What If…? S3: Pairing up to take on the Universe

Admittedly, What If…? has steadily grown on me. 

I have often said that mega-franchises like Marvel and Star Wars are at their best when they disassemble the characters and stories we know and love to offer something fresh. And What If… continues to offer an entertaining distraction from continuity and the ‘Sacred Timeline’. With no rules, the series frequently offers up some of the franchise’s most entertaining moments by shifting the well-established pieces around the proverbial superhero board. Each episode is funny, chaotic and, frankly, a perfect disruption to the MCU.

And the third (and final) season is more of the same.

Having only seen the first four episodes, I can tell you that the return of What If…? is another welcome jaunt into the multiverse. Reshuffling the deck, this batch of episodes seems to focus on unexpected pairings and the ways that that would change their relationships. (In fact, only the premiere seems to take a more ‘team-oriented’ approach.) Agatha Harkness and Eternals’ Kingo. Red Guardian and the Winter Soldier. Howard the Duck and Darcy Lewis. All three pairings create delightfully different chaos that range from government conspiracy to universe-swallowing destruction. (And, personally, I can’t believe how quickly I got on board with Howard and Darcy’s attempt at family nesting.)

Yet, even though the scale of events differs, the new season feels more personal somehow. This collection of odd couples brings out the best (and worst) in each other in ways that having too many main characters can’t accomplish. It’s charming to see Howard and Darcy struggle with the burden of parenthood and marriage. Red Guardian’s quest for validation is thoroughly fun to watch held up against the mission-minded Bucky. And Agatha and Kingo’s dalliance with Hollywood creates fascinating tension with their more ‘powerful’ interests. While, it’s clear that Season 3 will undoubtedly build itself towards some sort of cataclysmic event, it’s these personal moments that make the series most enjoyable.

It’s also worth noting that Disney’s decision to release their seasons of What If…? over the holiday break proves, once again, to be welcome. By releasing a new episode each day, the series helps offer something new to families who are looking for something fresh when little is available. (In fact, without offering any spoilers, the Christmas Day episode even carries some surprisingly appropriate themes for the holiday itself.)

To be perfectly honest, I find the decision to end the series with the third season to be slightly head-scratching. After all, the episodes don’t impact the main MCU’s timeline and seem to be generally well-received. Nevertheless, all things must come to an end and, as such, we must say farewell to What If… over the next few days.

But, if the first half of the season is any indication, seeing where these episodes takes us will definitely be fun to watch.

What If… Season 3 drops new episodes daily on Disney+, beginning December 22^nd.