Disney Plus’s next Marvel show will be the animated What If…? series, which asks the question (every episode) “what if things went differently in the MCU?” The animated show will focus on individual stories across the multiverse, which is quite exciting since we just began to explore the multiverse in the Loki show.
I’ve actually been able to watch the first three episodes of the What If…? show and I can tell viewers that this is surely a knock out. But, I can’t give you a review just yet, however; I can give you some background information before you get to What If…? from the press conference I recently attended.
A constant in every episode is Jeffrey Wright’s The Watcher. You may know Wright in Westworld and the upcoming The Batman film. In this Marvel show, Wright plays The Watcher, who he describes:
“He’s a fairly dramatic guy. He’s a fairly powerful guy. He’s kind of overseeing, uh, the entire, uh, MCU [LAUGH]. He’s overseeing the multiverses, um, and somewhat of, uh, he plays somewhat of a Rod Sterling role, uh, here. Kind of narrating, kind of not. Um, in some ways, as maybe the biggest Marvel fan, uh, there is. Uh, watching all that transpires. Um, and dealing with, um, certain temptations to involve himself. But at the same time, just kind of living vicariously through these characters, these stories, this mythology, um, and-and taking it all in.”
Brandon Davis, from ComicBook.com; then asked A.C. Bradley (the head writer for the show):
How did you look at the past stories to determine these futures we’re about to explore?
“To be honest with you, when it came to creating an episode, like, figuring out the story of “What If…?”, the last thing we thought about was the what if. I think what we all looked for was what’s the heart behind the hero? How do we get behind the shield? What’s a part of the story we haven’t told before?
Bradley continued:
“For me, these characters are iconic. We recognize their silhouettes. We recognize their taglines. But what’s important is how we connect to them. So, it was finding new ways to connect to Peggy Carter, to Thor Odinson, to Dr. Strange. And, luckily, we have The Watcher to be our guide ‘cause he, too, is looking for a connection. ‘Cause that’s really what it-drove everything, was character. And then we kind of figured out the what if.”
Brandon then asked Wright what he believes The Watcher thinks of all the villains and heroes and their stories:
“Well, I think he, you know, going back to A.C.’s point about connection, I think he, in some ways, he’s kind of defined by them. It’s his life’s passion to observe and connect with them, with their heroism, with their flaws. Um, and so, without them, he’s nothing, in some regard.”
Wright continued:
“And that-the deepnss of that connection, I think, for fans is a powerful one, and also for The Watcher. He needs them, uh, in order to be. So, uh, yeah, they’re a big deal. They’re a big deal for him.”
Are you excited for What If…? I believe you should be!
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A girl with too many fandoms to count.
