the latest entry.

    What If…? reinvents the way we look at the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The franchise continues to grow in new ways, as we explore the multiverse that was unleashed in Loki. We started the first animated series by exploring a different version of Captain America: The First Avenger before we witnessed a timeline where Yondu accidentally picked up T’Challa instead of Peter Quill. We’re only three episodes in and there’s quite a bit more heading our way that may continue to challenge our expectations in new and interesting ways.

    Source: Twitter

  • ‘WHAT IF…?’ Season 2 Will Include Phase 4 Films

    ‘WHAT IF…?’ Season 2 Will Include Phase 4 Films

    We’re only two episodes in for Marvel Studios’ first attempt at an animated series with What If…?. The first episode explored a different take on Captain America: The First Avenger with Peggy Carter taking on the Super Soldier serum. In the latest entry, we explored the Guardians of the Galaxy films through T’Challa’s eyes, as he was the one that got picked up by Yondu.

    We know that the first season won’t introduce any new characters from outside the first three phases, but it looks like the second season will go beyond that limitation somewhat. In an interview with ScreenRant, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige revealed that we can expect some films from Phase 4 in the second season.

    That’s the fun thing about having the What If…? series now; we can explore questions just like that. And I will say, just as season 1 is tapping into films and storylines from the MCU that you’ve seen up to this point, season 2 will definitely incorporate movies from Phase 4.

    Kevin Feige

    Hopefully, What If..? becomes a long-running series that continues to explore various scenarios as the franchise continues to expand. Sadly, the reference seems to focus primarily on films of Phase 4. So, it’s uncertain if we might even get an alternative scenario from any of the series like WandaVision, Loki, or Falcon and the Winter Soldier. As the franchise continues to expand, it’ll be curious to see how they continue to reinvent their stories and characters.

    Source: ScreenRant

  • ‘WHAT IF…?’ EP Hints That Tom Holland’s Sony Contract Kept Him From Voicing Spider-Man

    ‘WHAT IF…?’ EP Hints That Tom Holland’s Sony Contract Kept Him From Voicing Spider-Man

    There have been many mysteries surrounding the first animated series by Marvel Studios, What If…?. Before the show even premiered, many wondered why certain voices did not get included in the production. Dave Bautista famously voiced the fact he wasn’t invited, which turned out to potentially have been the result of miscommunication. Yet, there’s also the surprising absence of Tom Holland, who’s been very open on wanting any chance to play Spider-Man. In a Collider interview with executive producer Brad Winderbaum, he gave a clearer statement on his absence.

    You know, I’m not treated to all the ins and outs of the relationship with Sony. But, I think it may have had something to do with it, yeah.

    At the beginning of August, his absence caught many people’s eyes. There have been some leaks that hinted at Spider-Man not being who we think he is, which his absence gave some credence. It’s uncertain which exact episode the What If…? version of the character will appear, but he is definitely part of the MCU canon, as they were not allowed to introduce new characters. Of course, they may have also simply found a different actor to voice the character similar to how they approached the absence of Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans. Still, here’s hoping the constant right disputes between Marvel Studios, Disney, and Sony might find an end in the near future to not restrict Holland or the character’s future within the ever-growing franchise.

    If you’re interested in the complete interview with Winderbaum, you can check out the Collider interview here:

    Source: YouTube

  • How ‘WHAT IF…?’ Confirms a Hela and Gorr the God Butcher Connection

    How ‘WHAT IF…?’ Confirms a Hela and Gorr the God Butcher Connection

    There’s been a burning question for many comic fans when Thor: Love and Thunder announced it will introduce Christian Bale as Gorr the God Butcher. The iconic weapon of the alien was the infamous All-Black the Necrosword that turned out to be the original symbiote forged into a sword by Knull. Yet, we’ve already gotten introduced to the weapon in Thor: Ragnarok through Thor‘s sister, Hela. At least, we believed it was the same weapon and didn’t get a confirmation until now.

