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.