As if the punctuation in that title wasn’t aggravating enough, now we have a new reason to be frustrated with Marvel’s multiversal plaything What If…? For the second season, Disney+ is trading weekly releases for a brand-new release schedule: nine episodes, nine days, like a goofy advent calendar.
Lest you think I’m kidding about the advent calendar bit, well, take a gander at the promo image below, which features The Watcher in a santa hat.
What If…? is one of Marvel’s better uses of its multiverses: a TV show that explores a whole bunch of alternate possibilities for Marvel characters, like what if Ultron succeeded in his murderous goals, or what if T’Challa were Star Lord. The voice cast is an interesting mix of movie actors (Mark Ruffalo, Elizabeth Olsen, Sebastian Stan, Hayley Atwell) and new-to-the-series faces voices (Lake Bell as Black Widow, Josh Keaton as Captain America). Jeffrey Wright watches all as The Watcher, santa hat or no.
According to Variety, “Season 2 of What If…? features an episode set in medieval times, an episode where Shang-Chi characters are pitted against Odin and his Asgardian forces, an episode where Valkyrie and Iron Man race through the streets of the planet Sakaar from Thor: Ragnorak.”
(Surely they will cause no collateral damage while carrying on with said race.)
Brace yourself for the onslaught of possibilities; the second season of What If…? begins December 22. A third season has already been ordered, though it remains to be seen if Disney will shorten the release schedule for that season even further. (Hourly episodes, perhaps?)
