Major Spoilers lie ahead for the series finale of What If…? – “What If... What If?” – lie ahead, so read on at your own discretion.
For Marvel’s What If…?, the end is not near, it is here. The series wrapped up its three-season run this weekend amid the 2024 TV schedule, marking the end of a major part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Multiverse Saga. It was an eventful series finale, which featured game-changing developments. One of those was the death of a major character that fans have been watching over the past several years. While that was a doozy, I’m really curious about how Watcher’s some big decisions could impact the overall MCU.
Which MCU Character Met Their Demise During What If…?’s Series Finale?
This defining chapter of the show picked up shortly after the events of the penultimate episode, “What If… the Watcher Disappeared?” Said installment saw Captain Peggy Carter and her allies – Kahhori, Byrdie the Duck and Storm – teaming up with Infinity Ultron to rescue the Watcher at his observatory. The all-seeing being had been subdued by his superiors and scolded for interfering with events across the multiverse. Ultimately, Peggy tried to rescue him alone – as not to risk sacrificing her allies’ lives – but was captured.
Eventually, the remaining heroes, along with the Ultron variant, arrived at the observatory. The formerly evil android ultimately sacrificed himself to hold off the Watchers’ teachers – Eminence, Incarnate and Executioner. However, this isn’t the character death we’re focusing on.
The Watcher, Carter and their allies eventually took on the aforementioned trio of multiversal beings and nearly lost their lives. However, the Watcher managed to grant Peggy, Kahhori, Brydie and Storm with the powers of Watchers, making them all-powerful beings as well. In the end, their only way of defeating Executioner, Incarnate and Eminence was by transporting them to Strange Supreme’s recreated universe, where the spirit of the reincarnated doctor could remove the trio’s powers. Peggy managed to transport the group there but at the cost of her own life.
Yes, Captain Carter – at least the variant that fans have been tracking over the past three seasons of this animated series – is now gone. It’s a truly bittersweet development, but it honestly makes sense, given the character’s journey. Carter experienced significant loss during her life and couldn’t bear to lose more friends. In a way, her sacrifice brings her arc full circle, and it’s fitting that the show’s first major MCU variant received a hero’s death. Of course, there’s more to discuss when it comes to this finale.
The Watcher’s Choices Could Have Some Serious Ramifications
It goes without saying that Jeffrey Wright’s Watcher has changed a lot throughout the course of What If…? At the onset, he was staunchly against interfering with timeline events but, by Season 3, he occasionally helped events along where he saw fit. That brought him into conflict with his fellow multiverse observers but, after defeating them, he convinced Eminence and the others to change their approach to watching events. On top of that, Watcher reclaimed his original name – Uatu.
The notion of fellow Watchers following Uatu’s lead when it comes to looking over the multiverse is daunting. I mean, should they truly adopt his ways, there’s a chance that they may also feel empowered to interfere with events when deemed necessary. While that could cause great good, it could possibly do some unintentional harm as well. Uatu’s thinking is definitely good in theory but, with his allies possibly shifting the multiverse as well moving forward, there could be unintended consequences.
And then there's the fact that three former mortals are also Watchers now. I trust Kahhori, Storm and Byrdie as benevolent heroes, but the notion of them having such immense power now is daunting. These are some powerful beings within the multiverse and, as such, I really can’t help but wonder if we’ll see them in upcoming Marvel movies. I’ve long believed Watcher will appear in live-action, but I now have to consider the others as well. To me, they could certainly pop up in the forthcoming Avengers: Doomsday or Secret Wars.
Much of that is just speculation on my part, but I’d be quite surprised if this were to be the last time we see the Watcher in any shape or form within the MCU. After all, Marvel TV’s Brad Winderbaum attributed this show’s conclusion to “bigger universe” developments. While I didn’t get the Uatu/Loki meeting scene I was hoping for, I was mostly pleased with this finale. Yes, it did feature the death of Captain Carter, though it ultimately ended on an optimistic note, with Uatu feeling reinvigorated and hopeful about the future of the multiverse.
You can check out all three seasons of Marvel’s What If…? with a Disney+ subscription now.
