How Marvel’s ‘What If...?’ Took the Multiverse Beyond Live-Action

Concluding with its most ambitious season, EP Brad Winderbaum’s seminal, Emmy and Annie Award-winning show, the studio’s first ever animated series, never failed to capture the limitless and exciting potential of alternate MCU character realities; now streaming on Disney+.

Since its 2021 debut, Marvel StudiosWhat If...? has pushed the boundaries of storytelling, and animation design, reimagining iconic Marvel moments through alternate realities and unexpected twists. The series’ third and final season is now streaming on Disney+.

Executive producer Brad Winderbaum, who has been instrumental in bringing What If...? [and all Marvel animation for that matter] to life, reflects on the journey of the studio’s first animated series, which over the past three seasons, has evolved considerably, embracing new styles and bold creative choices while staying true to the spirit of the MCU.

The Challenge of Infinite Possibilities

From the beginning, What If...? was designed to embrace limitless potential. Inspired by the 1977 Marvel comic anthology of the same name, the series allowed creators to explore alternate takes on beloved characters, all observed by the Watcher, voiced by Jeffrey Wright.

In approaching the third and final season’s eight episodes, the creative team sought to deliver the most ambitious season yet. The final chapter traverses multiple genres and introduces bold new character variations, including a Transformer-inspired Captain America donning a giant mech suit while leading an army against gamma-mutated monsters.

“When Cap says, ‘Avengers assemble,’ and all the mech suits combine into the mega-mech Avenger, it’s one of the coolest things we’ve ever done,” says Winderbaum, citing childhood influences like Voltron.

Winderbaum acknowledges that the series could have continued indefinitely. “You could tell infinite episodes of What If...?, but it’s a massive undertaking bringing this to the screen,” he explains. “You have limited time and limited episodes to do it in. And, for bigger, universal reasons that will become clear in the coming years, this is the right time to culminate the series.”

Evolving the Animation Style

The unique painterly, cel-shaded 3D animation of What If...? has become a defining aspect of the series. Originally developed through a blend of influences, including J.C. Leyendecker’s illustration style and classic Marvel comics, the look of the show evolved with each season.

According to Winderbaum, Season 1 was a learning curve, where visual development and production happened simultaneously. By Season 2, the animation pipeline was streamlined, allowing for refined designs and improved character movement.

For Season 3, the team fully embraced stylistic experimentation, crafting episodes with distinct aesthetics. One episode, “What If… Agatha Went to Hollywood?” channels the cinema of the 1940s, and the intro to another, “What If… The Hulk Fought the Mech Avengers?” adopts the vibrant, over-the-top style of 1980s Saturday morning cartoons. “The confidence gained over previous seasons enabled Marvel Studios Animation to experiment with new looks and new ideas, pushing the series even further while maintaining the heart of its storytelling,” Winderbaum notes.

He goes on to tout the studio’s upcoming 4-part animated series, Marvel Zombies, scheduled to hit Disney+ this coming October. “The whole animation team has definitely found its groove,” he shares. “I'll tell you, October 3rd is the premiere of Marvel Zombies, which we did with the same team from What If...? It's some of the most beautiful stuff we've ever put on screen, period, in the history of the studio. I mean, it's just remarkable.”

Emphasizing that Marvel Studios Animation isn’t interested in maintaining a singular “house style,” he adds, “We’re surrounded by such talent that it’s really about finding a visual style and language that fits the material best. We try to work with the creators of each series to find the best style that suits the story and characters. Each project is developed with its own visual identity, much like how comic book artists bring unique interpretations to different Marvel stories. What If...? looks different from X-Men '97, which looks different from I Am Groot, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and Eyes of Wakanda.”

One Door Closes, Another Opens

Winderbaum acknowledges the bittersweet nature of the show’s finale. “It’s satisfying and joyous but also fills me with a lot of melancholy to see it all conclude,” he admits.

Fortunately, many of the artists who worked on What If...? will continue at Marvel Studios Animation, contributing to upcoming projects, including shows like Marvel Zombies. “But,” he concludes, “it’s always sad when the credits roll.”

Though What If...? has ended, the series leaves behind a legacy of bold storytelling and artistic innovation. As Marvel Animation’s first animated project, it set the stage, and audience’s appetite, for other new and exciting series, proving that the studio’s multiverse of possibilities extends far beyond live-action.

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Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.