What If...?: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes (original) (raw)
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Critics Consensus
What If...? may not add much to the larger MCU narrative, but surprising takes on beloved characters and some of the best action sequences in the entire franchise make for engaging viewing.
Melanie McFarland Salon.com Each of the three half-hour episodes made available for review locked me in with breezy scripts, an agile narrative energy and a mesmerizing, near-photorealistic animations style. Aug 12, 2021 Full Review Perri Nemiroff Perri Nemiroff (YouTube) The story, animation style and short running time don't always come together, but the first three episode still showcase a very exciting creative swing for Marvel. Rated: 3/5 Aug 12, 2021 Full Review Louis Chilton Independent (UK) Each episode may begin with What If...?, but they end, resoundingly, with nothing more than "So what?" Rated: 2/5 Aug 11, 2021 Full Review Joonatan Itkonen Toisto.net Each new tease of potential futures feels tantalizing. Yes, most of it is heavy on the fan service, but after sticking with the intricate plotting for this long, I’d argue it’s well deserved. Rated: 4/5 Jul 5, 2024 Full Review Jennifer Bisset CNET Infinity War is the only movie that ended on a downer, but in Marvel's What If, it happened again and again as a reminder that we're fortunate to see the heroes win in the movies or else we'd be constantly heartbroken again and again. Mar 30, 2023 Full Review Joseph Garcia Dynamic Duel Podcast Any anthological exploration outside the primary universe is just a sandbox... We don't have to care about it, and because we don't have to be invested, it's hard to be. So when I was digging this show, it was good. When I wasn't, it just felt pointless. Rated: 3/5 Jan 7, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews
Ash P First time I've seen this season back when it'd debut, I loved it. Second time seeing it, I still enjoyed it while I have my own gripes with some of the episodes. Top three episodes goes from Zombies, Doctor Strange Losing his Heart and Captain Carter. The animation is pretty neat for what it is when it comes to the action sequences while okay for the character interactions. Even the voice cast is great from Jeffery Wright voicing as the Watcher to some of Chadwick Boseman before his passing. Sure, I'd ask for more, but always keep in mind that this is an anthology series. Season 1 has been completed and only two more to go. I give this one eight Futurama head styled Scott Lang out of ten. 8/10. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/11/25 Full Review Matthew B fantastic premise, characters, and plot. It hits on so many levels. A true joy to watch. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/05/25 Full Review Kevin P 1st episode was a decent, 2nd episode was cute, 3rd episode was intriguing, the 4th episode was heartbreaking, the fifth episode was amusing albeit corny, the 6th episode was amazing but was cut too short just before what would’ve been an amazing climax, the 7th episode was dumb fun, the 8th episode was awesome, and the 9th episode was a mix of exciting and a bit of a letdown. Overall, the series was an amusing, albeit clunky experiment exploring interesting “What if?” scenarios with Marvel characters. It often feels like fanfiction, with its clunky dialogue and hit-or-miss comedy, but that’s part of the charm I suppose. The interesting scenarios are often creative and entertaining. The CGI animation and character designs are well detailed despite their lack of expression. It was impressive with just how many Marvel alumni actors they were able to have reprise their roles, including the late Chadwick Boseman in his final role as T’Challa. But I will admit, some of the actors are better suited to voice acting than others when it comes to their vocal performances. Some are amazing, and some are pretty lukewarm in the vocal charisma department. Jeffrey Wright gives such a smooth performance as the watcher, who is an intriguing cosmic character that ties the show together with his episodic narrations. The color palette is pleasant to the eyes and some of the surreal imagery can be a visual treat. Some scenarios are fun, while others can feel convoluted where some characters feel overpowered, underpowered, or straight up out-of-character. But that often comes the territory with hypothetical scenarios meant to tingle the curiosity of fans. The short runtime is a double-edged sword, as the fat has been trimmed to make this a quick and easy watch, but sometimes the pacing can be too fast and clip the story scenarios of their potential instead of letting them germinate and really let the scenarios settle in. Not an amazing spinoff show, but a fun experiment worth the watch. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/22/25 Full Review Alan G The only decent season of this show. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/19/25 Full Review Tristen N Theis season was definitely a watch. The stories were great, emotion, and the way it built itself up. Was pretty cool. I enjoyed each episode for what it is. 9/10 Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/18/25 Full Review Ed R Please stop! This is awful! A disgrace to Marvel. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/17/25 Full Review Read all reviews
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Episode 1 Aired Aug 11, 2021 What If… Captain Carter Were The First Avenger? When Steve Rogers is seriously injured, Peggy Carter becomes the world's first super soldier. Details Episode 2 Aired Aug 18, 2021 What If… T'Challa Became a Star-Lord? The rough-and-tumble space pirates known as the Ravagers abduct T’Challa instead of Peter Quill. Details Episode 3 Aired Aug 25, 2021 What If… The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes? Nick Fury struggles to launch The Avengers when candidates are targeted by a serial killer. Details Episode 4 Aired Sep 1, 2021 What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands? A grief-stricken Doctor Strange uses the Eye of Agamotto in a dangerous effort to change the past. Details Episode 5 Aired Sep 8, 2021 What If... Zombies!? When The Avengers are infected by a zombie plague, surviving heroes search for a cure. Details Episode 6 Aired Sep 15, 2021 What If... Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark? An American soldier called Killmonger rescues Tony Stark when his Humvee is attacked in Afghanistan. Details Episode 7 Aired Sep 22, 2021 What If... Thor Were an Only Child? Thor, who never learned to be a good hero, throws an out-of-control intergalactic party on Earth. Details Episode 8 Aired Sep 29, 2021 What If... Ultron Won? Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton seek to destroy killer-robot Ultron following a cataclysmic event. Details Episode 9 Aired Oct 6, 2021 What If... The Watcher Broke His Oath? What If… The Watcher broke his oath? Details
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Director
Bryan Andrews
Creator
A.C. Bradley
Executive Producer
Brad Winderbaum, A.C. Bradley, Kevin Feige, Bryan Andrews, Victoria Alonso, Louis D'Esposito
Screenwriter
A.C. Bradley, Matthew Chauncey
Network
Disney+
Rating
TV-14
Genre
Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Animation
Original Language
English
Release Date
Aug 11, 2021