Disney+ to Get an Animated ‘What If?’ Marvel Cinematic Universe Series
Disney+ is set to become the premiere location for content across all of their brands, and Marvel is no exception. A new report has arrived suggesting that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is going to expand into the realm of animation with a series based on their What If? comics, exploring how things might have played out differently in the films.
Slashfilm have an exclusive claiming that the first animated effort within the Marvel Cinematic Universe will explore possibilities of how the greater story of the combined setting would have changed had certain key events played out in a different fashion. This follows a long-running practice that Marvel has followed in several anthology comic books, as the pages of What If? reveal how things would have proceeded differently in the Marvel Comics Universe if crucial events had alternate outcomes. One episode, for instance, is set to reveal what would have happened if Loki had been deemed worthy to wield Mjolnir during the events of the first Thor movie. Like the other Disney+ projects being developed, this one is said to be overseen by Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige.
It goes without saying that What If? is non-canon to the MCU, by nature of covering imaginary scenarios that each represent their own respective universe. However, with Feige overseeing things, it will likely draw heavy influence from the movies themselves, and may even feature much of the same talent behind the films reprising their roles. The possibilities are effectively endless. We could see what would happen if Killmonger got to establish his vision for a Wakandan Empire. We could see what would happen if the Avengers never broke up after engaging in a civil war. We could see a world in which Quicksilver was not killed by Ultron. I personally think it’d be amazing if they had an entire story arc in which the the opposite Avengers had been dusted at the end of Infinity War, leading to a very different Endgame, and really hope that they end up telling that story.
What If? is rumored to be in-development for Disney+. Currently, three other projects have been confirmed to be in development for the streaming service: Loki, The Vision and Scarlet Witch, and Falcon and the Winter Soldier. Numerous other projects are rumored to be in development.
Grant Davis is a freelance writer who has covered entertainment news for more than seven years. His articles have frequently appeared in Star Wars News Net as well as as other entertainment-related websites. As someone who grew up on Star Wars and comic book movies, he’s completely thrilled with the current era of genre entertainment.
