What If...? Season 3

When Marvel opened the door to the multi-universe with Avengers: Endgame, they jumped in with both feet and two years later presented something we hadn't seen from the studio before. What If...? was the first animated project and one of the first TV series from the studio, and while not all the episodes were of great quality, it was an unquestionably acceptable first season. Unfortunately, the second season didn't have as much to offer and now a third and final season has been released, but the question is whether it will do better?

The first season had some interesting ideas with Peggy Carter becoming Captain America instead of Steve Rogers, Doctor Strange desperately trying to find a life with Christine and, most importantly, a world hit by a zombie apocalypse. All these great concepts were sadly lost in the second season, but in the last one it's possibly even worse. Almost no episode captivates me and considering the possibilities Marvel has here, it's honestly embarrassing that they can't come up with anything better than this.

The serious tone of the earlier episodes has mostly been replaced by silly humour that rarely works in the third season. One episode explores a scenario where Agatha Harkness robs the Eternals of their powers but mostly revolves around a dance number between her and Kingo. Another explores what it might have been like if the Red Guardian stopped the Winter Soldier from murdering Tony's parents, leading to a silly adventure where the Russian copy of Captain America is mucking around and being as embarrassingly lame and boring as he was in Black Widow. Where is the ambition, Marvel? Why can't we see an episode where Thanos won in Avengers: Endgame, one where all the heroes signed the Sokovia document from Captain America: Civil War or why not one where Captain America was created by Hydra? There are so many exciting things to explore but instead we get to see Howard the Duck shagging Darcy and having a baby together. Does anyone care about this?

The only episode that I actually think holds up is episode five where Mysterio controls the world (or what's left of it at least) with his illusions and the only one who can stop him is Riri Williams. Otherwise, it feels like a bunch of novices sat around a table and just brainstormed and decided to take the worst ideas and realise them. The end of the series is also one big anti-climax that feels neither rewarding nor interesting. It also becomes clear that Marvel wants to focus on its female characters, with Peggy Carter, Storm and the newly created characters Kahhori and Byrdie putting an end to the ultimate threat to Watcher Uatu's future as an observer of Earth. It results in the ending not delivering a touching finale, as TV boss Brad Winderbaum has previously talked about.

A big problem for me is also the season's main characters who never feel very interesting. Marvel has scrapped Spider-Man, Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow, Star-Lord, Ant-Man and all the other giants of Marvel's cinematic universe in favour of newcomers like Kate Bishop, Agatha Harkness, Kingo, Ying Nan, U.S. Agent and the newly created heroes. In other words, it's mostly former side characters who jump into the driver's seat but they barely have time to establish themselves as new characters in these alternate universes before the episodes are over and they're forgotten just as quickly.

In conclusion, the third season of Marvel's What If...? is nothing but a monumental disappointment that is even worse than the second season. Marvel showed at the beginning of the series that there were plenty of fun 'what if' scenarios to be had, but they seem to have run out of ideas already, which I find extremely odd. I guess I can only be grateful that they are now finishing a series whose potential they don't want to realise anyway. If you weren't hooked before, you definitely won't be now and if you're holding your breath for an epic finale, you're going to be sorely disappointed. So, by all means, skip this belly flop.