    She wielded an unnamed blade that seemed to be based on the comic’s design of the Necrosword rather than her usual Nightswords. Her summoning them into her hands seemed to stem from the comic version. It opened up the question of if she was even wielding the same weapon and, if she was, how it might connect to Gorr in the upcoming sequel. Well, the latest episode of What If…? may have given us the set-up to that very answer.

    Hela: Hat Thor Ragnarok den mächtigsten MCU-Bösewicht?

    In a part of the multiverse where T’Challa became Star-Lord, the Collector became the new galactic crime boss after Thanos joined the good side. In his collection, he has a bunch of familiar weapons. It includes Mjolnir, the arm of Korg, and even Captain America’s shield. Suddenly, he pulls out the headpiece of Hela. The moment he wars it, he confirms that it is, indeed, a Necrosword. It also confirms she was using this weapon through the headgear rather than inherent ability. Of course, there’s no mention of All-Black or symbiote, but the first name drop seems relevant even in a What If scenario.

    Now, the only question remains if Gorr gets his hands on this version of the Necrosword. There’s a good chance that after the events of Ragnarok, her helmet flies off into space and the hands of Gorr. While the Collector doesn’t seem to change its shape when putting it on, the heat from Surter could have warped it in the aftermath. There’s only the question about Hela’s connection to Asgard, which the What If…? episode negates with Collector wielding it. We’ll see if they potentially utilize this connection or take a different route, but it is our first naming of the Necrosword in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

    Source: Disney+

  • REVIEW: ‘What If… T’Challa Became Star-Lord?” Episode 2

    REVIEW: ‘What If… T’Challa Became Star-Lord?” Episode 2

    Episode 2 of What If…?, What If…T’Challa Became a Star-Lord?, is absolutely stunning. It is an incredible joyride through an almost absurd amount of MCU nods and history that is gripping from start to finish. The episode impressively manages to be both hilarious and heart-wrenching in constant waves that at times are simultaneous. All eyes and ears are on Chadwick Boseman’s final role as T’Challa, and Episode 2 as a whole rises to meet his brilliant performance. Despite being in the form of a half-hour animated show, it manages to be a beautiful farewell to such an iconic and impactful actor and character.

    Even armed with the heavy knowledge that Episode 2 marks one of Boseman’s final performances—and one of T’Challa’s final appearances—the episode hit an emotional depth that, quite frankly, didn’t seem entirely possible given the nature of the What If…? series and the Guardians of the Galaxy-based premise. It is no surprise that the sound of Boseman’s voice evokes such a mixture of joy and grief nearly a year after his death, but hearing his Star-Lord performed with such vibrant personality and passion both breaks and fills your heart at the same time.

    The fact that T’Challa as Star-Lord completely changes character trajectories of Star-Lord himself, the Ravagers, and various side characters is a hilarious contrast to Guardians of the Galaxy, but it also doubles as what feels like a tribute to T’Challa and Boseman. The impact the two have had in the MCU and world at large is well analogized here. The utter goodness of T’Challa that turns the space explorers into world-saving heroes and Thanos righteous is heartwarming almost beyond words now. And wow—the quick bits of Black Panther score that would pop in and out constantly added another layer of intensity and emotion to the episode that kept on surprising.

    While loosely following the plot of Guardians of the Galaxy, Episode 2 hits a family theme hard. Despite the fact that we end up exploring three or four different “families” by the end of the episode, they are presented and played out so well that it all comes across cohesive and genuinely a part of the same story without feeling overdone. Even the brief nod to Drax’s wife and daughter being alive in this reality was a noteworthy moment. While the Nebula-Thanos dynamic and arc is less compelling, the episode nails the portrayal of T’Challa’s relationship to both the Ravagers and Wakanda. The most gutting scene is undeniably T’Chaka’s message left for T’Challa that his Wakandan family would never stop looking for him, whether on this plane or the next. It’s simply both heartbreaking and heartwarming. In any event, it’s moving.

    Throughout the unavoidable but captivating bittersweet emotion that shrouded this episode, it also managed to have countless laugh-out-loud moments stemming primarily from the dramatic character changes. Easily one of the best examples is Thanos who has seen the error of his ways yet his original genocidal plan becomes a big source of laughter and also spotlights a fairly joyful version of the Mad Titan which is just authentically fun. The banter between the characters is also well done, and the voice performances overall do well enough to pull it off. 

