By Sean Bassett
Follow
Followed
Thread
Link copied to clipboard
Sign in to your CBR account

Quick Links
-
"What If...Kahhori Reshaped The World?" Takes Some Big Risks
-
Loki Season One Is Wonderfully Quirky
-
"What If...The Avengers Assembled In 1602?" Is Bundles Of Fun
-
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Contains Some Unsettling Imagery
-
"What If...Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead Of His Hands?" Is A Harrowing And Cautionary Tale
-
Deadpool And Wolverine Avoided Cheapening Wolverine's Death In Logan
-
"What If...Zombies?!" Brings Chills To Audiences
-
Spider-Man: No Way Home Pushes The MCU Peter To His Breaking Point
-
"What If...Captain Carter Were The First Avenger?" Shows Peggy Carter Defy The Sexist Attitudes Of The 1940s
-
Loki Season 2 Features Some Of The Most Creative Interpretations Of The Multiverse
The MCU's Multiverse Saga has proven somewhat divisive. While fans were excited about the prospect of exploring the Marvel multiverse when the saga was first announced, audiences have since become tired of the concept, with so many other film studios exploring similar ideas. Still, there are some incredible MCU multiverse stories. As Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man prepares to hit Disney Plus, fans are sharing their favorite alternate universe narratives thus far.
The best MCU multiverse adventures have prioritized character and story over fan service. Although it may be fun to see these legacy characters return many years after they last appeared, it still requires a strong narrative. These marvelous Marvel offerings have demonstrated their commitment towards delivering a strong screenplay, that makes great use of its central protagonists and antagonists.
10 "What If...Kahhori Reshaped The World?" Takes Some Big Risks
What If, Season 2 Episode 6

Release Date | December 27, 2023 |
Starring | Devery Jacobs, Jeremy White, Kiawennito, Jeffrey Wright, Gabriel Romero |
"What If...Kahhori Reshaped The World?" takes the show's biggest risk, introducing a wholly original Marvel superhero. The episode shows a Mohawk woman named Kahorri who receives telekinetic powers, after falling into the Forbidden Lake.
Kahorri has proven a major hit by fans, landing her own Marvel Comics series following her What If? Installment. Viewers have fallen for her steely grit and determination, leaving them desperate to see her join the Avengers in a future project. Additionally, the episode takes the bold risk of presenting the entire story in Kahorri's native language, an audacious move that could have alienated viewers.
9 Loki Season One Is Wonderfully Quirky

Release Date | June 9 2021-July 14 2021 |
Starring | Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Sophia Di Martino, Wunmi Mosaku, Gugu Mbathu-Raw |
Loki is one of the most important Marvel villains, being Thor's brother. Tom Hiddleston's Loki has become a real fan favorite, making it unsurprising that he landed his own spin-off. Loki's first season is wonderfully quirky, detailing the God of Mischief's new life working for the TVA.
Related
10 MCU Characters Begging for the Special Presentation Treatment
Marvel hasn't announced any new special presentations, but fans would love to see these MCU characters get their own.
1
One of the most appealing elements of Loki is the unlikely friendship between Loki and Mobius. The duo bounce off each other perfectly, thanks to Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson's natural rapport. Additionally, Loki offers some cool glimpses at various Loki variants, including one played by Richard E Grant. The Series ends with a dramatic clash between Loki, Sylvie, and He Who Remains, which contains some insightful commentary on the nature of free will.
8 "What If...The Avengers Assembled In 1602?" Is Bundles Of Fun
What If, Season 2 Episode 8

Release Date | December 29, 2023 |
Starring | Hayley Atwell, Chris Hemsworth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Samuel L Jackson, Jeffrey Wright |
Despite dominating the MCU's early years, the Avengers team has been strangely absent lately. What If does explore them on a few occasions, though. One of the show's best versions of this iconic vigilante group comes in "What If...The Avengers Assembled in 1602?", which sees Steve Rogers accidentally transport the team into an alternate medieval reality during the Battle of Wakanda.
"What If...The Avengers Assembled In 1602?" is an extremely fun recontextualisation of various Marvel Studios characters. Making Steve Rogers a Robin Hood figure is deeply inspiring while making Thor a King avenging the loss of his sister Hela feels appropriately Shakespearean. The episode ends spectacularly, with the long-awaited return of What If's morally dubious Doctor Strange variant.
7 Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness Contains Some Unsettling Imagery
Release Date | May 8, 2022 |
Starring | Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Xothitl Gomez, Hayley Atwell, John Krasinski |
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness takes inspiration from the Sorcerer Supreme's darkest adventures, seeing Sam Raimi deliver one of Phase Four's best films. The film involves Strange attempting to stop Wanda Maximoff's destructive search for her children across the multiverse.
Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness contains some of the most unsettling imagery in any Marvel film like Stephen commandeering the corpse of his own multiversal variant. Sam Raimi's depiction of Wanda brutally killing the Illuminati is shocking and does an excellent job of showcasing the devastating power of the Scarlet Witch. Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness has viewers rattled by Wanda's disturbing behavior, leaving a lasting mark on the Marvel fan base.
6 "What If...Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead Of His Hands?" Is A Harrowing And Cautionary Tale
What If, Season 1 Episode 4

