As Marvel steps up its game of telling stories through introducing various alternate realities from across the multiverse, Marvel’s What If..? served us some of the best as told by Uatu, The Watcher.
Still, the canon show had its fair shar of highs and lows with some runs being better than others.
Here is every episode of Marvel’s What If..? ranked from worst to best!
Episode 7, What If.. Thor Was an Only Child?
The Party Thor episode is self-explanatory as to the moniker of the God of Thunder. In the episode, he loves to party so much that SHIELD would want to intervene as it is alien life on Earth. While it was really fun to watch the said episode, it lacks depth and all it has to offer was laughter and possibly a new way to look at Thor because he used to be really serious, right?
Episode 5, What If.. Zombies?
The zombie apocalypse episode was something geeks would definitely freak out to watch. It follows the plot of Hank Pym trying to save Janet Van Dyne, only to return with a contagious disease that later turned into a global mess. While it has some story of hope, it did not have the same weight as the other episodes. It remained to be shallow but it does have a potential!
Episode 3, What If.. Earth Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?
Another Hank Pym incident, Episode 3 has some depth and story but it is a lackluster run because primarily, it was something really far from the MCU as we know it. When Nick Fury was just recruiting members of the Avengers, Pym decided to kill them off to avenge the death of his daughter, Hope Van Dyne.
Episode 6, What If.. Killmonger Rescued Tony Stark?
It’s the rise of Killmonger and his ascendancy to being the new Black Panther through the use of Stark and his technology. While the story has something in it, what makes it quite bland is how weakened the other characters were. T’Challa died just like that? Also, this is the worst fear of Tony Stark – to have his tech in the wrong hands. However, it did not do justice to his greatest fear. Maybe Armor Wars could do that for Stark?
Episode 1, What If... Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?
Instead of Steve Rogers, it was Peggy Carter who got the super soldier serum as a bomb exploded and Steve was shot making him unfit for the experiment. It is empowering to see Captain Carter slay at a time when women were regarded to be lesser than men. Had she been the original recipient of the serum, she’d be a feminist icon. Still, Peggy being transported to another time could have been something better.
Episode 2, What If... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord?
This episode is a good balance of fun and a worthwhile story. It focuses on the Ravagers kidnapping the wrong child, instead of Peter Quill, it was T’Challa. Well, the Wakandan fits the bill of being Star-Lord as he got the wits and skills of being such. However, with Peter Quill being left on Earth, Ego’s arrival was something that is surprising and he went straight to his own son, the exact opposite of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Episode 4, What If... Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?
It was one of the most painful episodes, the saddest even, as it showed what love could do and how it could damage a person. In this case, Stephen Strange did not lost the sense of touch in the accident, he lost Christine Palmer and whatever he does, she dies over and over again in that very moment. It was the only story with an ending and it pays off to have such in the anthology series.
Episode 8, What If.. Ultron Won?
It is the real Age of Ultron where he gets at the peak of his strength and for the first time in the canon show, there is some continuity given that he has been introduced in the end of Episode 7. In this alternate universe, we’re brought into an apocalyptic one – where Ultron won the battle against the Avengers and lorded over the world. However, what makes this episode worth the watch is how Natasha and Clint fought until the end with each other. That reverse Endgame scene where Clint sacrificed for Natasha was everything!
Episode 9, What If.. The Watcher Broke His Oath?
Of course, the finale is the best! It is the culmination of the whole season and we get to see characters from each of the previous episodes. It perfectly wraps up the whole season and while there are still a few questions left unanswered, it also shed some light on issues from other runs.
Surely the universe where Killmonger was would continue without him, maybe restoring some peace. The zombies got their end with Doctor Strange Supreme flooding them on Ultron. There is closure on Party Thor’s story and the one where Nat was given another chance in life by arriving in the universe from Episode 3. T’Challa does some action with Peter Quill.
Still, there is Captain Carter’s arc which continues as shown in the post-credits scene and Doctor Strange Supreme holding his promise to look after the pocket universe within a pocket universe. The finale just wrapped beautifully in a bow.