The third and final season of Marvel's What If...? animated series concludes with many critics sharing mixed to poor reception for the most recent Disney Plus release. Beau DeMayo X-Men ‘97 showrunner criticized What If...? season 3 publicly after being fired by Marvel Studios who was actively involved in first season production of the X-Men reboot.
Beau DeMayo's Scathing Critique of What If...? Season 3 On Social Media
Beau DeMayo expressed dissatisfaction on platform X using hashtag #whatif season 3 after the launch to indicate his deep disappointment after he had worked on first season. He also hinted he could have provided solutions saying in another post he could have “done it better” during production. DeMayo a creative individual publicly conveyed that he would rather watch water boil than engage with more of series further demonstrating the poor reception among specific audience members and former Marvel insiders of the Marvel Cinematic Universe series What If? which was released daily from December 22nd onward.
What If…? Season 3 Falls Short with Viewers and Reviewers Compared To Prior Releases
What If...? season 3 Rotten Tomatoes critics review came in with a score of 75% which is considerably lower than seasons one and two which previously had scores of 89% and 90%. The series experienced a lower 54% audience score as well on the same reviewing platform which was the lowest of any of its seasons showing a lack of appeal for both avid fans and critics for third season. Some reviews describe the latest season of the popular MCU series as under-whelming after high expectation from viewers after such high reviews in prior seasons showing that many have strong and divided feelings about the direction taken.
Plot Points and MCU Tie Ins To the What If…? Concluding Series on Disney+
The series includes storylines such as Hulk facing the Mech Avengers and Agatha Harkness venturing into Hollywood as well as Red Guardian confronting the Winter Soldier with other tales including a Howard the Duck wedding plus the Emergence causing planet destruction. What If…? appears to have a hard ending in sight on the streaming service while Marvel Zombies spinoff will continue the multiverse explorations with its planned miniseries expansion to continue what had been started by the main anthology series which ended with the release of the final episodes. Brad Winderbaum TV executive from Marvel Studios told Entertainment Weekly that they may return with new story lines in the future.
Marvel Executive Reveals That Show Conclusion of What If is a Connection To MCU's Larger Narrative
Brad Winderbaum stated "bigger universe reasons" lead to the shows conclusion as of right now in an interview with Entertainment Weekly connecting the What If...? series directly to timeline established by Loki Season One. The first season of What If… premiered after Loki season one which showed the timeline exploding and this created a pathway to new stories. Winderbaum highlights the second seasons end showed Watcher with Peggy revealing a multiversal tree from Loki Season two further creating additional story context for end to current What If timeline. These interconnected ties with wider MCU give an organic path and storyline that ties into current Disney Plus series.
Rotten Tomatoes Scores Rank 'What If...?' Season 3 Among Lowest for MCU Disney+ Series
The early reviews of What If...? season 3 drastically changed the ranking of MCU Disney plus television series on Rotten Tomatoes where previous worst performer She-Hulk : Attorney at Law was dethroned from the lower spots for critic reviews. Tatiana Maslany She-Hulk holds lowest viewer score on Rotten Tomatoes at 32% even with a 79% critic rating during debates from a speculated review bombing on website. What If...? season 3 critic reviews put it in the MCU’s lower 3 series in both critic scores (75%) and audience reviews (56%). The only current Marvel Cinematic Universe Television projects to be rated below it include Echo (70%) and Secret Invasion (52%) and She-Hulk at 32%.
'What If...?' Audience Ratings Demonstrate Significant Drop Across Multiple Seasons
What If...? season three saw only 12 critics submit reviews with 100 user ratings most likely because of the specific date the content was launched plus a consistent release of a single episode each day. MCU series generally hold higher scores that average out at around 84% among critics along with a general user rating of 75%. What If...?'s consistent trend indicates audience rating decline with season 1 scoring 92% which reduced to a 65% rating with season two followed by even lower 56% at current standing in season three. Season 2 did have slightly higher critical reviews compared to season 1 a deviation from the normal ratings trends across different groups on various digital platforms.
A Selection of Mixed Responses: Critics Call Season "Bad" while Some hail a Thrilling Finale for 'What If…?'
Critics such as ComingSoon called the entire series “bad” with ComicBookMovie similarly writing their overall reception to the series as “disappointing” as well. However, other critics including ScreenRant cited the latest season as “frustrating” also sharing negative opinions about the shows overall production. Contradictory positive reviews also emerged with Empire hailing the season as another strong chapter while JoBlo labeled it as a "thrilling conclusion" with Collider and MovieWeb both scoring a solid 7 of 10 alongside CBR's more positive episodic reviews averaging around an 8 out of 10. Audience reviews mirrored the critical responses showing a large separation between viewers depending on which episodes are favored by audiences and other details.
Review Analysis: Missed Opportunity For Story Telling, but Praised for Uniqueness From Larger Marvel Projects
What If...? season three delivers what Marvel has shown in past projects with its ability to create a separate universe and unique styles and plot ideas than others before it yet it falls short on several occasions by making several bold story choices that may miss the mark for audiences. The show missed chances to present genuine fan requested plot points instead it presented altered versions of several fan favorite characters. Some of the unique style comes from showcasing underutilized character such as Shang-Chi or Moon Knight however presenting very divergent plot points that differ so drastically which create an underwhelming experience to Marvel Comic Book fans who already are familiar with each story presented across other media. The overall review aggregate score might continue to shift after all episodes have aired on the various streaming platform depending on response.
Beau DeMayo's Candid Remarks on Social Media Highlight Dissatisfaction with Storyline choices
Beau DeMayo creator of X-Men '97 first season offered his commentary on social media using platform X/Twitter expressing blunt reactions regarding What If...? episodes with no reservations. Beau DeMayo made it explicitly clear he had no interest to follow series further after his original post in X further criticizing a lack of “substance” and comparing show to ‘fan-fiction’. Beau also states in his posts the dialogue has become “flat and obvious” while other ideas presented are simply strange adding another layer of criticism on the plot for What If? which had been seen during prior seasons of What If. DeMayo then discussed how writing roles were transitioned to Matthew Chauncey for What If season three after AC Bradley the previous lead on the show had transitioned her position further showing the overall negative impressions and criticisms of the studio among creators.
Details surrounding Beau DeMayo’s Departure and his Continued Criticism towards Marvel Studios
Beau DeMayo’s exit from Marvel Studios in March 2024 was from claims of his alleged sexual misconduct during project development. Beau DeMayo has been extremely critical and vocal towards Marvel Studios and the decisions for various project’s production direction and creative control after his firing which caused many mixed opinions by various production houses after firing him. He revealed plot points for prior projects stating the company chooses to “shoot themselves in the foot” when removing his villain plot point idea for second season X-Men '97 and replacing with alternative choices, which again has garnered much criticism of studio among creative writers and directors who were formerly employed in the company’s projects.
The Watcher voiced by Jeffrey Wright faces serious consequences for non intervention across eons after his observing infinite universes within various episode storylines and plots on the MCU platform. The future of the MCU remains undetermined yet criticism towards What If…? continues as several reviews both from audience members and ex marvel insiders surface as a show that was highly favored now is receiving many criticisms on every outlet imaginable. The studio needs to expect backlash from content creators especially after what had been showcased regarding Marvel Studios decisions.