What If from Marvel’s What If …? was the very first animation show directly tied directly to MCU. Although each episode of Season 1 showed us alternate universes where the key events were played out in different ways It’s becoming more apparent that this show plays a significant role of that MCU puzzle. The first teaser trailer for Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness to thank.
what If …? suddenly become a mandatory viewing choice in the eyes of Marvel fans? Who is the villainous Doctor Strange in the trailer? Here’s the information you should be aware of prior to entering the Multiverse of Madness.
What If…?’s Original MCU Connection
At first, it appeared like what If …? Season 1 focused on straightforward, standalone stories that took place in different universes, all of which were watched by the character of Jeffrey Wright Uatu The Watcher. The episode 8 however revealed the true nature of the show, in which a clone of Ultron enabled with an Infinity Gauntlet managed to peer across the boundaries of reality to observe Uatu looking over him.
That’s the moment that alters everything. If …? Uatu has become more than an observer in the midst of alternative reality and whose existence is in danger. As with other scientists before him Uatu has come to the difficult method to not be able to watch an experiment without altering the outcome. In this instance Uatu has transformed an impossible Ultron to a super villain bent to wipe out all life on earth.
Season 1 comes to an end with Uatu creating a group of multiversal characters to take on the all-powerful Ultron which includes captain Peggy Carter, T’Challa Star-Lord and a particularly bizarre variant that is a twisted version of Doctor Strange called Strange Supreme. We’ll be talking about the character in just a moment.
It’s likely that this high stakes battle between Ultron and Ultron could have major influence on Uatu in the upcoming episodes of the show. If …? It’s no longer possible for him to relax, watch and pretend that his life isn’t involved in the complex web of the people he observes. He’s now forced to break the fundamental tenet of Watchers – to observe but don’t intervene.
This could be the beginning of a larger character arc that will be a major character arc for Uatu on the show. After learning that he cannot simply sit and watch the world around him, Uatu may start taking the initiative to get involved in other situations. Season 2 may be constructed around episodes in which Uatu is trying to “fix” issues and then suffers the unintended results of this interference accumulating across several episodes. Uatu may have to learn there’s a middle ground that lies between “never interfere” and “play God with the multiverse.”
The main concern is whether this could be the catalyst to Uatu’s appearances in live-action films. Are we likely to have him appearing with a dire warning of Kang In Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania or signaling the arrival in the form of Galactus In Fantastic Four?
Who is Strange Supreme?
In hindsight, episode four of the series What If …? is definitely the most important of the series. This episode, which is titled “What Would Happen If Doctor Strange Lost His Heart instead of his Hands?”, introduces us to a universe where Stephen Strange goes literally mad trying to stop Christine Palmer’s demise. The Strange alters the laws of space and time and lets his body be the host to every demon that he summons. The ultimate goal of this Strange is to achieve the impossible by using this power of the unholy to reverse an absolute moment in time , and to save Christine. He is successful, but the is the moment that he ends up ruining his entire universe.
It’s the darker variant of Doctor Strange we see in the Multiverse of Madness teaser. The odd colors are a sure sign. The line, “Things just got out of hand” could be a reference to tragic scenes that are featured on screen in What If …?
We don’t know for sure how Strange Supreme is up to in this film. The last time we saw Strange Supreme as a character in The What If …? final episode, Strange Supreme was charged to watch over the pocket dimension that contained Killmonger as well as Ultron. It’s safe to believe the Strange Supreme has other plans in the present. In the event that he accidentally destroyed the world of his own universe, he might be seeking to make use of his power to create another. If the Mordo warning is true, Strange Supreme may be the ultimate villain in the Multiverse of Madness. The mentally unstable Scarlet Witch might be the right ally for him.
More What If…? Connections in the MCU
The way it’s laid out the latest Doctor Strange teaser hints that Strange Supreme isn’t solely a What If …? character to make the leap into live-action.
We can witness Strange fighting a tentacle beast that appears similar to the popular Marvel battle. Capcom character, Shuma-Gorath. According to the leaked LEGO sets, this antagonist is actually a resemblance to a Marvel monster dubbed Gargantos. We were able to see multiple versions of the beast in what If …? Season 1 as well as one that was in the body of Strange Supreme. Do you think that this villainous Strange unleash him into the MCU to keep his accomplice engaged?
The new film is expected to explore a variety of worlds within the Marvel multiverse. That’s why Xochitl’s character, her reality-hobbling Miss America Chavez, will be joining the fray. This means that many of the characters and heroes from the film What If …? could be in the show. We’d bet on Hayley Atwell as Captain Carter. If Strange is in need of a more muscles in his quest to defeat the evil and is there anyone better than Hayley Atwell, the actress who used the Super-Soldier Serum instead of Steve Rogers?
More What If…? Connections in the MCU
The way it’s laid out the latest Doctor Strange teaser hints that Strange Supreme isn’t solely a What If …? character to make the leap into live-action.
We can witness Strange fighting a tentacle beast that appears similar to the popular Marvel battle. Capcom character, Shuma-Gorath. According to the leaked LEGO sets, this antagonist is actually a resemblance to a Marvel monster dubbed Gargantos. We were able to see multiple versions of the beast in what If …? Season 1 as well as one that was in the body of Strange Supreme. Do you think that this villainous Strange unleash him into the MCU to keep his accomplice engaged?
The new film is expected to explore a variety of worlds within the Marvel multiverse. That’s why Xochitl’s character, her reality-hobbling Miss America Chavez, will be joining the fray. This means that many of the characters and heroes from the film What If …? could be in the show. We’d bet on Hayley Atwell as Captain Carter. If Strange is in need of a more muscles in his quest to defeat the evil and is there anyone better than Hayley Atwell, the actress who used the Super-Soldier Serum instead of Steve Rogers?
Beyond Doctor Strange 2, there might be a third loose end of the What If …? Season 1 that could pay off in a later MCU project. In Episode 8, we discover about Arnim Zola’s digital mind was not completely destroyed by Captain America: The Winter Soldier as there is a backup inside Hydra’s Siberian base, which was seen as part of Captain America: Civil War.
It’s obvious that this episode wasn’t made in the standard MCU However, do we have any grounds to believe that this same scenario didn’t occur in that universe too? It’s highly likely that a form of Zola exists within the MCU and is simply waiting for his turn till Hydra or another organisation enables him back in. Zola is a plausible option for a villain in the forthcoming Fourth Captain America movie or a new season of Captain America and the Winter Soldier.
In short, if haven’t seen What If …? in the past, you may consider watching the entire series prior to the next round of MCU films starts in 2022. This animated show is more important than it was thought to be.
