---
title: "What If...?"
year: 2021
kind: "series"
canonical: "https://film.one/tv/what-if"
fi1m_id: "what-if"
imdb_id: "tt10168312"
tmdb_id: 91363
wikidata_id: "Q65980671"
fi1m_score: 63
critics_score: 69
critics_reviews: 8
published: "2026-09-27T09:12:54.711700+00:00"
updated: "2026-09-27T09:13:23.402498+00:00"
region: "IT"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# What If...? (2021)

Created by Bryan Andrews, Stephan Franck · MiC VM12 · Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy

## Identity

What If...?

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/tv/what-if
- **Type:** Series
- **Fi1m ID:** what-if
- **IMDb ID:** tt10168312
- **TMDB ID:** 91363
- **Wikidata ID:** Q65980671
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10168312/, https://www.themoviedb.org/tv/91363, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q65980671

**Fi1m score: 63** · Critics 69 from 8 reviews

*In a sentence:* Marvel plays its own back catalogue as a game of consequences and wins about one hand in three

> Marvel’s animated anthology rewrites its own films one decision at a time, and about a third of the rewrites are worth the trouble. The T’Challa-as-Star-Lord episode is the one to keep; much of the rest is a familiar fight in a fresh costume.

## Synopsis

The Watcher (Jeffrey Wright), a hooded giant who sees every universe and has sworn never to step into one, opens each episode with a single moment from a Marvel film and asks what would follow if it had gone the other way. In the first, Peggy Carter takes the serum Dr. Erskine (Stanley Tucci) meant for Steve Rogers. Colonel Flynn (Bradley Whitford) wants her behind a desk. Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) builds her a shield and a Union Jack suit. Dum Dum Dugan (Neal McDonough) follows her into occupied Europe against Hydra. In the second episode a Ravager ship collects the wrong boy from Earth, and even Thanos (Josh Brolin) has taken up gardening.

## Review

Each episode of *What If…?* opens the same way. The Watcher (Jeffrey Wright), a hooded giant with a voice like a cathedral organ, looks down on the multiverse he has sworn not to touch, picks a moment from one of the Marvel films, and asks what would have happened had it gone the other way. Peggy Carter takes the serum instead of Steve Rogers. A Ravager ship collects the wrong boy from Earth. That is the game, and across 26 episodes and three seasons the writers A.C. Bradley, Matthew Chauncey and Ryan Little, with directors Bryan Andrews and Stephan Franck, play it well perhaps eight or nine times. The rest is the same film with the names changed and a fight at the end.

The second episode is the reason to watch, and we had not expected it to be. T’Challa is taken by the Ravagers instead of Peter Quill and grows up to be a Star-Lord who steals for the poor and talks his enemies into surrender. He is voiced with such easy warmth that the galaxy rearranges itself around his decency, and even Thanos (Josh Brolin) has retired to grow vegetables. It moved us more than a half-hour cartoon about a space pirate had any right to. Part of that is the voice, and part is the writing, which for once asks its question properly and follows the answer to the end.

The animation, under production designer Paul Lasaine, is cel-shaded: flat blocks of colour with hard black outlines over painted backgrounds, so the characters look like the actors traced with a thick pen and set down on a matte painting. In motion it is two different things. The action, and there is a great deal of it, has real swing, bodies arcing through the frame and freezing in comic-panel poses; the conversations are stiff, mouths moving while the rest of the face waits its turn. Laura Karpman and Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum score it for full orchestra and brass, and their main theme, a rising fanfare that ends on something like a question mark, is a proper tune, which Marvel television has not always managed.

The trouble is the shape. Editors Graham Fisher, Joel Fisher and Anton Capaldo-Smith cut every episode to a little over half an hour, and the writers spend the first ten minutes reminding us of the film being altered and the last ten on a battle, which leaves roughly ten for the actual thinking. Motives are announced in a line. Wright’s narration does the plotting the pictures have no time for. Halfway through the first season we were bored, and then mildly cross about it, because the idea underneath is good and it was being spent on set pieces we had already seen with better faces.

