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What If... - TitleCard1

A list of trivia related to What If...?.

References to Marvel Comics[]

  • Marvel Studios had discussed adapting the What If...? comics in the past, but decided not to do so until after the conclusion of The Infinity Saga so they would have enough storylines to create alternate options of. Moreover, in making the series animated, it allowed the studio to explore all of these ideas "unbounded".[1]

References to the Marvel Cinematic Universe[]

Unorganized Trivia[]

Before it was officially announced, the show was originally planned to be one season and 23 episodes long, with each one centered around each movie in The Infinity Saga, but production constraints forced Marvel to split it into what was eventually announced to be two 10-episode seasons. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, the season episode count was dropped to 9 episodes each, seemingly meaning that for all future seasons of the show going forward, they will each be one episode shorter than they would've been.

  • For season two, all episodes were stylized as "What if..." instead of "What If..." like the series title suggests.
  • As of September 15, 2021, fans can preorder a Hot Toys figure inspired by What If... Captain Carter Were The First Avenger? The 1:6-scale figure features Carter herself, wearing her Captain Carter suit from the episode. It also comes with accessories including the matching shield, her pistol, and her sword. That figure is available to preorder now from Sideshow for $235, with an expected ship date of January-March 2023.[14]
  • The art style for the series was heavily inspired by the artwork of the artist J. C. Leyendecker.[15]
  • As of September 17, 2021, Funko began to showcase some new Pop figures for pretty much every episode of What If...?[16]
  • On September 18, 2021, the official Marvel Studios Twitter account released some promotional images seen in the opening credits of various What If... episodes.[17]
  • On September 21, 2021, it was mentioned that despite the focus being on the live-action actors who were able to return to voice their roles in What If..., one significant name which has been a part of Marvel's projects for a while quietly returned, too and that is Seth Green, who has voiced Howard the Duck in animated series like Guardians of the Galaxy and Ultimate Spider-Man, and even a brief appearance in James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.[18]
    • Green went onto revealed that that he recorded his lines a year before COVID even happened, further highlighting that “it was before Avengers: Endgame came out.”[19]
  • On September 23, 2021, Hudson Thames who voiced Spider-Man in the episode What If... Zombies?!, was asked about how he approached being cast as Tom Holland's iteration of Spider-Man. The actor/singer disclosed that his plan for imitating Tom Holland's Peter changed once he found out how much dialogue he'd be voicing stating that: “At first, I was definitely trying to sound like Tom [Holland], and then I realized it wasn't going to be a few lines. [I realized] it was going to be me having to find an identity with that character, so I kind of threw that away and did my thing with it. Serendipitously, we sound a bit similar. As I kept going in more and more for more sessions on the episode, I was like, 'Oh, this is an opportunity to live in this character a little bit' and have fun with it." Thames went on to talk about the research he did for the role in order to capture Tom Holland's "playfulness and energy"...[20]
  • On September 24, 2021, it was revealed that the soundtrack for What If... Thor Were an Only Child?, the series seventh episode of Season 1 was officially released.[21][22]
  • On September 25, 2021, as part of promoting the episode, Marvel Studios released a wedding invitation for the Las Vegas marriage union of Darcy Lewis and Howard the Duck in the episode What If... Thor Were an Only Child?[23]
  • On September 26, 2021, according showrunner A.C. Bradley, what would have been episode 10 of Season 1, but has since been added to Season 2's episode roster, would have been one of the funniest of the season.[24]
  • On September 27, 2021, Bradley teased that for season 2 "the training wheels come off," allowing the team to bring "weirder" and "wilder" things to the story. She even revealed that one episode has a lot of "(her) own personality" infused, including a hilarious mention of "bad 90's clothing choices".[25]
  • On September the Marvel Studios Twitter account promoted What If... Ultron Won?, the series eight episode for season one.[26]
  • On October 4, 2021, Marvel Studios and Disney+ released a new poster ahead of What If... The Watcher Broke His Oath?, the finale for Marvel's What If…? finale featuring Gamora. This Gamora appears to have defeated her adoptive father, Thanos, wearing a version of his armor.[27]
  • On October 5, 2021, A.C. Bradley revealed that there was one scene that was too horrifically violent to remain in the Disney+ series. The scene in question was originally intended for What If... Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?" the tragic story originally also included a brutal murder.[28]
  • On October 7, 2021, Bradley confirmed that the episode rumored to feature Tony Stark and Gamora was cut after one of the head production offices had to deal with tough pandemic-related issues. She was also happy to reveal that Tony actually lived all the way through this episode after the first eight entries often times gave the MCU icon a cruel fate.[29]
    • Also on this day, Andrews, revealed that even before “What If... T'Challa Became a Star-Lord?” became one of the first season’s strongest episodes, plans were coming into shape for a full-on animated spin-off about the variant. “I don’t know if Chadwick Boseman knew this, but there was planning to have Star-Lord T'Challa spin-off into his own show with that universe and crew,” Andrews said. “We were all very excited. We know he would have loved it, too. And then, you know, he passed, and so all that’s in limbo. So, who knows? Maybe one day.”[30]
  • On October 8, 2021, Funko's New York Comic Con 2021 Virtual Con Pop figures launched on this day; which included their lineup of Pop figures for Marvel's What If...? animated series for Season 1 that follow this week's season finale.[31]
  • On October 23, 2021, in a tweet posted earlier today by the official Twitter account of The Boys, the series poked fun at Marvel's animated series What If...?, posting a series of images with cast members photoshopped so that they appear to be playing different characters in the series. Featuring Hughie actor Jack Quaid as Homelander, Mother's Milk actor Laz Alonso as A-Train, Kimiko actress Karen Fukuhara as Queen Maeve, and Frenchie actor Tomer Capon as The Deep.[32]
  • On October 25, 2021, Iron Studios released promotional images for the 1:10 scale Zombie Captain America statue from What If... Zombies?!, the fifth episode of the Disney+/Marvel Studios animated series What If...? The collectible is available to pre-order now from Sideshow, priced at $150.[33]
  • Four variants of Tony Stark died throughout the first season.
  • This is the first series to have multiple installments released in the same phase, where season 2 came out December 2023, and season 3 on December 2024, both as part of Phase Five.

