Marvel Studios' What If...? (Disney+) - All S2 Eps now out! S3 teased!

Started by The Letter M, August 11, 2021, 07:22:27 AM

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The Letter M

I figured I'd start the thread for the newest MCU show hitting Disney+! This animated series takes a look at the MCU through a different lens from the POV of The Watcher, voiced by Jeffrey Wright, who "ponders the question - What If...".

In this first episode, the basic concept is "What if Peggy Carter took the super-soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers?", and we see how she becomes Captain Carter, in place of Steve becoming Captain America.

One of the biggest draws for this show is that many of the MCU actors have come back to voice their roles in animated form. Pretty much everyone who played these characters in Captain America: The First Avenger returns for this episode of the series, with two notable exceptions - Steve Rogers and Red Skull, although Ross Marquand returns from Infinity War/Endgame to voice Red Skull, so Ross has now played Red Skull more than Hugo Weaving! Go figure.

There are a LOT of visual cues, references, and even recreations from TFA in this episode, so if you're familiar with the first Captain America film, you'll notice a lot of these fun moments and parallels! One of my favorites was a moment between Peggy and Bucky and what he says to her (you'll know it when you get to it).

This is a great first episode, and from what I've heard from the showrunners, Captain Carter will be returning across the series and the second season. As for the series itself, it was originally said that it would be 2 seasons of 10 episodes each, but last week, it was later reported by Collider that the series would be 2 seasons of 9 episodes each, with episodes of about 30 minutes each (some longer, some shorter).

-Marc.

lonestar


Adami

Quote from: lonestar on August 11, 2021, 07:50:36 AM
Beat you by one minute lol

I'm avoiding the initial post until I see the episode later since I assume it's filled with spoilers, but I wanted to say that your avatar is a perfect compliment to your post.
www. fanticide.bandcamp . com

The Letter M

Quote from: lonestar on August 11, 2021, 07:50:36 AM
Beat you by one minute lol

Dang, I was probably distracted for a bit while typing my post, Then again, I put a lot in the OP, so you probably posted yours AS I was typing mine.

Quote from: Adami on August 11, 2021, 07:51:19 AM
Quote from: lonestar on August 11, 2021, 07:50:36 AM
Beat you by one minute lol

I'm avoiding the initial post until I see the episode later since I assume it's filled with spoilers, but I wanted to say that your avatar is a perfect compliment to your post.

:lol

And yeah, there are LIGHT spoilers in my post. I didn't want to post too much spoilery stuff quite yet until several more folks had gotten a chance to see it and/or post about the episode.

-Marc.

bosk1

I have really enjoyed the D+ Marvel shows so far.  But I am finding it REALLY difficult to get even remotely excited about this.  Part of it is the difficulty in viewing it as "canon."  Part of it is the fact that it is a cartoon, and Marvel cartoons through the years have not been great.  I dunno.  I'll watch it--all of it.  And I'll try to keep an open mind.  And I'll likely enjoy it quite a bit.  But I can't help going into it feeling like it is an inferior product right out of the gate.

The Letter M

Quote from: bosk1 on August 11, 2021, 08:04:06 AM
I have really enjoyed the D+ Marvel shows so far.  But I am finding it REALLY difficult to get even remotely excited about this.  Part of it is the difficulty in viewing it as "canon."  Part of it is the fact that it is a cartoon, and Marvel cartoons through the years have not been great.  I dunno.  I'll watch it--all of it.  And I'll try to keep an open mind.  And I'll likely enjoy it quite a bit.  But I can't help going into it feeling like it is an inferior product right out of the gate.

I think of it this way - if Star Wars can produce animated series that are considered canon, why can't Marvel? I'd even say that the art style of What If...? is closer to live action than the art style of things like Clone Wars and Bad Batch (neither of which I have ever watched, but I've seen clips and stills). The use of MCU actors reprising their roles also lends more credence to the show's canonicity (if that is a word). And I believe the showrunners have said that this series is as canon as anything else in the MCU (and, IMO, being a Marvel Studios production makes them more canon than Agents Of SHIELD and the Netflix shows), and since this series focuses on alternate realities in the multiverse, these stories might come into play in the future of the MCU, like in Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness.

-Marc.

bosk1

Quote from: The Letter M on August 11, 2021, 08:08:01 AM
Quote from: bosk1 on August 11, 2021, 08:04:06 AM
I have really enjoyed the D+ Marvel shows so far.  But I am finding it REALLY difficult to get even remotely excited about this.  Part of it is the difficulty in viewing it as "canon."  Part of it is the fact that it is a cartoon, and Marvel cartoons through the years have not been great.  I dunno.  I'll watch it--all of it.  And I'll try to keep an open mind.  And I'll likely enjoy it quite a bit.  But I can't help going into it feeling like it is an inferior product right out of the gate.