    In short, Episode 2 of What If…? is absolutely phenomenal. It was broadly fun and enjoyable from start to finish and likely could easily fill an hour runtime—or even longer—without faltering. The incredibly well-executed mixture of laughter and tears turned this unassuming, animated, and inherently wacky episode into a moving and compelling story that resonates far beyond this series. Truly, it seems to be an episode of this type fit for a king. Boseman’s and T’Challa’s final bow is such a gift here at the end of the day and that is something to be grateful for amongst the grief. 

  • Connecting Imaginary Dots: The Return of the Ancient One

    Connecting Imaginary Dots: The Return of the Ancient One

    With more than a month since the season finale of Loki and with the story-altering events of What If…? well underway, the prospect of an ever-expanding multiverse mens countless possibilities for the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It appears that all this talk about character variants, alternate timelines, and multiple universes will all come to a climax during the highly anticipated film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The sequel to 2016’s Doctor Strange is set to face the consequences of the events set into motion during WandaVision, Loki, What If…? and Spider-Man: No Way Home. However, even with all of these discussions about the branching timelines across the multiverse, very few details are actually known about the Doctor Strange sequel. However, some evidence indicates that there’s a good chance that we could potentially see the return of one of the most important characters during Stephen Strange’s upbringing in the mystic arts.

    According to an IMDb listing, Julia Schunevitsch has been added to the stunts team for the upcoming Doctor Strange sequel as a stunt performer. What makes her addition particularly interesting is that Julia also participated in the MCU previously in 2016’s Doctor Strange as Tilda Swinton’s stunt double for the role of the Ancient One. At this point in time, it is merely speculation that Swinton could return as the Ancient One, given that her character is already technically dead given the events of Doctor Strange. However, even past her death, Swinton has returned to the MCU on a number of occasions. She reprised her role in 2019’s Avengers: Endgame and she is also set to make an appearance during an upcoming episode of What If…?. So, her death in the main timeline of the MCU may not have completely sealed the fate of this character.

    With the number of events that have transpired in the MCU regarding the timeline and the multiverse, it’s no doubt that Doctor Strange will need all the help he can get to face what’s coming, and having the former Sorceror Supreme on his side would potentially make a great asset as both he (and us) navigate across the Multiverse of Madness when it hits theaters March 25, 2022.

    Source: IMDb

  • Another Goodbye To A Legend

    Another Goodbye To A Legend

    You have to cherish things in a different way when you know the clock is ticking, you are under pressure.

    None of us could’ve known the pressure Chadwick Boseman put on himself. He worked through a disease that would eventually take his life. That loss has been felt throughout all communities and lives that he’s touched. With Marvel Studios’ What If…? turning its attention to T’Challa this week, it’s going to be amazing but bittersweet.

    It’s truly going to be a joy to hear Boseman’s T’Challa once more. The concept of this new Star-Lord story is a fascinating one. Comparing and contrasting the stories of Peter Quill and T’Challa will be thought provoking. The magnetism of Chadwick’s voice will be like an old friend coming back one more time to say goodbye. We should all enjoy the time we get to spend once more with this unique character.

    With that being said, there’s a sadness writing these words. It still feels like we’ve been robbed as fans. Chadwick Boseman, as an artist, brought a fire and attention to detail in everything he did. Bringing Black Panther and the world of Wakanda to life was more than the simple words of live-action.

    Black Panther is an inspiration to those who spent their childhood identifying with those stories. The positive energy around the movie is powerful to this day. The celebration was for black culture, and Chadwick was at the forefront of that. There’s representation in theory and actual representation in practice. If you remember Black Panther’s comic debut in the Fantastic Four it was surreal to see him debut in live-action film.