The back half of the first season takes a turn we will not describe. The second and third seasons lean into serialising the anthology and are better for it. The second includes an episode told in Mohawk, about a new heroine called Kahhori, that owes nothing to any existing film and is the freshest thing the series does. Wright, given more to do than narrate, is good: sorrowful, amused, and audibly tempted.

Set against [*Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse*](https://film.one/film/spider-man-into-the-spider-verse) (2018), which let its animators invent a way of drawing rather than a way of copying, this is timid; the style exists to keep the faces recognisable, nothing more. Set against Marvel’s own record it is about par, a series that plays with the toys without risking breaking one.

Watch the first two episodes, in order. If the second does not take, nothing later will; if it does, skip about, because these are anthologies and the running thread can look after itself. It carries a 12 certificate, and the episodes are short enough that a bad one costs you little.

*Fi1m score 63, published 27 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics like What If…?, with the qualification that it plays best for people who already know the Marvel films well. The praise gathers in a few places. The T’Challa-as-Star-Lord episode is singled out again and again, as much for Chadwick Boseman’s performance as for its brisk alternate take on Guardians of the Galaxy. The returning cast, Jeffrey Wright and Lake Bell in particular, gets consistent credit, and the reviews of the later seasons are warmer still, finding the finale a satisfying send-off and the Mohawk-language Kahhori episode a highlight.

The reservations are about depth and stamina. Several critics say the novelty of the premise wears off, that stories feel rushed, and that some episodes are hard to stay with. The animation splits them: Den of Geek finds it spectacular, while /Film calls it clunky. The spread is wide. The Hollywood Reporter is the firm dissenter, arguing the show takes a limitless idea and shrinks it to small, shallow stories.

## Straight answers

**Is What If...? worth watching?**

*What If...?* is worth watching selectively, for anyone who knows the Marvel films well enough to enjoy seeing them rewritten, and we scored it 63. About a third of the episodes ask their question properly and follow the answer through; the rest are the same fight in a fresh costume. Start with the first two episodes, in order, and let the second decide for you.

**How long is What If...?, and what is it rated?**

*What If...?* is rated VM12 by the MiC in Italy. It is an animation and action & adventure series.

**Where can I watch What If...? in Italy?**

*What If...?* is streaming on Disney+ in Italy. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is What If...?, and is it suitable for children?**

*What If...?* carries a UK 12 certificate, and its action is cel-shaded superhero fighting rather than anything graphic or frightening. There is a great deal of it, with bodies arcing through the frame and freezing in comic-panel poses, but nothing the certificate would not lead you to expect. Younger children who already watch the Marvel films will be fine; the tone is closer to adventure than horror.

**How does What If...? compare to Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse?**

*What If...?* is the more timid of the two, and [*Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse*](https://film.one/film/spider-man-into-the-spider-verse) is the better piece of animation by some distance. The film let its animators invent a way of drawing; the series uses its style to keep the actors' faces recognisable, nothing more. Choose the series if you want the Marvel back catalogue reshuffled, and the film if you want the multiverse done with real invention on screen.

**What should I watch after What If...??**

After *What If...?*, try [*Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse*](https://film.one/film/spider-man-into-the-spider-verse) (2018, Fi1m 87): The multiverse done with actual invention in the drawing, not just the plot. Then [*Sliding Doors*](https://film.one/film/sliding-doors) (1998, Fi1m 63): One missed train, two lives; the what-if premise at human scale and 12 certificate.