I think of it this way - if Star Wars can produce animated series that are considered canon, why can't Marvel? I'd even say that the art style of What If...? is closer to live action than the art style of things like Clone Wars and Bad Batch (neither of which I have ever watched, but I've seen clips and stills). The use of MCU actors reprising their roles also lends more credence to the show's canonicity (if that is a word). And I believe the showrunners have said that this series is as canon as anything else in the MCU (and, IMO, being a Marvel Studios production makes them more canon than Agents Of SHIELD and the Netflix shows), and since this series focuses on alternate realities in the multiverse, these stories might come into play in the future of the MCU, like in Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness.

-Marc.

Two things:

1.  The various Star Wars animated series play right into that, actually.  Despite them having some really good moments and good storytelling at times, they are a BIG step down from the films, IMO.  And on top of that, I found myself many times having to suspend belief related to their canonicity in that, while they purport to augment what we know about characters and events from the film and never contradict the films, there are sometimes things that happen that make some things in the films pretty illogical and, as I said, require a bit of suspension of belief to make it all fit together as canon.  And that's fine.  Again, that doesn't mean the animated series should just be written off.  But I have difficulty putting them on the same level.

2.  Honestly, while what Marvel has done with the concept of a multiverse has been okay (and has actually been really cool as far as what they did in Loki), I'm not a fan of even going that direction in the first place. 

Yet again I'll say that that doesn't mean I am writing this off.  Just stating out loud what my mental hurdles are that I am having difficulty with going in.

The Letter M

Quote from: bosk1 on August 11, 2021, 08:15:32 AM
Quote from: The Letter M on August 11, 2021, 08:08:01 AM
Quote from: bosk1 on August 11, 2021, 08:04:06 AM
I have really enjoyed the D+ Marvel shows so far.  But I am finding it REALLY difficult to get even remotely excited about this.  Part of it is the difficulty in viewing it as "canon."  Part of it is the fact that it is a cartoon, and Marvel cartoons through the years have not been great.  I dunno.  I'll watch it--all of it.  And I'll try to keep an open mind.  And I'll likely enjoy it quite a bit.  But I can't help going into it feeling like it is an inferior product right out of the gate.

I think of it this way - if Star Wars can produce animated series that are considered canon, why can't Marvel? I'd even say that the art style of What If...? is closer to live action than the art style of things like Clone Wars and Bad Batch (neither of which I have ever watched, but I've seen clips and stills). The use of MCU actors reprising their roles also lends more credence to the show's canonicity (if that is a word). And I believe the showrunners have said that this series is as canon as anything else in the MCU (and, IMO, being a Marvel Studios production makes them more canon than Agents Of SHIELD and the Netflix shows), and since this series focuses on alternate realities in the multiverse, these stories might come into play in the future of the MCU, like in Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness.

-Marc.

Two things:

1.  The various Star Wars animated series play right into that, actually.  Despite them having some really good moments and good storytelling at times, they are a BIG step down from the films, IMO.  And on top of that, I found myself many times having to suspend belief related to their canonicity in that, while they purport to augment what we know about characters and events from the film and never contradict the films, there are sometimes things that happen that make some things in the films pretty illogical and, as I said, require a bit of suspension of belief to make it all fit together as canon.  And that's fine.  Again, that doesn't mean the animated series should just be written off.  But I have difficulty putting them on the same level.

2.  Honestly, while what Marvel has done with the concept of a multiverse has been okay (and has actually been really cool as far as what they did in Loki), I'm not a fan of even going that direction in the first place. 

Yet again I'll say that that doesn't mean I am writing this off.  Just stating out loud what my mental hurdles are that I am having difficulty with going in.

Completely understandable, I'm sure being an animated series might turn some folks away, or have them question why it would be worth their time to watch. Coming out after Loki is definitely a big help for much of the MCU audience, I think, to get folks used to the idea of variations in the timeline, causing different realities.

I also think that a lot of the enjoyment of this series will come down to how each episode will treat the characters, because there are a lot of fans who are very passionate about certain MCU characters, so I think getting to see some of these characters again, even voiced by the original actors, will be a big draw for fans. Looking at the promo art and taking apart of the various teasers they have released, there are a LOT of interesting stories they've got lined up to tell, and I can't wait to see how they handle these characters in new ways.

Also, What If...? was always one of my favorite comics growing up, just being able to see how things played out in different ways than what was originally conceived in earlier comics.

-Marc.

