Today, Marvel debuts its latest TV series on Disney+: What If…?, a series exploring what would have happened in the Marvel Cinematic Universe had things gone a little differently. What if Peggy Carter had become Captain America rather than Steve Rogers? What if T’Challa became Star-Lord rather than Peter Quill? And what if he convinced Thanos to just chill out and enjoy life rather than eradicate half the universe? All of these questions and more will be answered.
Head writer A.C. Bradley talked to SyFy Wire about the show, including when they accidentally pitched stories they couldn’t do because Kevin Feige and the bosses at Marvel were already planning to do them in the movies or other TV shows. “That was the first month on the show,” Bradley said. “I think I walked into every Marvel production. Actually, Brad Winderbaum joked… when I pitched the show, I pitched about three or four sample episodes, and Brad called me up. He said, ‘You’re getting the job basically because you walked into half of our development slate.'”
"And then I was like, “Oh!” And then I started guessing. I was like, “Was this right? Was that right?” He goes, “Stop it. That’s not how this works. You have to get the job first and then we’ll tell you secrets.” I was like, “Okay, okay.” I’ve since learned how to read Kevin [Feige]’s smirk, because in my original pitch, I had this whole romantic Odyssey idea. And I was like, “And then Pepper’s in the rescue suit,” and there was a smirk. And I went, “Come on! Pepper Potts deserves an Iron Man suit.” And he went, “I’m sure she does.” And I was like, “What does that mean?” And then of course Endgame comes out, and I’m like, “Oh, the girl got one. Good. Good!”"
That she did:
What If…? season 2 is already on the way
Peggy Carter is lynchpin of the series. As mentioned, in an alternate continuity, she becomes Captain America rather than Steve, something that Bradley was passionate about. “When it comes to Captain Carter, Peggy and Steve come from very different places,” she said. “Steve was the guy who was the ultimate underdog, who was scrawny, who kept being told ‘no,’ that he couldn’t physically do it. Peggy’s coming from a place of she knows she can do this. She knows she can fight in the war. She knows that she has a voice that should be heard, that she has an understanding of what’s happening, but as a woman in the 1940s, she’s relegated to the booth. She’s told to leave the room.”
"So this story was her saying, “No, I’m going to stay here.” And how basically, a woman staying in the room changes the world. It let her show who she really is and what she can do, which is what’s important to me. Steve always had the heart of gold and that’s why he is always going to be Captain America. Peggy was a woman who will do what needs to be done to save the world, to end the war, even if it means sacrificing her own heart."
And then, in the second episode, we get T’Challa and Peter Quill swapping places. And it has to be said, it sounds like T’Challa does a better job of things than Peter; Thanos never decided to lay off the genocide in that timeline.
“I think T’Challa really is that great,” Bradley explained. “He’s the king. When it came to constructing episode two, we looked at who T’Challa is. And in the comic books and in the movie, he’s not a character that arcs. He doesn’t go through massive changes himself. He changes the world around him. He steps forward and he becomes the leader, and he lets that affect everyone and change everyone else. So we were able to show that side to him, amplified tenfold with this notion of: ‘What if T’Challa was in the galaxy? How he rewrite the entire universe just by his presence?’ Peter Quill’s an okay kid.
Clearly, Bradley had fun writing this show. And there’s more to come! “Season 2, we’re very lucky,” she said. “We get to play around with some of the movies coming out, or that were supposed to come out earlier due to the pandemic. So hopefully, you’ll see some Black Widow characters, some allusions to the TV shows, and maybe an Eternal or Shang-Chi character will pop up. But that’s the nice thing, that the Marvel universe is constantly expanding, so there’s more and more toys to play with.”
But that’s a while off. You can watch the premiere episode of What If…? right now on Disney+!
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