Marvel's What If...?

:

Season 1
  • Network: Disney+
  • Series Premiere Date: Aug 11, 2021
Season #: 3, 2, 1
Metascore
69

Generally favorable reviews - based on 16 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 16
  3. Negative: 0 out of 16
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Critic Reviews

  1. Empire
    Reviewed by: Ben Travis
    Sep 20, 2021
    60
    Marvel Studios’ first animated series is a stylish narrative experiment with fun twists and surprises — nothing more, nothing less. For the uninitiated, it’s impenetrable.
  2. RogerEbert.com
    Reviewed by: Nick Allen
    Aug 11, 2021
    50
    “What If…?” has an affable ease and comforting gloss to it, as Saturday morning cartoons are meant to. But the light fun of it is eaten away by the cynicism from within the project, that what purports to be about infinite possibilities is blatantly more about repurposing.
  3. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Angie Han
    Aug 10, 2021
    50
    As it stands, what stands out is not the series’ ambitions or its potential, but its limitations. What If…? promises to be a space for the kinds of weird or challenging or just-plain-silly ideas the live-action properties will never touch — but then, presented with these playful hypotheticals, it can hardly muster enough curiosity to wonder what happens next. Moment to moment, it’s occasionally successful as fan service for diehards.
  5. Consequence
    Reviewed by: Clint Worthington
    Aug 10, 2021
    42
    While What If…? styles itself as the Twilight Zone of the MCU, it largely feels like the same beats played all over again, but with different characters copy-pasted in each others’ place.
  6. The Independent
    Reviewed by: Louis Chilton
    Aug 11, 2021
    40
    What If…? is competently made. Like the majority of Marvel Studios’ product, though, it refuses to take any real risks. The action is loud when it needs to be loud, fast when it needs to be fast. But the dialogue is dreary and witless; the animation – 3D graphics styled to look 2D – all too stiff and inexpressive. ... Perhaps the biggest problem has to do with the storytelling. All three of the early episodes have plenty of plot, but no narrative.

Awards & Rankings

15
#15 Most Discussed TV Season of 2021

User Reviews

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User Score
6.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 118 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 72 out of 118
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 118
  3. Negative: 30 out of 118
  1. glock13
    Aug 11, 2021
    10
    I loved the first episode, I think it gives you a very interesting look into an alternate reality. I don’t think Marvel is trying toI loved the first episode, I think it gives you a very interesting look into an alternate reality. I don’t think Marvel is trying to accomplish anything amazing with this series, it’s just meant to be a place where they can share some cool ideas.… Full Review »
  2. largablarg
    Aug 13, 2021
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. The first episode was garbage. It is not about Peggy being a hero, it is about her being a woman. A hollow theme delivered with forced writing that is at odds with the pre-Endgame MCU.
    Peggy gets flattened as "just a girl" half a dozen times at least. Her general says she's lucky to "be in the room"...twice. One minor character, in a thirty minute show and he is already tripping over himself to drive home the writers room message that women "need to be in the room" in order to be heard. It’s stupid but hey, it is the forties, maybe some men did behave like that so let’s allow it. Then two of The Howling Commandos make sexist comments within seconds of meeting Peggy, including Bucky. Name one example of Bucky being sexist in all other movies / TV shows. Why throw your own characters under the bus to hoo-rah a female character in a cheap way? Then for the cherry on top Marvel again throws an established hero (Steve) under the bus for no reason. Peggy flawlessly saves Bucky where Cap couldn’t. Of course.
    Peggy’s only character trait on display is that she won’t be oppressed as a woman because she’s practically perfect in every way. As a result she is the definition of boring, removing all oppressors with zero tension. Was Steve instantly throwing cars around? Did he ever throw cars around? Why is post serum Peggy jacked in a masculine way? Why wasn’t post serum Karli Morgenthal from Falcon and the Winter Soldier jacked in a masculine way? What is the point of these noisy action scenes? Why is there such a difference between Peggy and Steve's intelligence when it comes to handling science at a level that would not be familiar to career soldiers. Steve, when faced with technology he had no exposure to in The Avengers says “It appears to be powered by some sort of electricity”. Peggy, when faced with technology she has limited exposure to corrects the designer, saying “You mean transpose the polarity and reverse the suction”.
    Marvel. Everyone likes strong female characters like Gamorah, Black Widow, The Wasp, Scarlet Witch and Pepper. People that struggle with tasks and finding their way to fit into a team. No one wants female characters that exist to prove they are better than well loved characters, often at their expense. I was hesitant to say Marvel was losing it but after the Endgame girl power scene, Captain Marvel, cutting out Dr. Strange from Wandavision because white males can’t help their female friends in crisis and now this? Marvel needs to return to less agenda driven talent. Or, you know, they could continue watching the audience scores slip below the critics scores, box office results drop and their biggest stars launch lawsuits - seems like they know what they’re doing. Bring on Shang Chi and The Eternals!!    … Full Review »
  3. Beradws
    Aug 12, 2021
    3
    It would have been at least a bit more entertaining if it had not tried so hard to focus on the woman are equals message. How about just haveIt would have been at least a bit more entertaining if it had not tried so hard to focus on the woman are equals message. How about just have the story play out to illustrate that fact instead of making it the centre point of the whole episode.… Full Review »
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