Adami

I was somewhat excited for the show cause I love the What If concept in the comics. The previews have thus far been less than exciting since they seem to mostly be "what if X became Y hero instead of X?" I'm sure there will be a LOT more to it than that but I haven't seen it yet. It coming after the finale of Loki and it being officially deemed canon also helps since I was originally imagining it just a fun side thing that didn't really connect. Some rumors are that this will connect in a more significant way.
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bosk1

Just popping in to post that RJ's thread was officially first.  But Marc's had a cooler title and more fans.  ...or something.  :biggrin:

The Letter M

Quote from: bosk1 on August 11, 2021, 08:32:29 AM
Just popping in to post that RJ's thread was officially first.  But Marc's had a cooler title and more fans.  ...or something.  :biggrin:

In the spirit of the show, we'll just say that our threads were variants and his had to be pruned.  :lol

Quote from: Adami on August 11, 2021, 08:26:25 AM
I was somewhat excited for the show cause I love the What If concept in the comics. The previews have thus far been less than exciting since they seem to mostly be "what if X became Y hero instead of X?" I'm sure there will be a LOT more to it than that but I haven't seen it yet. It coming after the finale of Loki and it being officially deemed canon also helps since I was originally imagining it just a fun side thing that didn't really connect. Some rumors are that this will connect in a more significant way.

I've heard that might be the case as well, which makes me more excited for this show! They've stated that they've left open the possibility that some of these versions of these characters could make the leap to live action, either on the big screen or on future Disney+ shows.

-Marc.

lonestar


bosk1

Quote from: The Letter M on August 11, 2021, 08:35:12 AM
Quote from: bosk1 on August 11, 2021, 08:32:29 AM
Just popping in to post that RJ's thread was officially first.  But Marc's had a cooler title and more fans.  ...or something.  :biggrin:

In the spirit of the show, we'll just say that our threads were variants and his had to be pruned.  :lol

:lol  :clap:

Quote from: The Letter M on August 11, 2021, 08:22:43 AMAlso, What If...? was always one of my favorite comics growing up, just being able to see how things played out in different ways than what was originally conceived in earlier comics.

Yeah, interesting that you mention that.  I think each of our individual perceptions of the very idea presented in the comics gives interesting insight into our present feelings going into the show.  Back in the day, I felt similarly toward the comic how I feel about the show.  It was a title I never read, and my reaction at the times was along the lines of:  "Interesting idea, but not something I an inclined to buy and read.  Maybe if I happen to pop into the comics shop in a week where none of my titles have released anything new and I am just Jonesing for something to read.  But even then, there are other titles I haven't bought yet that are higher up the list, so I'll probably never bother."  The key difference between the MCU content and comics content being: the comics presented such a vast universe (multiverse) of material that NOBODY had the time and money to read it all, and there were always parts of it that didn't usually (or ever) try to integrate into or even coordinate with the storylines of other titles.  The MCU is very different in that regard in that the amount of content combined with the pace of release makes it much more manageable to take in everything, and for it all to try more to all fit together into a unified story. 

In any case, I think you get where I am coming from.  And even though I may not be looking forward to it nearly as much as other Marvel content, I am still looking forward to it.

faizoff

Watched the 1st episode and really liked it, even though I could tell where the story was headed. I thought the animation was really cool, some of the fight sequences were fantastic.
Curious what other characters they will include in the season.

jingle.boy

I'm just going to consider this thread it's own What If? on DTF - What if Marc had posted first?

Anyway... haven't read anything yet so as to make sure I avoid spoilers.  I'll be back later tonight.
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jingle.boy

Really enjoyed it, and did notice quite a few of the callbacks to previous Cap movies (not just TFA, but there were elements of Winter Soldier I saw tossed in there... especially Peggy's fighting style)  Though, I'm not totally sure what line you were referring to between Peggy/Bucky that I missed ("you almost ripped my arm off" maybe?).  Would've loved to hear him say "Im in this to the end with ya".

I really thought with the train sequence, that they were going to lead down a path where Steve becomes the Winter Soldier.
Quote from: Jamesman42 on September 20, 2024, 12:38:03 PM
Quote from: TAC on September 19, 2024, 05:23:01 PMHow is this even possible? Are we playing or what, people??
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hefdaddy42

Watched it last night.  Loved it.

The storytelling was great, and I loved the animation style.  The fact that most of the characters were voiced by the original actors who brought them to life on film (or TV) was fantastic.
Quote from: BlobVanDam on December 11, 2014, 08:19:46 PMHef is right on all things. Except for when I disagree with him. In which case he's probably still right.

Adami

It was.....fine?

The animation was top notch. I'm glad they didn't do the video game style that they for Star Wars, which just totally takes me out of it.

The story was SUPER rushed but it didn't really hinder it since we've seen the movies and can easily fill in all the blanks without even thinking about it.

Some of the actors.....shouldn't be doing much voice acting though. The leads were good, but Bucky was very awkward.

