Marvel May - What If...? (2021)

          Hey guys, Chuck here. Today, for Marvel May, I'm checking out the first ever Marvel Studios animated series, What If...? starring Jeffrey Wright as The Watcher. This series aired on Disney+ last summer, and explores the multiverse in very interesting and unique ways. 

        Okay, so The Watcher acts as a guide/narrator throughout the various scenarios explored throughout the series. And each scenario starts off with events that we've already seen in various MCU movies. One detail gets changed, and each episode explores what's different about the course of history based on said changes. For example, the series showcases what happened if say, Peggy Carter was injected with Erskine's supersoldier serum instead of Steve Rogers, or what if Yondu Udonta kidnapped T'Challa instead of Peter Quill, or what if Thor Odinson was an only child with Odin having never adopted Loki, or what if Hank Pym, when rescuing Janet from the Quantum Realm, accidentally unleashed a zombie apocalypse caused by a Quantum Virus that Janet was infected with. Other scenarios we see include one where Doctor Strange becomes power mad all in a fruitless effort to save the love of his life, Christine Palmer, from death, and what if Ultron actually won during the Battle of Sokovia. 

        And like everything else in the MCU, these scenarios eventually cross over, as Ultron had become so insanely overpowered that, not only is he in an unstoppable vibranium body, but also has ALL SIX Infinity Stones, and after learning of the existence of The Watcher, seeks to take over the ENTIRE multiverse. So, The Watcher recruits various individuals from across the multiverse to work together to stop Ultron for good. 

      Okay, so one thing that is great about the series is that, while not every MCU actor reprised there roles in this series, quite a number of them did. Such returning actors include Hayley Atwell, Benedict Cumberbatch, Michael B. Jordan, Chris Hemsworth, Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, and Chadwick Boseman in what would be his final performance in the role of T'Challa before his tragic death to cancer two years ago. Replacement actors for those who weren't able to return include Lake Bell as Natasha Romanoff, Mick Wingert as Tony Stark, Hudson Thames as Peter Parker, and Ross Marquand as Ultron. 

       As far as The Watcher, I definitely enjoyed Jeffrey Wright in this role. He definitely plays the role to be similar to that of Rod Stewart in The Twilight Zone or Patrick Warburton's Lemony Snicket in the Netflix version of A Series of Unfortunate Events. His performance in each episode is definitely a highlight of the series, and I definitely hope that, in addition to his return in future seasons of this series, we will hopefully get Jeffrey Wright to return as The Watcher in a future live-action MCU project down the road. 

         The animation style is really neat for this series. Now, it is computer animation, but it also has a form of cel shading that gives it a feel of a comic book, which definitely stands out from other animated series based on comic book stories. I think that the animators did a hell of a job producing each episode of this series, and I'm not the only one, as many other Marvel fans enjoyed this series as well. 

        Not only has it been confirmed that a second season is in development, but that a number of the multiverse heroes and characters, including Captain Carter and Doctor Strange Supreme, will be leaping into live-action in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, which I am eagerly excited for. On top of that, last year it was announced that a spin-off animated project, Marvel Zombies, is also in development for Disney+. So, I definitely recommend this series, and I'm giving it a rating of 5/5. Seriously, What If...? is definitely a terrific entry into the Marvel Cinematic Universe.  

        Well, this is Chuck signing off, and Marvel May will continue with my review of, you guessed it, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.