It's not hard to see how an actor might find a special challenge in playing Marvel's The Watcher a.k.a. Uatu. After all, the character is an otherworldly being who, with a mandate to stay neutral, is able to peer through the multiverse and witness the miracles of infinity. That's a lot for an actor to wrap their mind around, but Jeffrey Wright did a phenomenal job with the role in season one of the Disney+ original series What If...?, and following that experience, he has brought what he describes as new dimensions to Uatu for What If...? Season 2.
Wright has been having an excellent 2023, earning acclaim for his work in movies like American Fiction, Rustin and Asteroid City, and last week, I had the pleasure of chatting with him about his latest contribution to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Reflecting on everything that The Watcher went through in Season 1, I asked the actor how he perceives change in the character compared to who he was when we were first introduced to him in "What If... Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?" and he explained how he sees the evolution in Uatu and how it changed his approach:
He's not the same Watcher he was at the beginning of the series. He's crossed the Rubicon in some ways. So I'm not sure that that affects the tones that I play with, but it definitely affects his placement inside this world. And sure, you respond in ways that are appropriate to that with the voice, but really the adjustments that I've tried to make this year just have to do with making him a little bit more dimensional – just bringing added dimensions to it that I think are appropriate to the character.
For those who don't recall, the "Rubicon" to which Jeffrey Wright is referring is Uatu's battle in What If...? Season 1 with the villain who has been dubbed Infinity Ultron. In the eighth episode of the premiere run ("What If... Ultron Won?"), the sentient A.I. designed by Tony Stark becomes so powerful that it is actually able to perceive the presence of The Watcher and defeats him in battle. Managing to escape, the multiversal entity then made the decision in the show's finale to break his oath of non-interference and recruit heroes to destroy Infinity Ultron. This was accomplished, and as such, The Watcher can no longer be seen as just an observer, but also a defender of existence.
Thus far in What If...? Season 2, we've seen Uatu back in spectator mode, watching the events that transpire in "What If... Nebula Joined the Nova Corps?" "What If... Peter Quill Attacked Earth's Mightiest Heroes?" and "What If... Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?" but there are surprises on the way, and they are coming very soon. The run is premiering daily for Disney+ subscribers (the new episodes streaming starting this past Friday), and six more episodes are set to roll out between now and the start of 2024. Keep checking out the streaming service regularly for new adventures, and as always, you can learn everything you need to know about the MCU's developing slate of projects with our Upcoming Marvel Movies and Upcoming Marvel TV guides.