Overall, I'm looking forward to the others.
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bosk1

Expectations met, and perhaps slightly exceeded.  I can't put in nearly on the same footing as the live action shows, but I enjoyed it.  And it succeeded at making me look forward to the next episode. 

MinistroRaven

Question, the next episode is also about Capitan Carter? Or every episode is about a different character?

hefdaddy42

Quote from: MinistroRaven on August 13, 2021, 06:24:42 AM
Question, the next episode is also about Capitan Carter? Or every episode is about a different character?
She will apparently reappear another time or two in the course of other stories, but each episode will largely be centered on different characters.
Quote from: BlobVanDam on December 11, 2014, 08:19:46 PMHef is right on all things. Except for when I disagree with him. In which case he's probably still right.

ZirconBlue

My only minor complaint with the first episode is that with the short episode length the story felt kinda rushed.  But, that was often the case with the comics, as well. 

bosk1

Quote from: ZirconBlue on August 13, 2021, 07:37:26 AM
My only minor complaint with the first episode is that with the short episode length the story felt kinda rushed.  But, that was often the case with the comics, as well. 

Yeah, I think that's to be expected.

Adami

Quote from: bosk1 on August 13, 2021, 07:55:17 AM
Quote from: ZirconBlue on August 13, 2021, 07:37:26 AM
My only minor complaint with the first episode is that with the short episode length the story felt kinda rushed.  But, that was often the case with the comics, as well. 

Yeah, I think that's to be expected.

Exactly. And it's not a problem for most of us since we've seen the movies and can fill it all in. I imagine this would be odd for a newcomer.
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Dream Team

Quote from: Adami on August 12, 2021, 05:31:17 AM
It was.....fine?

The animation was top notch. I'm glad they didn't do the video game style that they for Star Wars, which just totally takes me out of it.

The story was SUPER rushed but it didn't really hinder it since we've seen the movies and can easily fill in all the blanks without even thinking about it.

Some of the actors.....shouldn't be doing much voice acting though. The leads were good, but Bucky was very awkward.

Overall, I'm looking forward to the others.

I'm pretty sure Sebastian did Bucky's voice. Whoops!

It was ok but there was some pretty lame stuff too.

Adami

Yea. I meant Sebastian. He's a fantastic actor but his voice acting leaves a bit to be desired.
www. fanticide.bandcamp . com

jammindude

When Steve went in the machine, his chest grew to massive proportions.

I was waiting for Peggy's to do the same.  :hat


I mean...equality! Right?  :justjen

MinistroRaven

I wonder if Capitan Carter is looking for Steve´s nephew

jammindude

Quote from: Adami on August 13, 2021, 07:29:08 PM
Yea. I meant Sebastian. He's a fantastic actor but his voice acting leaves a bit to be desired.

We saw Sebastian Stan in the credits, but we were all commenting during the show that Bucky didn't sound anything like him.

jammindude

Quote from: MinistroRaven on August 14, 2021, 07:18:14 AM
I wonder if Capitan Carter is looking for Steve´s nephew

Actually, I think that would be kind of cute.  :lol

ZirconBlue



Quote from: jammindude on August 13, 2021, 09:47:23 PM
When Steve went in the machine, his chest grew to massive proportions.

I was waiting for Peggy's to do the same.  :hat


I mean...equality! Right?  :justjen



Her chest muscles did grow.  But, extra-large boobs is not an advantage for a soldier.  It's not called the Super Pornstar Serum, after all. 

Adami

Plus, as far as I'm concerned she was already a super soldier in that department.
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jammindude

Quote from: ZirconBlue on August 16, 2021, 10:22:14 AM


Quote from: jammindude on August 13, 2021, 09:47:23 PM
When Steve went in the machine, his chest grew to massive proportions.

I was waiting for Peggy's to do the same.  :hat


I mean...equality! Right?  :justjen



Her chest muscles did grow.  But, extra-large boobs is not an advantage for a soldier.  It's not called the Super Pornstar Serum, after all.

I was just being facetious.  :angel:

hefdaddy42

Quote from: BlobVanDam on December 11, 2014, 08:19:46 PMHef is right on all things. Except for when I disagree with him. In which case he's probably still right.

jingle.boy

Quote from: Adami on August 16, 2021, 10:26:03 AM
Plus, as far as I'm concerned she was already a super soldier in that department.

I'm sure she brought many purple helmet warriors to full attention.
Quote from: Jamesman42 on September 20, 2024, 12:38:03 PM
Quote from: TAC on September 19, 2024, 05:23:01 PMHow is this even possible? Are we playing or what, people??
So I just checked, and, uh, you are one of the two who haven't sent.
Quote from: Puppies_On_Acid on September 20, 2024, 12:46:33 PMTim's roulette police card is hereby revoked!