    Make no mistake about it there will be laughs this coming week. There will be an enjoyment of welcoming back one of our favorite characters. It’s a fresh story that will be the talk of MCU community. In addition to that, there will be an overwhelming emotion that hits a lot of us. Whatever emotion that will be, thank you Chadwick Boseman. Thank you for inspiring us, and thank you for leaving your passion and grace in all of your work. We miss your presence and will never forget you. Rest In Peace.

  • How Captain Carter Shaped Her Universe

    How Captain Carter Shaped Her Universe

    When Sylvie plunged a dagger into He Who Remains’ heart, she effectively unleashed hell for our heroes and villains over the next several years. Never mind that the man she killed was fine with surrendering the TVA willingly. What Lady Loki’s actions did was both destroy the sacred timeline and bring about something even worse than the Mad Titan.

    Given that, What If…? becomes even more important as the first Marvel Cinematic Multiverse show to highlight the first real consequences of Lady Loki’s actions. Before we look at where we are now, we need to take a quick look at where we were before Lady Loki’s actions.

    If you believe that Captain America was able to return all the stones to their rightful timeline and return with a brand new shield for Sam Wilson at the end of Avengers: Endgame, then I’m here to tell you that the math generally doesn’t add up. When Cap and Tony go to steal the Tesseract from the 70s S.H.I.E.L.D. base, they also steal four Pym particles. They use two to return to the present timeline which leaves Cap with two. If you listen to the dialogue with Ant-Man, Iron Man and Cap, it is made clear that you need two Pym particles for a roundtrip in the Quantum Realm. So, theoretically, Cap would’ve only had enough to return one of the stones and then come back to the present-day. 

    Now, I know what you’re thinking: Hank Pym was back, so he could’ve just made Steve more Pym particles. Sure, that would explain how Steve got the stones back, but you really think Steve told nobody except Hank Pym, a man he just met, about his plan to remain in the past with Peggy Carter and secure a shield of his own? That just doesn’t seem like something Steve would do. 

    It’s more likely that Hank made Steve the particles to return the stones and return to the present day, but Steve used the one to return to the present day to return to 1950 to be with Peggy. This removes Captain America from our main timeline. These are the branching timelines that, I think, popped up post-Endgame:


    A 1940’s timeline where Cap remains while he is, possibly, believed to be dead.

    This becomes interesting to explore because it would stand to reason that Cap wouldn’t leave Bucky to Hydra’s torture, which takes that timeline into a very different direction than the main timeline. Is this Cap operating in the shadows with Peggy helping him? Does he become Nomad instead? How does SHIELD develop with Cap still alive? A lot of questions, especially when he wouldn’t have had enough Pym particles to return, so the one that gives the shield to Sam isn’t our Steve.

    A 2012 timeline that has Loki with the Tesseract.

    This was explored, briefly, in Loki. However, if we dive further, we now have a 2012 where Loki does not return to Asgard and cause his parents’ death. That means neither Hela and Surtur are released, Asgard is still standing, and Thor does not return to Earth in Avengers: Age of Ultron to help retrieve Loki’s scepter. Keep in mind that Thor returned to Earth to get the Aether from Malekith. With Malekith vanquished, he and Jane could’ve remained in Asgard. If Thor does not return then the Vison in this 2012 timeline might be very different. Wanda and Pietro would still receive their powers from the Mind Stone, and Ultron would actually create Vision. 

    A 2014 timeline with no Thanos (because that Thanos was killed in 2023).

    This is a timeline with not only no Thanos but also no Guardians as Gamora is gone. This means that Star-Lord never loses the Power Stone to Gamora. Instead, he probably loses it to Rocket and Groot, and they are still arrested, but without Gamora the team isn’t as strong and it is very possible that this timeline sees Ronan succeed in destroying the Nova Corps and Xandar. With no Thanos to check him, does Ronan become the most powerful being in the universe? Does this timeline have a Carol that returns to Earth sooner if Ronan sets his sight on Earth?

    A 1970s timeline where Hank realizes someone stole his Pym particles.

    This is a timeline where Hank Pym potentially leaves SHIELD much sooner, which means Janet never vanishes. If Janet never vanishes, who stops the Russian missiles from destroying Earth? Furthermore, if Hank and Janet are still alive and together, then Hope never feels the need to become a superhero, so there is no new Wasp in this timeline either. 

