Why Marvel What If…? It will end after three seasons

“Marvel’s What If…?” has been part of the Disney+ Marvel Cinematic Universe umbrella almost since the beginning. It was the fourth official Marvel Studios show to launch on the then-booming streaming platform in 2021, following the first season of “WandaVision,” “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” and “Loki.” The final season premieres on December 22, 2024, mimicking the holiday release window for “what if…?” Season 2 In 2023.

By presenting “What if…?” It tried to strike a delicate balance between offering true one-off alternate universe stories and tying into the larger “Multiverse Saga” of the MCU. There have been recurring characters and established stories, even while the episode-to-episode arcs remain relatively hypothetical and self-contained. In the end, it seems that the series’ connective tissue to the larger MCU plot may have been the reason for its end after three seasons, at least according to Marvel TV president Brad Winderbaum.

In a recent interview with Hollywood ReporterWinderbaum explained part of the reasons for canceling the animated series. “‘what if…?’ “It’s always been tied to the larger MCU and the Multiverse Saga,” Winderbaum explained. “And for reasons that will become clear in the next couple of years, this was the right time for the culmination of the series from a story perspective and it’s also true that three seasons is a very good period for anything animated in the streaming landscape.” Modern live-action — which is longer than any other Marvel Studios Disney+ show has received so far.

According to Brad Winderbaum, there’s a compelling narrative reason why now is the right time to end “What If…?” However, given how muddled the MCU’s Multiverse era has become, this reasoning isn’t immediately clear.

Although a lot has happened in recent years regarding the various “branches” of the so-called “sacred timeline”, the multiverse itself is not going anywhere as a primary narrative construct, or at least it doesn’t appear to be. Kang the Conqueror has been pushed aside by the controversy surrounding actor Jonathan Majors, however Robert Downey Jr. will play Doctor Doom In the upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday” movie. It’s still hard to know exactly where the series is headed, but it would also make sense for Marvel Studios to start moving away from the novels on Explicitly introduce the multiverse and start using it as a justification for telling different types of stories.

However, there are definitely other reasons why the show was cancelled. Animation isn’t cheap, and Disney has made no secret of the fact that many of its Star Wars films The Marvel streaming series released over the past several years have been incredibly expensive – Often without a commensurate payday. “what if…?” It’s been a fairly consistent success with critics and fans, but it also hasn’t received as much praise as other recent Disney+ films like “X-Men ’97” or “Agatha All Along.”

While Marvel always has the overarching story of the MCU in mind, there are a lot of factors that go into renewing or canceling any show. So “What if…?” received a lot of attention or was a huge cash cow for Disney+, I’m sure the studio would have found a narrative reason to keep it going. But even a huge company like Disney has limited resources, and Marvel’s animation wing in particular has started moving in different directions recently.

The massive success of “X-Men ’97” This has likely made some people at Marvel Studios rethink future TV projects. The series has no connection to the MCU whatsoever, and for fans who simply couldn’t keep up with all the streaming series released in recent years, that was a selling point. In the same interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Winderbaum described another upcoming animated project, “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man,” as “just a fun ride,” emphasizing its relatively independent status, which is similar to that of “X-Men.” “

“Eyes of Wakanda,” another upcoming animated series, is likely more directly connected to the larger MCU, but its angle, which Winderbaum describes as “a story about conquest and national identity,” makes it somewhat thematically distinct , at least in theory. By nature, “what if…?” It’s a less focused show, making it less in line with Marvel’s upcoming animated slate.

Once again, the third and final season of Marvel’s “What If…?” It will premiere on December 22, 2024 on Disney+.