Marvel's What If....?: TV Review

The latest Marvel outing, aimed at saturating the Disney+ marketplace and satiating fans alike, is a pure piece of one shot comic book fan-fiction.

Largely written for fans, the series continues to push Marvel's move into the multiverse and the endless possibilities that it teases for mash-ups, collaborations and unlikely hook-ups.

What if there was a world where it wasn't Steve Rogers who was Captain America, but Peggy Carter instead? What if there was a world where T'Challa was actually Starlord and Thanos was fighting for the Ravagers, not against them?

These are just two of the possibilities eked out in this fan-fiction animated series that launches this week - and they're largely disposable enough, without feeling too bogged down in their own mythology. Though, admittedly, it helps if you are aware of the nuances of the endless lore of characters at Marvel's disposal.

Based on the three episodes provided to reviewers, Marvel's What If....? largely does what it says on the box, and does so stylishly, with a large blast of action - but there's a nagging feeling that these pacy tales zip a little too quickly by, with the subtlety of characters falling through the cracks, because the creators assume you know who they all are.

The first episode, Captain Carter, plays with the sexism of the time, with Carter being told she doesn't belong, being scoffed at for being a super-soldier and then largely kicking everyone's butts (though the need for a certain saviour at one point is massively disappointing, and continues to showcase Marvel's largely weaker ideologies for female leads and lack thereof).

A second tale takes us into Guardians of the Galaxy lore, with a twist, and a mystery to boot. It's entertaining enough stuff, leant a poignancy as this is Chadwick Boseman's very last outing in any form as T'Challa.

A third tale feels the most Marvel-y of all, with the Avengers served up a dish of justice and a raft of cameos that everyone probably wanted, but canon largely doesn't need. That said, it's perhaps the most mainstream of the spinoff ideas, all helmed by the intoning voice of the Watcher and his penchant for po-faced Twilight Zone style voiceover musings.

If all of this sounds like the series is being damned with feint praise, it sort of is.

Whilst the one-shot nature of the episodes serves to show a "if you don't like this, there's another one along shortly" mentality, it also serves to show perhaps in some ways, how big screen Marvel outings are failing either in the diversity of their leads or the chance of them helming tentpole event films. It's a jarring feeling at times, and one that's hard to shake, given the relative underperformance of Black Widow in pandemic times.

Marvel's What If...? is enjoyable and disposable enough, with some stylish animation ensuring the series has an early 80s cartoon aesthetic and a cool sheen to stand out. But perhaps, the almost forgettable enough nature of the pacy episodes only serves to underline why the character-ful films have led the way, and other variations of their execution - be they cartoon or video game - are yet to fully catch up.

Marvel's What If...? premieres on Disney+ on Wednesday 11th August - episodes one to three were made available for review.