    After Loki, we now have a 2012 that has created another branch: one where He Who Remains is dead and Lady Loki is potentially in charge of the TVA. That means we definitely now have 2 different versions of 2012, with a potential third:

    1. Loki and the tesseract, King Thor, Odin alive, Hela imprisoned, Asgard still here, and a Hydra that believes Captain America is a sleeper hydra agent.
    2. Lady Loki in charge of the TVA with Kang dead.
    3. whatever TVA Loki now finds himself in, where Kang lives.

    That means that we have six guaranteed timelines, with a potential seventh, before we even get to the first episode of What If…?. 

    Oh, wait, but what about Wandavision? Wanda becoming the Scarlet Witch was the event He Who Remains did not foresee. It may not create a whole new branch as much as it veers the main timeline in a direction that not even Kang saw coming. It’s that change, in combination with the branches, that brings Dr. Strange off the bench.

    Now… on to What If…?:

    We see Agent Carter become Captain Carter by making one small decision. This leads to a timeline where the following things definitely happen:

    1. Peggy Carter is the new Captain and vanishes through the portal created by the tesseract. She lands in the future of this universe where Nick Fury is assembling the Avengers in 2012. The Hawkeye in this timeline knows who Captain Carter is, and clearly so does Fury.
    2. Howard Stark creates the first Iron Man suit, which Steve Rogers utilizes as the Hydra Stomper.
    3. Bucky does not become the Winter Soldier, which means Isaiah Bradley is not sent to capture him. It is possible that Bradley will not be experimented on either, which means his grandson wouldn’t join the Young Avengers.
    4. Tony Stark doesn’t lose his parents because there’s no Winter Soldier to kill them. This, also, probably means there is no Iron Man in this universe.
    5. Colonel Phillips is dead, replaced by Colonel Flynn, and this could mean SHIELD takes a very different direction with no Phillips or Carter left to ground the agency.

    Those are a lot of changes emerging from episode one, but there’s one that this episode also might hint at:

    If Earth Prime’s Steve did not deliver the new shield to Sam, who did? It has to be a Steve that both did not go into the ice, had access to someone who could build a new shield, and did not receive the super-soldier serum. What Steve could that be? Perhaps a Steve that loved Peggy Carter and had a billionaire genius playboy philanthropist with access to the Tesseract who could help him be right there in that spot all along?

    Where do we go from here?

  • Scrapped ‘WHAT IF…?’ Storylines Included Captain Hydra, Worthy Loki, and More

    Scrapped ‘WHAT IF…?’ Storylines Included Captain Hydra, Worthy Loki, and More

    Marvel Studios kicked off the What If…? animated series with a strong episode exploring a timeline where Peggy Carter received the Super Soldier serum. The first season consists of nine episodes that’ll take a unique perspective on the multiverse. Luckily, there’s also a second season heading our way, but Head Writer A.C. Bradley offered some insight into episodes that were left behidn ont he cutting room floor.

    What If….Steve Rogers Joined Hydra

    Marvel Comics Asks Fans To Be Patient With Captain America/Hydra Story

    The first idea is one we recently saw realized in the Secret Empire storyline. We are introduced to a version of Captain America that ends up as a minion of Hydra. It seems the idea was on the table, as they wanted to explore a version that became a minion of the evil organization and evne hold the title of Captain Hydra.

    My idea was, if Steve fell off the train, we would jump forward in time,” Bradley says. The Steve Rogers version of Winter Soldier would not slyly operate in the shadows, but instead aggressively and openly pursue the cause of his new evil overlords.

    The story would’ve had a big twist with former enemy, the Red Skull, joining forces with Peggy, Howard, and Bucky to take down the man that ended up replacing him at the top of Hydra’s food chain. She reveals this was the pitch that got her the job in the first place.

    What If … Tony Stark Was Indiana Jones

    How They Made Tony Stark Younger in Captain America: Civil War - IGN

    It looks like Bradley also was curious about the estranged relationship between Tony and his father. At one piont, she considered creating a story inspired by The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. She wanted to explore how their relationship would’ve been shaped throughout the years and show the sparks flying between them.

