Marvel’s latest TV show, What If debuted recently and it opened on a story following the First Avenger.
The premise of these shows is swapping one key decision or aspect of the Marvel Cinematic Universe Canon with something else and following the ramifications.
This first episode poses the question of What if Peggy Carter got the Super Soldier Serum instead of Steve Rodgers? With the answer being the same as what happens in the First Avenger, structurally at least.
Peggy Carter is doubted as a female Captain (similar to how Rodgers was doubted because of his tiny size), an action of bravery to prove the doubters wrong, HYDRA is defeated, and the Captain is forced to sacrifice herself to appear in the modern day. Similar shots are even used, like the Captain busting in with the Howling Commandos brandishing a pistol.
The disappointing answer aside, some of the beats of the episode differ from First Avenger. Firstly, Steve Rodgers is injured before taking the serum, and instead gets an Iron Man suit made by Howard Stark.
This change is definitely interesting, and the different direction is a welcome sight, but one criticism of Steve’s journey is that he shouldn’t have come back after being blown up on the train. The series has the unique ability to explore darker timelines, and here the opportunity is missed and it’s a shame.
Another welcome change is that Howard Stark gets a lot more to do than his original appearance. He has some funny lines in the film and serves the role as the comedic character well. Stark also has a meaningful role in the film’s final act. Instead of leaving the character behind, Carter takes him to Red Skull’s castle, where Stark helps by closing the portal Red Skull creates.
Red Skull has a big improvement over his film version. He is more competent and isn’t arrogant. Him calling the monster using the Tesseract makes for a compelling final fight and villain, much better than just the Red Skull. However, due to the shorter run time of the TV programme compared to the film he is side-lined in favour of Carter, which is ultimately the right decision.
Although I can appreciate the show’s animation style, I prefer the style Star Wars has adopted for shows like The Bad Batch. That is not to say the show looks awful, the comic book style isn’t my favourite.
Overall, while the show was an enjoyable watch, it did not fully embrace or fulfil the premise of What If. The structural similarities to First Avenger are present to an unhealthy degree and the possibilities of the darkness are not embraced. Hopefully future episodes fix these criticisms but only time will tell.
What If…? is available to stream on Disney+
By Kieran Burt
Feature image: Marvel Entertainment