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Hi! I'm Zach, the Editor-in-Chief here at The Cinema Spot. The TCS team and I are always hard at work to put out the best content we can, and we're even developing a few new features! Be sure to keep an eye out for the latest contests, daily news articles, comprehensive reviews, and more!
What if Peggy Carter, not Steve Rogers, received the supersoldier serum? What if T’Challa were picked up by Yondu and the Ravagers, and not Peter Quill? Or what if Fury’s big week became Fury’s worst nightmare? How would these moments — these tiny changes — affect the larger universe around them? That’s exactly the idea behind the newest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe!
Each thirty-minute episode offers compelling new looks at different timelines from the multiverse that take our favorite stories and change them. Many of the fan-favorite actors return to their respective roles, including Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa, Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, and more! We’ll circle back to the actors in a bit. First, we should talk about something you’ll notice right off the bat- the style.
The Animation
As noted before, What If…? is Marvel Studios’ first animated series. It’s presented in a 2-D style that’s somewhat of a nice departure from the typical 2D animation we see in other shows. The character designs are amazing and bright with color. Although, for some characters, there is little to no resemblance to the original actor. Other characters, of course, appear to be spot on with their designs. Whether it’s a creative choice to create this departure or just accidental, nothing is lost by the changes.
I noticed only a couple of things that were odd with the animation. None were prevalent enough to distract from the story being told. First, mouth movements would sometimes be nowhere near synced up with the voice as the mouth would make extravagant movements while the voice wouldn’t indicate such a necessity. The other was the use of vibrant but motionless backgrounds. In one scene, there’s a gathering taking place with other people in the background that just don’t move. There isn’t much of this throughout the first three episodes. Also, like the not-synced mouth/voice movements and sounds, it does nothing to either influence or take away from the story. It would have played out on screen a bit better, however, if these changes were made.
The Voice Cast
Now back to the actors. As I said, there were a lot of actors that returned to their live-action roles including Atwell, Stan, Jackson, and Chadwick Boseman among others. Other actors did not return to their characters, however, such as Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, and Dave Bautista. The actors to replace those missing did quite a compelling job to convince me that the OG Avengers were all back but unfortunately fell short. Some moments during the first episode I swore I was listening to Chris Evans. Yet, others made me realize this was not America’s Ass Voice.
To hear Boseman’s voice as T’Challa again was amazing. Despite knowing going into the episode that he was voicing the character, it was still a moment that took me back. To hear that iconic accent in a new entry into the MCU was so powerful. It was backed up by the best of the first three episodes.
Some Goods and Some Bads
Jeffrey Wright narrates the stories as The Watcher/Uatu. He’s the one jumping the audience between each universe to see how these small changes alter the stories we know of the Sacred Timeline. His line delivery is on point with that soothing, gravelly voice of his. His general introduction for all the episodes is great, filled with mysticism and curiosity, and is an instant classic intro. Then we get to the specialized introduction to each episode, and that same mysticism mixed with curiosity comes right back with quite a large pinch of enjoyment nestled into his voice. It’s fantastic. He’s fantastic. You’re fantastic.
One actor that was unfortunate enough to negatively catch my attention with their performance was Sebastian Stan voicing Bucky Barnes. Despite doing such a fantastic job in the live-action role, his voice acting seems lackluster. Lines feel to just be delivered with no emotion behind them. It’s a shame because like the original Captain America film, he does have a larger role in the story.
Episode 1
The stories themselves are great!
The first up is that of Captain Carter. Of the first three, it’s definitely the one that most closely adheres to the original story, though varies wildly toward the end. Steve Rogers is still Steve Rogers; a good man even without the serum. Captain Carter herself is extremely well-designed, and Atwell’s voice acting is perfect, bringing a sense of enthusiasm that is subsequently displayed through the animation.
The action sequences are a joy to watch, and the score mixes grandiose with the period piece marvelously. Even the transitions are, at times, reminiscent of the 1940s. Then we have Red Skull. His story takes a unique turn that I honestly didn’t see coming, and was a terrific adjustment for the story.
Episode 2
The second episode is hands down the best of the first three — T’Challa as Starlord. It’s an amazing alteration that I never knew I needed, and am so thrilled to have. The episode is just as funny as the original Guardians of the Galaxy film and offers an intriguing new dynamic between Starlord and Yondu, voiced by the original actor Michael Rooker. Where Peter Quill’s Starlord was out to make some quick cash and unknown to the universe, T’Challa’s Starlord is trying to make the universe a better place for all and is beloved by everyone. In its barest essence, it’s just confirming what we already know — T’Challa is a hero regardless of where he is.
This episode also offers so many more intriguing subplots and holds its own amazing history that I truly wish could be explored more. With twists around every corner, this episode delivers on the promise of answering the question, “what if?”!
Episode 3
Finally, we turn our attention to the third episode — Fury’s Worst Week.
Not the official title, but it plays off the MCU subplot of Fury’s Big Week, and the title feels fitting for the episode. It was probably my least favorite of the three but was still awesome to watch nonetheless. The story was interesting. On multiple occasions, the creators turned classic Marvel Phase One scenes into animation and it’s terrific, hardly missing a single detail. Until the story redirects.
Unlike the first two episodes, however, this episode spins off from the Sacred Timeline after a major alteration to the timeline. At times, the story feels rushed, while other times it drags. It’s compelling enough to watch in its totality, and it’s most assuredly the darkest story being told thus far. However, it just doesn’t hold up in comparison to the others.
Final Thoughts
Overall, the What If…? series is off to a great start! With more episodes to come and a second season confirmed, What If…? is for sure going to dive deep into the Marvel Universe and reveal more about the different timelines for quite some time.
Rumors are also swirling around that Captain Carter will be the first character introduced in the animated series to make the jump to live-action in the March 2022 film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. If true, it would also mark Hayley Atwell’s third live-action appearance as Peggy Carter.
What If…? releases Wednesday, August 11th, with new episodes every Wednesday on Disney+!
Score: 8.5/10
Are you excited for What If…? What other upcoming Marvel Studios shows are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below! And be sure to follow The Cinema Spot on Twitter (@TheCinemaSpot), Instagram (@thecinemaspot_) and Facebook, (@TheCinemaSpotFB) to stay up to date on the latest Marvel and Disney+ news!
Hi! I'm Zach, the Editor-in-Chief here at The Cinema Spot. The TCS team and I are always hard at work to put out the best content we can, and we're even developing a few new features! Be sure to keep an eye out for the latest contests, daily news articles, comprehensive reviews, and more!
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