    At the end of the day, Tony Stark is the guy who was never supposed to be the hero, becoming the hero,” she says. The real promise of this alternate storyline might have been showing us who Tony was before he put on the cynicism that became his very first, unseen armor.

    What If…Loki Was Worthy

    LOKI wields Thor's Hammer - DELETED SCENE from THOR 2 - YouTube

    Bradley highlighted that they wanted to avoid giving characters a focus who already are getting their own spin-off series, but there was a fun Loki pitch in the works. At the time of the initial pitch, this rule wasn’t known and showcased Loki wielding Mjolnir. It’s similar to the deleted scene from Thor: The Dark World where Loki imagined himself wieldign the hammer. They’re only concern was that it might change teh character too much from what made him standout.

    What If… Spider-Man Turned Into a Spider

    We know that Spider-Man will appear as part of the mysterious zombie episode due to his naming as the Zombie Slayer. Yet, it seems they had a much darker story planend for him, as they were inspired by Franz Kafka’s novella The Metamorphosis. Yet, it seems a David Cronenberg-esque body horror was too much for Marvel to sign off on. Yet, they said okay to zombies.

    If would have been hard-R for a show that probably your kids will end up watching. It was a little too dark. So I was like, okay, that’s fine. Can I do zombies? And they said, yes, you can do zombies

    What If…Tony and Pepper Travelled Through Space

    Avengers 4 theory: Do Tony Stark and Pepper Potts reunite in Avengers 4? | Films | Entertainment | Express.co.uk

    It looks like love is in the air, as one of the pitches would’ve seen Tony Stark and Pepper Potts spending their time travelling through space. It seems they wanted to include all kinds of characters with them jokingly including Star Wars characters. Earlier on they also reference taht the original pitch even included Rocketman making an appearance.

    I would pitch Star Wars characters. That was me half the time having a joke, and also just really liking Mark Hamill, having worked with him on Trollhunters. Sometimes you would push the crazy ideas just to see if there was any movement.

    It seems they truly tested what was possible with Marvel Studios, and the ideas vary quite a bit in fun ways. I think the Cronenberg-inspired story would be a great storyline to explore in the mainline MCU at some point. Captain America turning into a Hydra agent would be a great story to explore, as we got glimpses of a “What If Hydra won” storyline in Agents of SHIELD. Who knows, maybe these ideas get a chance to return with a potential third season.

    Source: Vanity Fair

  • Marvel Studios’ Future Animated Projects Will Connect

    Marvel Studios’ Future Animated Projects Will Connect

    Marvel Studios has been continuing to expand more and more. First, they expanded into long-form storytelling through Disney+, and with the release of What If…? they even joined the animation market. There have already been hints at them wanting to explore more projects through the medium. The only other project confirmed so far is the photo-realistic animated series exploring the adventures of Baby Groot in I Am Groot. There’s also the question if they would continue to build upon the Marvel Cinematic Multiverse or explore unique avenues through animation.

    In an interview with Variety, Brad Winderbaum may have offered some insight into their approach. He confirmed that all projects will be under Marvel Studios and produced by Kevin Feige. As such, he proclaims they’ll “be born of the same stuff that makes the rest of our content.” He also goes on to tease the following, as Variety highlights these projects will be connected:

    How will they be connected? Time will tell as the story of the multiverse unfolds.

    So, it’s likely that any future ventures will play into the multiverse concept that got set up by Loki’s final episode. It’s the perfect way to revisit already established characters while still keeping them within canon in some way or another. Their animation’s “unique aesthetic” got developed together with independent animation studios. Flying Bark Prods, Squeeze Animation Studios, and Blue Spirit were involved in the process. They would be open to work alongside Pixar and Disney Animations to expand their repertoire. Still, no matter what animation style they follow, it’ll be interesting how these projects will interconnect as they explore new approaches with each one. Marvel Studios has a bright future ahead, and we can’t wait to see what animated projects might be heading our way in the future.

    Source: Variety