History WesternAnimation / WhatIf2021

* ForWantOfANail: The CentralTheme of the series is how the littlest, seemingly insignificant choices have unexpected, large-scale consequences. See each episode's recap page for their divergences.

** A universe where [[spoiler: Steve Rogers]] was sent back to an alternate 1602 where Odin's children rule over England.

*** In fact, many scenes from the earlier [=MCU=] are recreated in ''What If…?'', helping to demonstrate the differences but recognizable similarities between them and the Sacred Timeline--for example, the scene of Captain America and the Howling Commandos fighting their way out of the [=HYDRA=] prison from ''The First Avenger'' is almost perfectly recreated up to the entrance of the [=HYDRA=] Stomper, just with Peggy Carter in Steve Rogers' place, and the second episode has an abbreviated recreation of the opening scene to ''Guardians of the Galaxy'', except that T'Challa is there in Peter Quill's place.

** Many characters from throughout the [=MCU=] are momentary threats as zombies in "What If… Zombies?!", converging on the survivors as they try to reach Camp Lehigh but not getting much screentime otherwise.
** "What If… Thor Was An Only Child?" has appearances by nearly every spacefaring and cosmic character in the [=MCU=], including Yondu, Nebula, the Grandmaster, Topaz, Drax, the Skrulls and Rocket Raccoon. Rumlow has another extended cameo, amounting to just slightly more than in Episode 3.

* LighterAndSofter: Season 2 is noticeably lighter than season 1, featuring no {{Downer Ending}}s and only a couple of bittersweet ones. There are much fewer Variants deaths and some of the Variants end up in a downright better position than their Sacred Timeline counterpart. Even [[spoiler: Tony Stark]] survives!

*** The zombie plague originated from a superhero who became infected in another dimension/universe through unknown means and everything going downhill once other superheroes become infected as well. In the comics, it was unintentionally introduced to Earth by an alternate-universe version of the Sentry; things were looking grim for a while, but it got ''really'' bad once superheroes started becoming infected and, particularly, a zombified Quicksilver infected basically everyone on Earth in minutes thanks to his super-speed. In ''What If…?'', Janet Van Dyne contracted it in the Quantum Realm and it got out into this alternate [=MCU=] timeline when Hank, Hope, and Scott tried to rescue her; the entire Pacific Northwest was infected within a day and the Avengers showed up to try to put a stop to it, ironically sealing this Earth's fate when Captain America was immediately bitten by Hank Pym like a zombie mosquito.

* NotSoEpisodic: The series begins as an anthology series hosted by the Watcher as he ponders various alternate realities in the MCU. This formula is first challenged when [[spoiler:the Watcher meets Strange Supreme, but refuses to help save his universe]]. Another crack begins to form when [[spoiler:an alternate-reality Ultron suddenly appears at the end of another episode]] and [[DidNotSeeThatComing the Watcher's reaction]] makes it clear this was ''not'' supposed to happen. Then, it becomes a full-on MythArc when [[spoiler:Infinity Ultron learns of the existence of the Watcher and the multiverse and begins going on rampages to destroy everything, forcing the Watcher to go back to Strange Supreme and ask for his help.]] Season 2 isn't as episodic as it originally appears, either, not only including a continuation of Captain Carter's story but then doing so ''again'' as, [[spoiler: similarly to the appearance of Infinity Ultron, Carter is so suddenly taken into another universe that it gives Uatu another surprise; the penultimate episode of the season continues Carter's story again, now in a world based on ''Marvel 1602''.]] The second season also features reappearances by [[spoiler: Strange Supreme]].

** Four interconnected ones in the second half of Season 2: "What If... Captain Carter Fought the [=HYDRA=] Stomper?" ends with [[spoiler: Peggy being abruptly ripped out of her universe and into one which turns out to be based on ''ComicBook/Marvel1602'']]. "What If... Kahhori Reshaped the World?" follows a CanonForeigner character and seems totally self-contained until [[spoiler: Strange Supreme suddenly returns at the very end]]. We return to Captain Carter's story in "What If... The Avengers Assembled in 1602?" where, after she resolves the plot of the episode, [[spoiler: Strange Supreme shows up to ask her for help, which is immediately followed by "What If... Strange Supreme Intervened?" and also serves as the promised continuation of Kahhori's plot]]. Finally, at the very end of the season, [[spoiler: Uatu and Carter both decide not to send her back to her own universe just yet and he invites her to observe the multiverse with him]].

Similar to the comic book it's based on, and set immediately after the events of ''[[Series/Loki2021 Loki]]'', ''What If…?'' explores the [[TheMultiverse various alternate realities created from the death of He Who Remains and the resultant fracturing of the Sacred Timeline]], showing how the films of the [[MythArc Infinity Saga]] would have been impacted by certain major events happening differently, while omniscient narrator [[TheWatcher Uatu the Watcher]] (voiced by Creator/JeffreyWright) occasionally weighs in on what he's observing.

* TheyKilledKennyAgain: [[spoiler:Tony Stark]] has been killed in every episode in which he appears, with the single exception of [[spoiler:his brief appearance in the season finale]], and his death strongly implied in at least one other episode. Each of his deaths also qualifies as DiesDifferentlyInAdaptation.

