What If...? Season 2

Many Marvel fans have said that 2023 was not a good year for the studio, one that used to be the biggest box-office driver in Hollywood. After so many bad movies, as well as some really decent movies that people overlooked, the studio looked like it finally got back on track with what is easily the best installment of Phase Five at the time. The standards haven’t been that high by the Multiverse Saga, but “What If…?” Season 2, which came out at the end of 2023, manages to help out and be the main driver amongst the movies and shows that have cost the studio so much money without giving much return.

This new entry into Marvel’s Disney+ television series is not in any way going to save the MCU from falling, but it may be the first sign that it will get them back on track. Hands down, Season 2 capitalizes on “What If…?’s” amazing idea in so many satisfying ways that its first season. For those not familiar, the series, narrated by the almighty being called The Watcher, voiced by Jeffrey Wright, takes viewers through different timelines to look at what might have happened if certain events throughout the MCU happened differently.

Throughout the series’ first nine episodes, many fans felt the writers were being held down with stories they could change. Many of the episodes were weak compared to the possible of the series’ idea. The only real highlight was Episode 3, “What If…Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands.” Ethan Dayton said in his review, “The episode was emotionally poignant, offered a vastly different look at a character fans knew and loved (unlike Party Thor…), and had real consequences hinting toward more significant MCU stories.”

Despite there not a certain episode in Season 2 that reaches the same level by Strange Supreme, a few episodes come close, including an emotional one that sets up a completely original character with major potential for a live-action movie. Episode 6, “What If…Kahhori Reshaped the World?” is about Kahhori, a Native woman, voiced by Devery Jacobs, as she “ventures into the waters of the Forbidden Lake to help save her people.” It’s exciting to see Marvel invent brand-new characters in different formats, and it works great with Kahhori. Dayton noted, “She has Captain America-like morals, undying resolve, and her powers look undeniably strong on screen.”

This season of “What If…?” went out of its way to give fans scenarios and action scenes that Marvel would never do in live-action, as is evident in the next two best episodes that season: “What If…Captain Carter Fought the Hydra Stomper?” and “What If…Hela Found the Ten Rings.” The former is way more exciting than the title says, showing a sincere friendship between Captain Carter (Hayley Atwell) and Natasha’s Black Widow (Lake Bell.)

Meanwhile, Cate Blanchett impressed everyone when she entered in the MCU as Thor’s half-sister Hela in “Thor: Ragnarok.” However, with how that film handled the character’s finale, many fans thought they’d never again see Blanchett in the role again. Dayton said, “Thank God Marvel shelled out the big bucks to bring her back, as it’s hard to imagine this episode working as well as it does without Blanchett doing the voice work. On the surface, Thor and Shang Chi’s worlds don’t seem to have much to do with each other.” Still, Episode 7 greatly shows the similarities between the two worlds while giving great character depth for Hela and Xu Wenwu, otherwise known as The Mandarin, voiced by Feodor Chin.

This past year was slower for superhero movies, with DC taking a complete break and Marvel slowing the content down once “Echo” premiered on Disney+, which was a surprise hit the MCU needed. With how good Season Two of “What If…?” ended up, Marvel fans went into this year with high(er) hopes that the superhero studio will once again release the high-quality entertainment they were once known for creating.

If you loved the first season of “What If…?” then you should definitely check out the second season on Disney+. This series is showing some great potential of different timelines and I was really impressed with how amazing this turned out. Check it out and see some great episodes. There is a third season that is currently being streamed on Disney+, but I haven’t seen that yet. Once I do, I will let everyone what I thought.

Tomorrow I will let everyone know my thoughts on “Echo” in “Disney Month 2024.”