References[]

  1. Marvel’s What If…? Crew Explains Why They Went 3D Over 2D & A Scrapped Episode That Was Too Close To GOTG 3
  2. What If...? Is Officially MCU Canon - IGN
  3. Marvel's 'What If...?' Executive Producer Talks The Multiverse And A New Assembly Of Avengers - Slashfilm
  4. What If's Marvel Multiverse Was Already Forming Before Loki and Doctor Strange 2 - Gizmodo
  5. How Marvel's What If...? Coordinated With Loki, WandaVision, Spider-Man, and More - Comicbook.com
  6. ‘What If…?’ Writer and Director on Their Last Call with Chadwick Boseman and a Captain Carter Movie - Hollywood Reporter
  7. Exclusive: Hayley Atwell's Captain Carter brings 'chutzpah and style' to Marvel's 'What If...?' series - USA Today
  8. WHAT IF Interview AC Bradley Marvel Head Writer Talks Spider-Man Uncle Ben, Zombies, Star Wars - YouTube
  9. Black Widow & Marvel's What If Documentary Specials Receive New Release Dates on Disney+ - The Direct
  10. Avengers: Endgame's Red Skull Actor Plays Another MCU Villain In Latest What If Episode - The Direct
  11. What If...? Season 2 Will Feature Shang-Chi and Eternals - IGN
  12. Inside Marvel’s ‘What If…?’ Finale, Season 2 Plans and the T’Challa Spinoff That Never Was - Variety
  13. Fandom Oct. 27, 2021 Tweet via Disney Plus - Twitter
  14. THE FIRST EPISODE OF MARVEL’S ‘WHAT IF…?’ GETS HOT TOYS FIGURES - The Pop Insider
  15. Marvel’s What If...? was inspired by a low-key gay icon and favorite of Stucky shippers - Polygon
  16. Queen General Ramonda Funko Pop Added to Marvel's What If...? Line - Comicbook.com
  17. Marvel Studios Sept. 18, 2021 Tweet - Twitter
  18. Seth Green Interview: Marvel's What If...? - Screen Rant
  19. Seth Green Recorded ‘What If…?’ Long Before ‘Avengers: Endgame’ Even Released in Theaters - Murphy's Multiverse
  20. MCU: New Spider-Man Voice Actor Reveals Why He Didn't Want to Copy Tom Holland In What If - The Direct
  21. Marvel’s “What If…?” Episode Seven Soundtrack Now Available - Laughing Place
  22. What if...? (Episode 7) Original Soundtrack - Spotify
  23. Marvel Studios Sept. 25, 2021 IG Post - Instagram
  24. Marvel's What If...? Delayed Episode Is "Pure Comedy" - Comicbook.com
  25. MCU Writer Teases 'Weirder' Season 2 For Marvel's What If - The Direct
  26. Marvel Studios Sept. 30, 2021 Tweet - Twitter
  27. Marvel's What If? Reveals New Episode Poster Featuring Gamora
  28. Marvel's What If? Changed Horrifically Violent Scene - Comicbook.com
  29. MCU Writer Receives Hate Mail Over Iron Man Stories In Marvel's What If - The Direct
  30. What If's First Season Almost Had More Gamora, and Led to a Star-Lord T'Challa Spinoff - Gizmodo
  31. Marvel's What If...? Season Finale Funko Pops Are On Sale Now - Comicbook.com
  32. The Boys Oct. 23, 2021 Tweet - Twitter
  33. Iron Studios brings out its dead with Zombie Captain America Marvel’s What If…? statue - Flickering Myth