Back in 2021, it felt like Marvel kept releasing show after show. From the mega-hit that became WandaVision to Loki (which is getting a second season in 2023) to everything else, it truly was a big year for Marvel on Disney+. One show that many genuinely enjoyed was What If…?, an animated series that documents tales from alternate universes about our favorite Marvel Cinematic Universe characters in different ‘what if?’ scenarios, all watched over by someone called “The Watcher.”
The series featured some pretty awesome ideas, like Peggy Carter getting the Super Soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers, or if T’Challa was the one kidnapped into space instead of Peter Quill. Of course, the show ended up getting renewed for a second season, and will continue to take us on an adventure into different worlds and universes for us to enjoy.
But, when exactly is What If…? Season 2? How long are we going to have to wait for it to come out? Who is going to be back? If you have questions just like we do, here is what we know so far about the upcoming second season of What If…?
What Is The What If…? Season 2 Premiere Date?
At the time of updating this in December 2023, What If...? Season 2 will release on December 22nd, 2023, according to an announcement from the Marvel Twitter page.
It took some time for this to be announced, and I could see why for a few reasons.
This year, in of itself, isn’t a super great one for Marvel television. While there’ve been some movies, including Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 (and its great reviews), Marvel series have been pretty few and far between since last year. The only shows that have come out in 2023 so far have been Loki and Secret Invasion, with Echo slated to release later this year.
Originally, the animated series was set to release in “early 2023,” which was announced back at 2022’s San Diego Comic-Con (via Variety). There was even a sneak-peak of what kind of stories we might be expecting in Season 2 from the presentation.
But, clearly, we are way past early 2023 at this point, and in March 2023, it was confirmed on its Disney+ page that the title was “Coming Soon” instead of in “Early 2023” like it used to (via ComicBook). But thankfully, we know now it will be a part of our 2023 TV release schedule. Something else that was confirmed is that there will be nine episodes, premiering each day after the first day on the 22nd.
Cate Blanchett And Laurence Fishburne Are Joining The Voice Cast
We can confirm that there are some new cast members who are going to be hopping on for their own respective roles. During the LightBox Expo (via Laughing Place) the director of What If…? revealed that Cate Blanchett will be in Season 2 to voice the animated version of Hela, Thor’s sister in Thor: Ragnarok.
Also confirmed for Season 2 is Laurence Fishburne. In an interview with Brandon Pope TV featured on Twitter while promoting John Wick 4, Fishburne confirmed he would be back voicing Bill Foster, otherwise known as Giant Man, in What If…? Season 2. This would be the first time the actor has come back to the role since Ant-Man and the Wasp.
From a Variety article regarding the Season 2 premiere date, it was also confirmed that Hayley Atwell, Lake Bell, Josh Keaton, Jeffrey Wright and more would return to reprise their roles in the series.
Check Out The Trailer For What If...? Season 2
If you're like me and you're just waiting for the opportunity to view these stories, you can get your first look with the What If...? Season 2 trailer. We get to see some familiar characters that we all know and love, and just a hint of the crazy stories we are going to dive into.
The Second Season Will Feature Several New Stories For Characters We’ve Seen Before
Featured in the preview at San Diego Comic-Con in 2022, as mentioned above, we got a hint at what Season 2 might be about – or, at the very least, the first few episodes. The trailer shown at the event detailed several new storylines.
Some of which will be the characters from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings fighting against Odin and the Asgardians, a racing episode featuring Valkyra and Iron Man, a time-travel episode, and more.
Already, these sound like crazy storylines, and it makes sense, because now it’s Season 2 and there’s so much more to explore. Andrews spoke to Deadline back in 2022 about what we'll see in the second season, and said:
Obviously more unique stories that slowly get a little bit wilder. The first season Kevin wanted to keep it a little bit closer to the vest, have a little thing that was different and that little thing made these things different, but still tied very much to either a moment in the movies or a particular film itself. Now there’s more films and things to pull from, so we don’t have to have just a tiny moment. We can expand out and things can get a little bit wackier.
I’m already super excited for this – are you?
The First Episode Will Be Called “What If Captain Carter Fought the Hydra Stomper?”
Get excited, because we actually know what the first episode is going to be called. At San Diego Comic-Con 2022 (via Slash Film), it was announced that the premiere is going to be called “What If Captain Carter Fought the Hydra Stomper?”
For those who need a refresher, the Hydra Stomper was featured in three episodes of What If….? and was operated by Steve Rogers in this alternate universe as a way for him to join the war efforts against HYDRA. Judging from this title, it makes me wonder if Steve has somehow turned into a villain, so I can’t wait to see what this first episode has to show me.
Season 3 Is Already In Development
Last piece of news, but get excited, because Season 3 is already in development. Also announced at Comic-Con in 2022 (via Variety), it was confirmed that the third installment is ordered and in the works.
With Season 2 not that far away now, it's the best time to rewatch the first. I think we're ready to dive back into the world of the MCU.
