大象传媒

What is What If? Marvel's new show on Disney+

Captain Peggy Carter.Image source, Marvel

The latest superhero show on Disney+ is reimagining the events of the Marvel cinematic universe by asking the question: 'What if?'

The new series, which is animated, allows fans to watch a different version of movie moments, using pre-existing characters and scenarios from the films and tweaking them as if something happened slightly differently to what we're used to.

Episodes include Peggy Carter being given the Captain America super-serum instead of Steve Rogers, becoming Captain Carter in the process. No longer in his Captain America suit, Steve Rogers instead wears Iron Man-like armour.

The second episode considers what would have happened if, instead of Peter Quill, it had been Black Panther, T'Challa who was snatched into space as a child, becoming Star-Lord in an alternative version of Guardians of the Galaxy.

Image source, Marvel Comics
Image caption,

The concept for the new show is based on a series of comics published in the 1970s

The animation is in the style of 3D graphics made to look 2D and is based on a Marvel comic from the 1970s. The comic book anthology series, also called 'What If', was published with the same idea as the new series, exploring how the Marvel Universe might have unfolded if key moments in its history had not happened as they did in mainstream storylines.

Early issues of the comic book began with questions like; what if Spider-Man joined the Fantastic Four? Or what if Bruce Banner remained clever even after he transformed into The Hulk?

In the comics, the alternative storylines are created by the Watcher, named Uatu. A member of an advanced alien race, the Watchers made it their mission to watch and record life in the galaxy. But Uatu messed with Earth's history and changed events in the process.

Image source, Marvel

In the new series, The Watcher returns as the narrator, with The Good Dinosaur actor, Jeffrey Wright providing the voice. Many of the MCU's biggest stars have also voiced their famous characters in animated form.

Hayley Atwell returns as Captain Peggy Carter and the late Chadwick Boseman returns as T'Challa having recorded his lines before he died last year.

"Unfortunately he was unable to see the finished product, but he was very excited about taking part in it," said series executive producer, Brad Winderbaum.

"He was so enthusiastic about finding a new spin on the character, it spoke to the thing that inspired him about acting in the first place."

Sebastian Stan is back as Bucky Barnes and Tom Hiddleston is still the voice of Loki, with Chris Hemsworth playing his brother Thor. Karen Gillan is back as Nebula and Benedict Cumberbatch has recorded his voice for the illustrated version of Doctor Strange.

Image source, Reuters
Image caption,

Chadwick Boseman recorded his lines for the new series before he died last year

However, some fans are disappointed that actors who have appeared in countless Marvel movies - including Chris Evans (Captain America), Robert Downey Jr (Iron Man), Scarlett Johansson (Black Widow), and Brie Larson (Captain Marvel) - aren't returning to the MCU to voice their characters for this animated series.

What do you think of the new series? Let us know in the comments.