Main spoilers under for the ultimate episode of Marvel’s What If…?, so be warned in the event you haven’t but streamed it with a Disney+ subscription.
Of all of the TV reveals ending in 2024, or any 12 months, nothing was fairly similar to Marvel’s multiverse-exploding anthology What If…?, which wrapped up its third and last season mere days earlier than the 2025 TV schedule kicks off. The last episode surprisingly killed off a significant character in Captain Carter, whereas additionally giving followers the (presumably non-canonical) elimination of the Council of Kangs. And it additionally sparked a ton of comparable complaints from viewers who had been left disenchanted by each the ultimate season and the collection as a complete.
A number of the largest What If…? complaints voiced on social media within the wake of the finale’s arrival are all tied to the second half of the ep, the place we’re proven a large assortment of superior variant characters who, a lot to everybody’s disgust, weren’t truly utilized within the present itself. Let’s dig into a few of what was proven, after which how followers reacted to all of it.
Some Standout Variants That Have been Teased in What If…?’s Finale
A lot of the What If…? finale facilities on Uatu making an attempt to persuade the Eminence, the Incarnate and the Executioner that his universe-changing foibles had been for the larger good, and the battle that ensues when his efforts are unsuccessful. The Watcher trio ultimately comes collectively as one mega-force and threatens to erase each multiversal iteration of Peggy, Byrdie, Storm and Kahhori from existence, which kicks off the primary spherical of shock variants.
The remainder of the beforehand unseen alt-heroes pop up simply earlier than the top credit, as Jeffrey Wright’s Uatu is sharing his closing ideas. Mixed, it makes for a wild lineup of combo characters that may have been extraordinarily enjoyable to discover in any capability. Right here’s a smattering of A+ choices:
- Black Panther Storm
- Wolverine Peggy Carter and Sabretooth Peggy Carter
- Riri WIlliams’ Punisher
- Weapon X Thanos
- Scarlet Witch Duck
- Samurai Ghost Rider
- Outdated West Loki
- Maestro’s Dr. Unusual
That is solely round a fourth of the whole characters that flashed throughout the display screen throughout the What If…? finale, however that group alone would justify a Season 4 order, or a wholly completely different spinoff devoted to simply these specific variants. Critically, Scarlet Witch Duck teaming up with Samurai Ghost Rider is a dream past goals. However for all of the optimistic emotions embedded in that form of hypothesis, there additionally exists a ton of negativity.
How Followers Reacted To What If…?’s Ultimate Episode
By and enormous, the feedback directed at What If…?‘s last season ranged from considerably damaging to extraordinarily harsh, and anybody who searched up the collection across the holidays possible bumped into a lot confusion over a full episode dedicated to Howard the Duck and Darcy having a species-mashing child collectively. (We love seeing Kat Dennings return to the MCU, however what a bizarre arc.)
When it got here to the finale itself, it looks as if Marvel would have been higher off scrapping all the variant-related animation, since that is largely what the feedback had been centered on. We’ll kick off with this put up earlier than diving into extra detailed feedback.
#WhatIf What if centered on attention-grabbing variants? pic.twitter.com/NsjpJXkC6mDecember 29, 2024
- The funniest factor about #WhatIf is that it ends with a montage of variants who look infinitely extra attention-grabbing than those the present was about. – @therealsupes
- MAESTRO SUPREME?! That may have been a lot cooler than saying “what if Peggy Carter was actually necessary” for the thousandth time lol. Marvel must cease this sort of bullshit and focus extra on these they confirmed on the finish – @TonystarsR2011
- I am crying actually all their concepts are “What if this character was this character as an alternative” So glad this shitfest ass present is over – @celestialdevils
- WHAT IF we gave you a glimpse of those cool variants and by no means do something with them – @MyTimeToShineH
- The ending of what if I reveals how they fumble a present Principally the ending is: yeahs right here what we COULD’VE finished” 😭 BOI I GOT HEATED – @qCandywing
- You gotta give it to #WhatIfSeason3 for ending the collection with a montage that was principally “What If… we did any of those extra attention-grabbing variants as an alternative of what we did for Season Three.” – @mktoon
It is tough on the market for a What If…? inventive crew member, even when a lot of the naysayers had been nonetheless inherently extremely optimistic about all the artwork and designs for the unused variants, even whereas taking photographs on the present itself.
After all, not everybody had such a foul time watching the animated anthology’s final outing, although the steadiness appeared to be tipped within the extra dour course. However let’s finish this specific story with extra positivity.
Watcher ending on a excessive observe actually proven us the huge marvel characters in each universe was so superior and gave goosebumps
@sandeep_sanmeyo
We all know that What If…? wasn’t in a position to make use of Hugh Jackman as Wolverine regardless of one director’s need to make that occur. However there’s all the time the long run, even when it does not contain Deadpool.
What If…? is now a finished deal, no less than in its present capability. It’s unclear whether or not or not Marvel will decide to proceed on with new animated adventures centering on The Exiles, or if we’ll get standalone specials akin to the One Photographs of years previous.