Release Date | September 1, 2021 |
Starring | Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams, Tilda Swinton, Benedict Wong, Jeffrey Wright |
Some of Benedict Cumberbatch's best material comes in What If. The episode "What If...Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead Of His Hands?" is a particular highlight, following a version of Strange who loses Christine Palmer in a car accident, rather than the use of his hands.
Related
10 MCU Scenes Fans Will Never Stop Arguing Over
There are certain aspects of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that fans may never agree on, but some are far more polarizing than others.
1
"What If...Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead Of His Hands?" is a dark take on Doctor Strange's origins. Upon losing Christine, he becomes driven by his desire to change the timeline so that she survives. Strange becomes so consumed by his grief, that he slowly loses his humanity, and becomes unrecognizable to Christine. It's a harrowing, cautionary tale about the importance of responsibility, with Strange's reckless actions resulting in his universe's demise.
5 Deadpool And Wolverine Avoided Cheapening Wolverine's Death In Logan
Release Date | July 25, 2024 |
Starring | Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Chris Evans, Wesley Snipes, Jennifer Garner |
Deadpool And Wolverine is Deadpool's first movie as a part of Marvel Studios' slate and lives up to the heights of the previous films. It involves Wade Wilson searching for a Wolverine variant to help save his universe from being destroyed by the nefarious Mister Paradox.
The movie delivers some of the funniest quotes, poking fun at both Disney and 20th Century Fox. Deadpool And Wolverine features a colorful roster of multiversal characters, including Chris Evans' Johnny Storm and Wesley Snipes' Blade, which makes the film feel like an affectionate tribute to the Fox Marvel universe. Most impressively, it avoids cheapening Wolverine's death in Logan by having Hugh Jackman play a different variant, ensuring that Logan's death still means something.
4 "What If...Zombies?!" Brings Chills To Audiences
What If, Season 1 Episode 5

Release Date | September 8, 2021 |
Starring | Paul Bettany, Mark Ruffalo, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Rudd, Jeffrey Wright |
What If? adapted one of Marvel Comics' most famous horror storylines, Marvel Zombies. "What If...Zombies?!" did not disappoint, bringing chills to audiences with its depiction of a zombie outbreak in the Marvel universe.
This spooky What If? outing is an engrossing watch, transporting comics fans to a dark world where superheroes and villains have become consumed by the zombie virus. The most horrific of these zombies is the Scarlet Witch, who is insanely powerful. "What If...Zombies?!" has several unforgettable moments, like the arrival of a zombie Thanos, and has proven such a hit with fans that Marvel Studios have developed the concept into a full series.
3 Spider-Man: No Way Home Pushes The MCU Peter To His Breaking Point
Release Date | December 17, 2021 |
Starring | Tom Holland, Andrew Garfield, Tobey Maguire, Alfred Molina, Benedict Cumberbatch |
The Spider-Man franchise was in a bad way before the Marvel and Sony deal. However, Marvel Studios successfully revitalized the live-action Spider-Man movies with Jon Watts' trilogy. The third film, Spider-Man: No Way Home, is one of the most expensive MCU movies ever, seeing Peter Parker and Doctor Strange accidentally transporting multiversal villains to the Sacred Timeline.
Spider-Man: No Way Home is a joyous celebration of the live-action films. Alongside delivering some superb fan service with Tobey Maguire's and Andrew Garfield's Spider-Men joining forces with Tom Holland's iteration, it also pushes the MCU Peter to his breaking point. The Green Goblin's savage murder of Aunt May is devastating, and Peter's fury towards Norman Osborn is played fantastically by Tom Holland.
2 "What If...Captain Carter Were The First Avenger?" Shows Peggy Carter Defy The Sexist Attitudes Of The 1940s
What If, Season 1, Episode 1

Release Date | August 11, 2021 |
Starring | Hayley Atwell, Josh Keaton, Samuel L Jackson, Dominic Cooper, Jeffrey Wright |
What If's first episode offers a fascinating alternate take on Steve Rogers' debut outing, "What If...Captain Carter Were The First Avenger?". It brilliantly presents a new timeline where Peggy instead of Steve becomes Captain America.
Related
10 MCU Characters Aubrey Plaza's Lady Death Needs To Meet
After her introduction in Agatha All Along, fans want Aubrey Plaza's Lady Death to meet these characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
1
Hayley Atwell's Peggy Carter has been one of the most beloved castings, choosing to adapt Captain Carter for What If an inspired one. Peggy's vigilante alter-ego is deeply enthralling, because of how her job is made harder by the rampant sexism of the 1940s. Peggy not only has to prove herself as a superhero, but she also has to prove that she's just as capable as her male counterparts of taking down Hydra and the Red Skull, making her an aspirational figure.
1 Loki Season 2 Features Some Of The Most Creative Interpretations Of The Multiverse

Release Date | June 9 2021-July 14 2021 |
Starring | Tom Hiddleston, Owen Wilson, Sophia Di Martino, Wunmi Mosaku, Gugu Mbathu-Raw |
Following the success of Loki's first season, there was a lot of excitement leading up to the show's second run. Fortunately, Loki Season 2 delivered on these expectations, raising the stakes considerably. It follows Loki's drastic attempts to prevent various alternate timelines from collapsing, after the Temporal Loom overloads.
Loki features some of the most creative interpretations of Marvel's multiverse storyline, such as Loki's time-slipping power, and the visual representation of the timeline dying in "Science/Fiction." Victor Timely is a charming He Who Remains variant, taking on the role of a Victorian showman. Loki concludes with an epic end for the titular character, showing him creating the World Tree to keep the timelines together without collapsing.

MCU
In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, heroes like Iron Man, Captain America, and Captain Marvel battle threats to the Earth and to the universe.
- First Film
- Iron Man
- First TV Show
- WandaVision
- Cast
- Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Tom Holland, Paul Rudd, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Scarlett Johansson
- Movies
Follow
Followed