10 MCU Events Marvel's 'What If' Series Should Tackle

As Disney+'s launch date draws ever closer, more and more reports are surfacing about some of the exciting original content it will boast. Of these reports, one has surfaced that Marvel is bringing its iconic "What if" series to animation, and using the MCU as its muse for potential scenarios. We have no idea what moments will be used, but here are some alternate scenarios we'd like to see.

What If Tony Died During The Battle Of New York?

In The Avengers, Iron Man sent the killing blow to the invading Chitauri by sending a missile to their fleet through a wormhole. It's seen to be a suicide mission, and Tony Stark goes through with it knowing there's a good chance he could die in the process. So what if Stark went through the sequence, but Hulk missed that catch upon Stark's re-entry? Iron Man would likely be dead.

This episode would be able to explore just how much Tony's influenced the MCU, and how much everything would change in his absence. Some positives would be Ultron probably wouldn't have been created, but there's also probably a lot of negatives as well. Either way it would feature a lot of crazy changes that would be indicative of the "What If" comics.

What If Captain America Wasn't Frozen In The Ice?

Captain America valiantly put the lives of others ahead of himself, and sacrificed his life by plunging his ship into the Arctic. His body is recovered frozen, but what if by some miracle Cap escaped? His chances of survival in the Arctic don't seem all that great, but it's not like that super soldier gene was for nothing.

Steve probably wouldn't be in fighting form for when Nick Fury launches the Avengers Initiative 70 years later, but he'd be able to make that dance with Peggy Carter if he hauls ass across that ocean! Jokes aside, Cap and Peggy's love story was always a tragic part of the MCU, so an alternative tale where they have a happy ending would be nice to see.

What If Killmonger Actually Killed T'Challa?

Killmonger successfully usurped T'Challa in Black Panther, and the former king would've been dead had it not been for the Jabari. Had T'Challa been a more cruel king and killed M'Baku, it would've been Erik Killmonger in the role with only one herb left for a challenger to take and try to bring him down.

That sets the stage for a pretty interesting scenario. Would Wakanda unite under Killmonger's rule and shape the world with advanced technology, or would someone stand up against him? Someone like Okoye could do it, and a reality where she became Wakanda's ruler would be good enough for its own spinoff show. Danai Gurira is reportedly leaving The Walking Dead, so now would be the perfect time to get her for some voice work on something like this!

What If There Hadn't Been A Civil War?

Avengers: Infinity War may feature one of the MCU's most devastating events, but one could argue Captain America: Civil War is equally as important. The Civil War fractured the world's heroes, and ensured everyone was spread out when the Black Order came to Earth. Would things have been different had everyone been there to fight? Would Thanos still succeed?

To introduce another scenario, what if everyone decided to follow through with the Sokovia Accords and The Avengers were under government oversight? Would the world be a better place, or would it result in The Avengers being involved in conflicts that they might otherwise steer clear of? Government never seemed to mix well with the Mutants, so I'm going to go out on a limb and say the future wouldn't be all that bright.

What If Hulk Never Left In The Quinjet?

In Avengers: Age of Ultron Hulk hops on a quinjet and rides it into space. Hulk does so because he's afraid his lack of control will prove detrimental to others, specifically Black Widow. The move essentially destroyed any chance at romance between Bruce and Natasha, and the world was without Hulk for a time.

Had Hulk stayed, who knows how his presence would've shaped the Marvel universe. He would've been the X-factor in Civil War, or potentially the nail in the coffin for the world's tolerance of The Avengers if he rampaged and hurt someone. Would Banner and Hulk have reached an understanding without Thor: Ragnarok? Would Thor still be alive? There's a lot of potential with this one.

What If Thor Never Regained Mjolnir?

In the first Thor, Odin sends an ungrateful Thor to Earth and strips him of his power until he is deemed worthy of wielding Mjolnir again. Thor is ultimately successful, and then able to regain the powers of a God and all is well with the world. In this scenario, Thor is unable to wield the hammer again and stays a mortal. Great news for his relationship with Jane, bad news for Asgard.

Of course, another hero could eventually step up and claim the power of Thor, if they wanted to. It would be great to see Jane end up claiming the hammer, or maybe even some new character Marvel hasn't had a chance to introduce yet? This is an animated hypothetical series after all, the possibilities are endless!

What If Ned Became Spider-Man?

The MCU skipped out on Peter Parker's origin story, opting instead to introduce him in Captain America: Civil War as a relatively new hero on the scene. Imagine that scene happening again, although this time, it's Ned Leeds who catches Captain America's shield? Yep, Peter's best-friend and bumbling sidekick ended up getting bit by the radio-active spider instead, and now Tony Stark is forced to work with Ned.

The results would probably be hilarious, and the whole hero in training bit may not even go further than the big fight at the airport. No offense to Ned, but we can't really see him pulling off that battle the same way Peter did. Also it would be a bit of a downer to see powerless and wholesome Peter have to root on his friend from the sidelines and never realize what may have been.

What If Yondu Gave Peter To Ego Right Away?

Audiences learned in Guardians of the Galaxy 2 that Yondu's kidnap of Peter Quill was no random event. He was supposed to deliver Peter to his father Ego, but instead held on to the boy and raised him to be good at thieving and stuff. in this reality, he carried out the task as promised, and Peter was delivered to Ego as a child.

Obviously Star Lord wouldn't have met all of his friends, and would've joined his father as a Celestial. The expansion would've happened, and thus would've resulted in the death of trillions. Massive genocide is a pretty awful thing, so maybe this is one "what if" we shouldn't necessarily hope Marvel chooses to adapt.

What If Hank Pym Had Let Hope Become Wasp Sooner?

If you watched Ant-Man and the Wasp and wondered why Hank Pym didn't let Hope become The Wasp sooner, you're not alone. Had she joined Scott Lang in training or even took on the role prior, so much would be different. Honestly, they may have not needed Scott at all if Hope was Wasp before his enlistment.

This would, of course, send a huge ripple throughout the Marvel universe, although it's not immediately clear whether the MCU would be better or worse without Scott Lang. I'm inclined to say worse considering how important his character may be in Avengers: Endgame, but maybe Marvel writers have different ideas.

What If Abomination Had Joined The Avengers Instead Of Hulk?

Believe it or not, Abomination was originally floated by the Avengers' recruitment team before Bruce Banner. Basically, Emil Blonsky's actions in The Incredible Hulk were written off as self-defense, and there were those who thought he'd make a good fit. S.H.I.E.L.D. knew better, however, and put the kibosh on his inclusion and opted instead to incorporate Bruce Banner.

If it had never happened, I think we can all assume it would've been nothing short of chaos during The Avengers. Would Abomination seize the opportunity and try to side up with Loki to share a stake in a power grab, or would he do the right thing and wait around for a better opportunity? We'd love to find out, and see if all roads lead to Hulk eventually when it comes to The Avengers getting a super strong guy.

At the moment, Disney+'s animated "What If" series is just a rumor. So was Loki's series for a while though, so CinemaBlend will keep an eye out to see if the company confirms this one is happening as well. Got an idea for another "What If" premise that's rooted within the MCU? Feel free to share it in the comments.