### Reviews we read (8)

- **IndieWire**, Tyler Hersko (B+): Hersko finds the series an enjoyable, refreshing entry in the MCU, especially for longtime fans. He praises the cel-shaded animation and Chadwick Boseman’s performance in the standout T’Challa episode. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/shows/what-if-review-marvel-mcu-disney-plus-show-1234656372/)
- **The AV Club**, Sam Barsanti (B+): Barsanti finds the season fun and clever, though its increasingly predictable overarching storyline makes it feel somewhat rote. He praises the season premiere’s Blade Runner-inspired Nebula adventure as a highlight. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/what-if-season-2-review-fun-if-familiar-1851120628)
- **Empire**, Amon Warmann (80/100, inferred): Warmann calls the final season a strong, satisfying send-off for the series. He particularly praises its inventive climactic battles and the conclusion to The Watcher’s personal arc. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/marvels-what-if-season-3/)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Angie Han (30/100, inferred): Han finds the series underwhelming, with its big possibilities narrowed to shallow, small-scale storytelling. She praises the T’Challa-as-Star-Lord episode as zippy and delightful, while criticizing the animation and some voice performances. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/marvel-what-if-review-1234994938/)
- **Den of Geek**, Kirsten Howard (4/5): The critic gives the episode a strong review, praising its spectacular animation and multiverse-spanning visuals. She singles out Ultron’s near-Galactus form as a particularly striking sight. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/what-if-episode-8-review/)
- **Paste**, Trent Moore (8.0/10): Moore finds the second season delightful and nostalgic, especially for viewers who enjoyed the first. He praises the varied stories and highlights the new Kahhori episode, told entirely in Mohawk. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/tv/disney-plus/what-if-season-2-review)
- **Collider**, Liz Shannon Miller (65/100, inferred): Miller finds the series fun for MCU superfans, though its novelty can wear off and some episodes are hard to stay invested in. She praises the returning actors, especially Lake Bell and Jeffrey Wright, and highlights the action sequences’ comic-book flair. [Read](https://collider.com/what-if-marvel-review-disney-plus/)
- **/Film**, Ethan Anderton (55/100, inferred): Anderton finds the series a satisfying but uneven remix, with rushed storytelling and clunky animation holding it back. He especially praises the second episode as the most complete story and a compelling alternate take on Guardians of the Galaxy. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/583286/marvels-what-if-review-the-multiverse-offers-mixed-results-with-stylish-animation-and-rushed-storytelling/)

## Details

- **Created by:** Bryan Andrews, Stephan Franck
- **Director:** Bryan Andrews, Stephan Franck
- **Writer:** Matthew Chauncey, A.C. Bradley, Ryan Little
- **Story:** Bryan Andrews, Matthew Chauncey, Ryan Little, A.C. Bradley
- **Teleplay:** Ryan Little, Matthew Chauncey
- **Editor:** Graham Fisher, Joel Fisher, Anton Capaldo-Smith
- **Music:** Laura Karpman, Nora Kroll-Rosenbaum
- **Production design:** Paul Lasaine
- **Producer:** Carrie Wassenaar, Danielle Costa, Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt
- **Cast:** Jeffrey Wright as The Watcher (voice); Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark (voice); Stanley Tucci as Dr. Erskine (voice); Neal McDonough as Dum Dum Dugan (voice); Darrell Hammond as Nazi General (voice); Bradley Whitford as Colonel Flynn (voice); Andreas Beckett as Additional Voices (voice); David Cowgill as Additional Voices (voice)
- **Certificate (MiC):** VM12
- **Release (Italy):** 11 August 2021
- **Genres:** Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9D0uUKJ5KI

## Where to watch in Italy

- Disney+: streaming, uhd

*Checked 2026-09-27.*

Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse* (2018), Fi1m 87: The multiverse done with actual invention in the drawing, not just the plot — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/spider-man-into-the-spider-verse.md)
- *Star Wars: Visions* (2021): Another franchise handed to animators, this time Japanese ones with permission to break things
- *Love, Death & Robots* (2019): Short animated anthology, a different style every episode, hit rate about the same
- *Sliding Doors* (1998), Fi1m 63: One missed train, two lives; the what-if premise at human scale and 12 certificate — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/sliding-doors.md)
- *Batman: The Animated Series* (1992): Half-hour superhero episodes that trusted silence and shadow rather than a closing brawl

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/tv/what-if