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Despite all the multiverse madness recently glimpsed in the Loki Disney+ show, Marvel is set to go even further in animated series What If…?
As the title suggests, the series imagines key characters from the universe in unexpected situations. Picture the sort of late-night conversations you might have with an equally geeky mate ("Imagine if Peggy Carter got the super-soldier serum instead of Steve?" "What if the Ravagers picked up someone other than Peter Quill?") and you get the idea. There are a lot of familiar faces in this spin-off, and many (but not all) of the original cast members reprise their roles. Overseeing all the tangent-taking stories is an omnipotent narrator known as The Watcher (voiced by Jeffrey Wright).
In the new issue of Total Film magazine, the filmmaking team behind What If…? discuss playing in the ultimate toybox and smashing expectations. Among the characters getting another spin is Black Panther’s Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan), who can be seen in an exclusive image from Total Film below.
The freedom of the format allows the tone to vary wildly from week to week. “Our episodes are either darker or lighter than a traditional Marvel movie, and we also have a couple of straight-up tragedies,” head writer A.C. Bradley tells Total Film.
“We have an episode that’s like a political thriller. We’ve got a dark Doctor Strange episode that’s like a tragic love story. One of them is just me wanting to goof off and relive my favourite movies as a kid. Can’t Hardly Wait was a touchstone… I can’t imagine any other point in my career when I’m going to get to write one of those National Lampoon crazy party movies…”
“Then we have a great Agatha Christie episode,” adds executive producer Brad Winderbaum. “It takes place in this obscure point of detail that only hardcore fans know called ‘Fury’s Big Week’...”
What If…? streams on Disney+ from August 11. For much more on the show, be sure to check out the new issue of Total Film, which is on sale this Friday, July 23. Check out the covers below:
And if you're a fan of Total Film magazine, why not subscribe so that you never miss an issue? With the current subscription offer, you can get the mag - in print or digital - half price! That's just £2.50 per issue. As a print subscriber you'll get the issue delivered to your door before it hits newsstands, and you'll also receive exclusive subs-only covers. Head to MagazinesDirect to find out more (Ts & Cs apply).
