What If? Season 3 Review: What If a Marvel Series Was Bad?

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As a longtime Marvel fan and someone who’s spent countless hours poring over comic books, I must say that What If…? Season 3 left me feeling rather disillusioned. With my expectations sky-high, I was eagerly anticipating a captivating exploration of alternate realities featuring our beloved heroes. Alas, what I got was a jumble of underdeveloped storylines and lackluster character work that felt more like a fanfiction written by a six-year-old with access to a time machine.

In 2021, the Marvel Cinematic Universe expanded with the third season of “What If…?” This Disney+ show takes us on a journey through the multiverse, exploring scenarios where key events from the MCU unfolded in unique and alternate ways.

Each new season brings fresh storylines, such as the premiere titled “What If the Hulk Faced Off Against Tech Avengers?” However, this title is something of a red herring. The Hulk, portrayed by Bruce Banner, doesn’t engage in combat with the Mechanized Avengers in the episode. This opening episode might not be a promising sign of what lies ahead. Sadly, this season turned out to be underwhelming and serves as yet another example of missed opportunities for a MCU show that could have delved into more compelling themes.

In this critique, I won’t reveal any plot twists but will discuss some narrative points derived from episode titles. Regrettably, this season doesn’t quite live up to its promise of untapped possibilities. The initial installment delves into an aspect that the live-action MCU should have explored earlier – Bruce Banner’s ongoing battle with the Hulk. Since his growth with the Hulk has mainly been portrayed off-screen, this series presented a unique chance to reintroduce the character in a fresh light. However, it appears that the episode only scratches the surface of this intriguing angle. Instead of Steve Rogers, Sam Wilson forges a bond with Bruce, and he serves as the leading figure. Unfortunately, Sam’s character doesn’t make for an engaging perspective to witness Bruce’s struggles. Despite their friendship, it’s unfortunate that we don’t get to delve deeper into these challenges on-screen.

In this episode, I found myself disconnected from the action due to the heavy reliance on the Watcher’s narration at the start. The rapid succession of events felt jarring, given that they were crammed into just half an hour. While there were some intriguing concepts presented, like the kaiju battle, it failed to captivate me because it lacked the human element. Unlike the 2012 Avengers movie where we could empathize with the civilians caught in the chaos, here it felt as if they might as well be battling in an empty field. The predictability of the storyline in this first episode was also a bit disappointing. Although Hulk’s character development was pushed forward, he still seemed to play a secondary role.

In the second installment, titled “What If Agatha Ventured into Hollywood?”, the episode effectively reinforces the concept behind What If…?. However, it seems overly engrossed in placing its characters in the glamorous era of Old Hollywood, complete with extravagant dance sequences during film production. This focus on style leaves little room for substantial content. Frequently, these episodes create a sense of life-threatening peril without eliciting genuine emotion or investment from viewers. At times, the attempt to be entertaining can blur the lines between physical and emotional risks.

After watching the third installment, I found myself losing interest in “What If the Red Guardian Stopped the Winter Soldier”. Frankly, it’s quite disappointing. This episode seems to take a significant, emotionally charged moment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), namely Tony Stark discovering that the Winter Soldier was responsible for his parents’ death, and turns it into a series of MCU jokes. This is disrespectful to one of the most impactful scenes in the Marvel universe. One would expect such a revelation to deeply affect Tony, but instead, this episode focuses more on a buddy cop adventure starring the Winter Soldier and Red Guardian rather than delving into Tony’s character development.

Is this performance effective? Not really. The humor falls flat and feels quite raw. It’s incredibly unamusing. David Harbour invests a great deal of enthusiasm into his role, but the dialogue is abysmal; he seems more like a caricature than a real person. He appears to be an American’s exaggerated portrayal of a Russian individual. His lines revolve solely around Moscow and communists. He doesn’t act in a way that feels human-like. Watching this is quite frustrating, especially since Harbour brought both boldness and depth to the character in Black Widow. Unfortunately, similar issues were present in the second episode as well, with Howard Stark’s actions being excessively over-the-top. These characters feel like stereotypes rather than genuine individuals.

In a simpler and more conversational style:

After reaching the fourth episode, I found myself on the edge of my seat, desperate for it to improve. Is there any hope? Unfortunately, it seems not in this case. “What If Howard the Duck Got Hitched?” Indeed, we now find ourselves with an installment of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that features Howard the Duck having a baby with Darcy Lewis. It’s hard to believe that such a storyline exists alongside more serious and gritty titles like Daredevil, but it does.

In a less formal way: What’s the story behind a human and a duck having a baby? Who was supposed to get pregnant, the human or the duck? The focus of the episode seems to be on keeping a mysterious egg safe. So, who laid that egg? Was it Darcy or Howard? I can’t help but ponder over the situation, and it’s not making my evening any more pleasant. Also, this seems like bestiality, doesn’t it? This relationship is exactly what people mean when they talk about bestiality. But if Lea Thompson could get intimate with a duck in ’86, then who knows what can happen? I wonder if the kids watching this episode are asking these questions. Should I keep quiet because this is just a cartoon? Yes, I should.

Despite my enthusiasm for it initially, this series appears to lack a clear direction. The humor in this particular installment feels simplistic and aimed at a young audience, yet it also incorporates mature themes such as references to Eyes Wide Shut, Rosemary’s Baby, and orgies. However, the show fails to elicit any laughter, which is alarming given its attempts to be humorous. Furthermore, it seems to be trying too hard to be absurd, making it difficult for me to engage with any of it. This episode encapsulates many of the criticisms leveled against the live-action MCU, amplified significantly. It’s filled with superfluous cameos and constant quips, which epitomize what could go wrong in this cinematic universe.

As someone deeply invested in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it’s disappointing for me to express my thoughts about this show. The writing, unfortunately, falls short in my opinion. However, I must acknowledge that the second half of the series significantly improves from the fifth episode onward. The narrative becomes more engaging as the Watcher plays a larger role, and the storylines become more intriguing. Regrettably, character development is still lacking, and the final two episodes may not resonate strongly due to focusing on characters who have been largely absent throughout the season. The connections between events are tenuous, often relying on your prior knowledge of MCU characters to elicit an emotional response. Yet, this series presents different versions of these characters, which can be confusing if you’re not familiar with the concept of variants.

Although this show ends on a high note, stepping things up in the writing department and giving a few fun moments that fans may eat up, this season is a disappointment. With thousands of Marvel comics that explore different character journeys, What If…? Season 3 manages to get you to care about nothing. It’s the type of show that will be gold to any casual, easily entertained MCU fan with low standards. Those who set the MCU to a higher standard will, at best, be indifferent to this season. Marvel fans deserve better.

SCORE: 4/10

According to ComingSoon’s review guidelines, a rating of 4 signifies “Poor.” This means that the negative points overshadow the good ones, making it challenging to finish.

Disclosure: ComingSoon received screeners for our What If? Season 3 review.

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2024-12-23 18:40