What If...? Head Writer Confirms A 2022 Return For Season 2
Multiverses are the hot thing in pop culture right now. Be they the minds behind the biggest superhero franchises in the world or "Swiss Army Man" (AKA the film where Daniel Radcliffe plays a farting corpse), it seems like everyone is into the idea of multiple realities, and for valid reason, given that our own universe feels more and more apocalyptic by the day. On a cheerier note: Endless realities also mean endless possibilities when it comes to stories. That's very much the appeal of Marvel Comics' "What If...?" an anthology where Frank Castle became Captain America, the Green Goblin got his claws on the Infinity Gauntlet, and Peter Parker gained super-powers after being bitten by a radioactive sheep (yes, that really happened), among other things.
There were times when Marvel's animated "What If...?" series, like its source material, tapped into the full potential of multiverse storytelling during its first season, like the episode where a variant of Stephen Strange destroyed his own universe while trying to prevent Christine Palmer's death. Overall, though, season 1 suffered from being limited to remixing elements from the first three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, combined with uneven storytelling as it rushed to lay the groundwork for major events to come in Phase 4. As such, the hope is that "What If...?" season 2 will be able to slow down and mix things up a little more when it arrives on the heels of 2022's game-changing "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness."
What to expect from What If...? season 2
Although Disney+ has yet to set a firm release date for "What If...?" season 2, The Direct noticed it was listed among the streamer's exclusive MCU titles in 2022 in a production brief for the fast-approaching "Moon Knight," along with the live-action "Ms. Marvel" and "She-Hulk" shows. "What If...? head writer A.C. Bradley confirmed the news while responding to the outlet's report on Twitter, writing, "See you later this year, kids!"
Bradley previously revealed that "What If...?" season 2 will reveal the backstory for the variant Gamora (the one who killed Thanos) seen in the show's season 1 finale, as part of an Iron Man-centric episode that was initially meant to be part of the first season but was later delayed by Covid. She's also teased the idea of episodes centered on the heroes from Phase 4 MCU movies like "Black Widow," "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings," and "Eternals," along with the ongoing adventures of Captain Carter from season 1. The poster for "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" has similarly hinted at Peggy Carter's Super Soldier variant making her live-action debut in the film, suggesting the character will continue to serve as a link between the main MCU and other timelines from here on out.
"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" hits U.S. theaters on May 6, 2022. "What If...?" season 2 wasn't mentioned in the most recent Disney investor meeting on March 9, 2022, so it may premiere outside of the current fiscal year ending on September 30, 2022.