Disney+'s What If...? concluded its third season with a finale titled "What If… What If…? " which focused on Uatu the Watcher and a challenge from other Watchers for interfering across the Marvel Multiverse. Uatu has been judged for breaking his oath by saving lives despite his oath to simply observe. Marvel Studios created a spectacular visual experience in animation along with emotional undertones to create a conclusion for the entire series.
Captain Carter’s Team Battles Watchers after Ultron’s Demise as Infinity War Retold
Captain Carter's crew from a prior episode of "What If... the Watcher Disappeared?" joins forces to protect Uatu showing team effort. The Watchers Eminence Incarnate and Executioner attempt to imprison both Uatu and Peggy because Uatu intervened with Kwai Jun-Fan in "What If... 1872?" bringing a series plot to a point of conflict. The arrival of Infinity Ultron which now has the shard of Fifth Dimension assists in the escape with the use of his godly abilities that mimics Exiles from Marvel comics lore. However the Eminence shows off his powers by instantly obliterating Ultron's head by showing zero tolerance for even the likes of a villain with an Infinity Gauntlet similar to Thanos' murder of Ultron from the Avengers movie Infinity War.
New Watcher Powers Extended to Heroes as Peggy's Team Seeks Sanctuary After Being Chased Across Universe
Peggy's crew understands the Watchers’ advanced tracking skills so they choose two options including jumping through inter-dimensional gaps or finding refuge in Strange Supreme’s universe from What If Season 2 whose unique atoms would potentially strip powers. The Watchers instead placed them into a lifeless universe where Byrdie daughter of Howard the Duck notices missing universes while in pursuit. Uatu granted them all powers to create a fighting chance which gives Storm with Mjolnir and Thor's abilities increased strength with Byrdie gaining speed capabilities while Peggy generates energy projections from her shield. Kahhori even changes his size similar to Agatha Harkness' Celestial-witch powers while they unite for a final battle.
Peggy Sacrifice and Homage To Eternal Entity While Heroes and Watchers find Peace
Despite their new powers the Watchers combine forces to create a massive energy beam to eliminate all of them in unison. Peggy is instrumental in fighting back with cosmic power as she turns into cosmic bullet similar to Eternity in the comics creating an explosion that seemingly takes out the Watchers. The heroes find themselves again in Strange Supreme’s world showing a trick as Peggy tricked them as Uatu learns what true compassion and empathy feels like.. Uatu chooses to teach his fellow Watchers on empathy compassion love instead of simply punishing them stating their detached watching lead to many failures as they missed key rebellions like Peggy’s actions.
Heartfelt Goodbye to Captain Carter's Heroic Spirit and Uatu's Lesson for Future Generations
Captain Carter sacrificed herself during final blast leaving her friends and team mourning her loss remembering her strength. Peggy lost so much in her main universe so she spent time as a protector across the vast Multiverse proving she embodies all the ideals the show conveys. Uatu said to Storm during her remembrance ceremony that she can lead and have hope following these events and Uatu shares the hope the multiverse could thrive once more now that the Sacred Timeline plus Temporal Loop are repaired. He compares to multiverse to a growing garden as he conveys the need for dual forces of good and bad that help life to prosper.
What If...? Concludes Three Season Run While Highlighting Missed Animation Potential from Early Episodes
What If…? started as a promising and unique offering in the Marvel universe known for its introduction into expansive multiverse with a unique perspective to many existing live action stories. This show gave a closer look to alternate timelines creating modified characters both good and bad from familiar places across multiple different dimensions. However despite strong throughlines from Peggy Atwell’s Captain Carter the show has ended in a fashion that many consider sub-par creating open ended storylines that did not live up to its initial promise from early days. The show’s final product resulted in many unanswered questions for many reviewers.
Critical Evaluation Reveals Fan and Critical Disappointment in Final Marvel Animated Series Project
What If...? Season two was deemed a step back in terms of overall quality compared to its original offering according to some reviewers. The critics did not show much support for the 3rd season and audiences followed in suit to the tune of 53% on aggregate scores across several major review hubs. The show struggled to recapture its charm with the show even starting to lose momentum and positive fan engagement following the previous seasons premiere creating negative feelings for what was once a great series idea . Some suggest the show overuses Captain Carter that could function better as a live action storyline rather than another one off show with her character. A good option might be bring Hayley Atwell as Peggy into live action properly as a way of bringing the story home.
Some fans expressed that this show is one of the poorest Marvel titles when put into the Marvel Universe scope while acknowledging it is not as low as titles like Secret Invasion as a series output from the studio .
What If’s Animation Choices Add to its Overall Criticism While Initial Premiere Introduced Unique Animation
What If season 3 started with an interesting opening sequence of animation showcasing the full potential of the MCU but ultimately failed to realize that visual strength for future shows. The show introduced a new rendering sequence using anime that demonstrated visual possibilities by exploring an alternate version of original avengers using large mechanical suits made by Tony Stark after Bruce Banner unintentionally created Hulk monsters. This anime-inspired beginning showcased a creative animation element. However, the series soon returned to its standard styles without further engaging these new techniques.
Series Missed Opportunities For Animation Variety Despite The Series Opening Sequence Suggestion
The opening minutes showed promise in creative animation methods with 2D rendering used on Mech Avengers showing viewers they might see expanded variety throughout season three but the show did not deliver. The scene demonstrated how What If...? can create completely distinct visual styles when presenting unique interpretations within its world. Some reviewers felt a missed opportunity to diversify the series visuals overall by utilizing different techniques rather than reverting back to what it always produced. Season 3 premiered on December 22 with a final eight episode run as its final project exploring a wide range of characters and situations. What If…? season 3 is considered to be its most ambitious effort showcasing what may have been a direction they should have followed fully. The first episode "What If... the Hulk Fought the Mech Avengers?" appeared December 22 2024 to a wide audience creating intrigue but not lasting change.
While some are satisfied with What If animation others have questioned the uncanny 2D meets 3D aesthetic which is often associated with child friendly programming. This also caused feelings that this project is uninteresting to older age groups. Many are disappointed in the overall output while missing key areas the show could have capitalized on with its creative potential of original characters across several different universes.