Similar to the comic book it's based on, and set immediately after the events of the first season of ''[[Series/Loki2021 Loki]]'', ''What If…?'' explores the [[TheMultiverse various alternate realities created from the death of He Who Remains and the resultant fracturing of the Sacred Timeline]], showing how the films of the [[MythArc Infinity Saga]] would have been impacted by certain major events happening differently, while omniscient narrator [[TheWatcher Uatu the Watcher]] (voiced by Creator/JeffreyWright) occasionally weighs in on what he's observing.

* StealthSequel: Although the show seems mostly unconnected to the events of the main MCU timeline at first glance, the first season of ''Loki'' indicates the alternate realities seen in this show are in fact the result of Sylvie killing He Who Remains in the Season 1 finale, thus creating the multiple branching timelines within the Multiverse (and by extension this very show) as a result. The fact that the Watcher refers to "new realities" in the opening monologue can also be taken as an indication to that effect (though it might also just mean new-to-the-audience). Executive producer Brad Winderbaum noted that the show debuting after the conclusion of ''Loki'' [[https://deadline.com/2021/08/chadwick-boseman-what-if-jeffrey-wright-creators-disney-series-1234807268/ was not a coincidence]]. Some [[https://twitter.com/whatifofficial Twitter trailers]] even use the TVA computers showing the timeline branching and subsequently editing the records.

* WhatIf: [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Well, duh]]. The premise hinges on alternate takes on existing MCU stories and their characters, originating from varying degrees of choice or deviation.

* WhatIf: [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin Well, duh]]. The premise hinges on alternate takes on existing MCU stories and their characters.

** "What If... the Avengers Assembled in 1602?" is set in a universe which is an homage to ''ComicBook/Marvel1602'', reimagining many Marvel characters into an Elizabethan setting, with the difference being that this is a continuation of Captain Carter's story as a time-displaced supersoldier in a world not her own. The central conflict is based around a cosmic-level disaster where rifts which Carter eventually learns was caused by "the Forerunner" and she spends the episode trying to find this being. It turns out to be [[spoiler:"Rogers Hood", the local variant of Captain America, who is revealed to have been from a different universe himself where he dislodged the Time Stone from the Infinity Gauntlet during his fight with Thanos in ''Infinity War'', resulting in him ending up in the 1602 world]]. This is a reference to the original ''1602'' version of the character, who was similarly re-themed to the setting but turned out to not actually be native to that universe, being sent back in time from the alternate-future universe of Earth-460.

* NiceJobBreakingItHero: The reason Infinity Ultron becomes a multiversal threat is because [[spoiler:killing his entire home universe made him reach a level of consciousness that allowed him to hear the Watcher narrating, alerting him to the Watcher's existence and, in turn, to the existence of the multiverse]].
* NotSoEpisodic: The series begins as an anthology series hosted by the Watcher as he ponders various alternate realities in the MCU. This formula is first challenged when [[spoiler:the Watcher meets Strange Supreme, but refuses to help save his universe]]. Another crack begins to form when [[spoiler:an alternate-reality Ultron suddenly appears at the end of another episode]] and [[DidNotSeeThatComing the Watcher's reaction]] makes it clear this was ''not'' supposed to happen. Then, it becomes a full-on MythArc when [[spoiler:Infinity Ultron learns of the existence of the Watcher and the multiverse and begins going on rampages to destroy everything, forcing the Watcher to go back to Strange Supreme and ask for his help.]]

** A universe where Odin banished Hela to Earth, where she came into contact with both the Ten Rings and the people of Tao Lo.

** The writers push the envelop a little further in season 2, like putting a divergent point decades or centuries ago rather than within the decade or two, barrowing from Phase 4 and 5, and more.

* SerialEscalation: The Watcher’s appearances become more and more detailed and noticeable as the series goes on. He appears as a CelestialBody at the end of the first episode, and by the third, his silhouette is looming in the daytime sky. His silhouette becomes more three-dimensional by episode 4, and by episode 5 we get a clear view of his face. In episode 6, we're shown a shot of him fully in color.

* AllCGICartoon: The series is presented in CelShaded 3DCG animation provided by [[https://www.google.com/amp/s/variety.com/2020/tv/news/marvel-studio-squeeze-animation-what-if-disney-plus-1203529250/amp/ Squeeze Studio]], Blue Spirit Productions, [[https://twitter.com/flyingbark/status/1425256445386190851 Flying Bark Productions]], Stellar Creative Lab, and SDFX Studios.

** A universe where Gamora killed Thanos with help from Iron Man.

* AllCGICartoon: The series is presented in CelShaded 3DCG animation provided by [[https://www.google.com/amp/s/variety.com/2020/tv/news/marvel-studio-squeeze-animation-what-if-disney-plus-1203529250/amp/ Squeeze Studio]], Blue Spirit Productions, [[https://twitter.com/flyingbark/status/1425256445386190851 Flying Bark Productions]], and Stellar Creative Lab.