In a shocking twist, Marvel recently announced that the What If…? series will come to an end with its third season. What could’ve been a limitless exploration of alternate realities, brimming with endless possibilities, fizzled out into a series of lackluster episodes.
Let’s face it: What If…? failed because it didn’t ask the questions that matter. Instead of challenging us with compelling scenarios, it pandered to what Marvel wanted us to like.
#1: No Thought-Provoking Scenarios
The beauty of the What If…? comics is that they take a bold, simple premise: What if one small change in a pivotal moment had completely altered the course of history? It’s the ultimate “what could’ve been” scenario, pushing characters to grow in ways we never imagined.
Unfortunately, the show didn’t quite get that memo. Instead of asking, “What if the Avengers never split during Civil War?” or “What if Killmonger ruled Wakanda?”, we’re left wondering Why we’re watching Happy Hogan save Christmas. Seriously, who cares if Thor threw a party on Earth? Or if Hela found the Ten Rings? The show becomes less of a thought experiment and more of a “let’s write a story we feel like telling.”
Oh, and let’s not forget the introduction of Kahhori in Season 2—a character who feels more like a detour than an exploration of a new timeline.
How about exploring something truly groundbreaking, like:
- What if the other half survived Thanos’ snap?
- What if Hela grew up alongside Thor and Loki?
- What if Scarlet Witch killed Thanos in Endgame?
These ideas have the potential to reshape entire storylines, shaking up the universe in unexpected ways—yet the show missed that opportunity.
#2: A Needlessly Overarching Story
The original What If…? comics were all about creative freedom—each story was a standalone, allowing for endless variation and experimentation, with no regard for continuity.
But instead of embracing this liberating approach, Marvel decided to shoehorn in a repetitive overarching storyline. Yes, we’re looking at you, Captain Carter. Instead of exploring the vast range of what if scenarios, the show keeps circling back to the same character over and over again. If Captain Carter, or even Kahhori, was so integral to the What If…? narrative, they should’ve had their own show.
By doing this, the series limited its potential and kept us locked in a loop of predictable, rehashed stories, while missing the opportunity to surprise and delight with brand new, diverse possibilities.
#3: Incredibly Lazy Writing
There’s lazy writing—and then there’s What If…? lazy writing. Take Thanos, for instance. This galaxy-conquering villain abandons his entire evil scheme because he had a casual chat with T’Challa—who somehow convinces him to become a bartender. Wait, what?
And then there’s Ultron, a vibranium-powered murderbot with all six Infinity Stones, who’s defeated by… a USB stick jammed into his eye. Yes, really.
But none of these moments come close to the infuriating mess that is the final episode of Season 2. Here, the show completely undermines the stakes of the Infinity Stones just to make its new characters look more powerful.
Kahhori effortlessly defeats Killmonger—who’s wielding all six Infinity Stones—with a flick of her wrist. Meanwhile, Captain Carter uses all of them with zero consequences.
In Avengers: Endgame, wielding the Infinity Stones is excruciating and near impossible. The Stones are a monumental challenge, and only the strongest survive their power. But in What If…?, they’re just a convenient plot device, casually tossed around without a second thought. This isn’t just lazy—it’s a slap in the face to the stakes established in the films.
Conclusion
Marvel’s What If…? had the potential to be a groundbreaking anthology series, full of bold, imaginative twists on familiar stories. But instead, it got bogged down by shallow narratives, repetitive characters, and lazy writing. Ultimately, it missed the mark by failing to ask the tough questions and, worse yet, never delivering on its vast potential.
