What If…? It is based on the Marvel comic book series of the same name. Where the episodes reimagine characters that already exist in the MCU and give them new backstories and new Origins if you. Season one premiered a couple of years ago, and Season 2 is being rolled out one episode at a time for nine consecutive days. That’s how many episodes there are in Season 2. There are connections from Season 1 to Season 2, but Season 2 has a whole bunch of new stories that fit specifically into this season of the animated series.

This season of the animated show consists of episodes featuring Nebula, Hela, Peter Quill, a 1970s version of the Avengers, and Iron Man but mainly focuses on Captain Carter voiced by Haley Atwell. She is thrust into an interdimensional battle with a dark version of Doctor Strange. This story fits into various timelines, including 1602 in a version of the MCU set in Britain with Thor as King and a version of Robin Hood and his merry men. Every episode is always framed by The Watcher voiced by Jeffrey Wright. He is the anchor of this series.

One particular episode featuring Kahhori, a new character, is a native American woman who gets powers. She defends her tribe against Spanish conquistadors who are trying to settle the new world as it were. Eventually, she gets drawn into the battle for the multiverse like Captain Carter and many others. This is the first native American MCU character, and it’s a  Seminole day for this series and diversity with the MCU. She is a cool character and handles her own in the series.

The first episode features Nebula voiced by Karen Gillian in a world where she has been recruited by Nova Prime, and they are living in a Zandar covered by a shield that makes the planet dark. This story has a feel and vibe of Blade Runner in a way. She has to uncover a mystery of who killed a primary member of the Guardians of the Galaxy. This was a great start off episode because it showed viewers that this is not the normal MCU. A cameo by Howard, the Duck, who owned a casino, was a nice touch. 

The style of animation of What If…? has been one where I liked quite a bit. It’s a cel shading animation with a look of rotoscoping very different from any other animation I’ve ever seen. This animation sets this show apart from other animated shows and gives the series a distinct style of its own. The MCU is a Percy place to have this realistic style of animation as well. The voices of the characters are mostly voiced by who we remember, and the whole package works perfectly together.

What Iff…? Season 2 has a nice mix of drama and comedy episodes. One featuring Happy Hogan saving Christmas was pretty funny, and his character in If The Avengers Assemble in 1602 was a total cad, and I couldn’t help but laugh at him there as well. Happy Hogan voiced by Jon Favreau seemed to be the main comedic element of the series. When most of the episodes were pretty serious. 

What If…? Season 2 was overall pretty good. There was a nice mix of episodes featuring good and bad characters from the established MCU. The first episode about Nebula was very good. The last two episodes were a nice way to tie Season 2 into Season 1, and Captain Carter had her fair share of air time in Season 2; after all, she is the leader of the Multiverse Avengers. And Evil Doctor Strange came back as well. The animation is one of my favorite parts of the series, though. Fans  hopefully will  enjoy Season 2 as much as I did.

4 stars

Dan Skip Allen