Summary
- Andrews wished he’d delved more into specific characters like Storm and Wolverine in Season 3.
- Lack of communication about X-Men rights led to missed opportunities in storytelling.
- Uncertain licensing complications with Marvel, Disney, Sony, and Fox impacted character inclusions.
Now that What If …? Season 3 has officially landed on Disney+, there are plenty of stories that the series covers. However, when talking about the MCU, there are an infinite number of stories that could have been done and as it turns out there’s some specific characters that director Bryan Andrews wishes he’d delved into more in this final season of What If …?
Plot details like “What if…Okoye took the heart-shaped herb?” and “What if…Pietro survived Ultron” and “What if…Khonshu chose Peter Parker?” are all very interesting story ideas. That last one about Peter Parker is especially interesting because it brings Ororo Munroe (aka Storm the Goddess of Thunder) into the MCU. It technically means that other than Wolverine being introduced into the MCU in Deadpool and Wolverine, Storm is the only other mutant so far. However, as it turns out, there might have been more, if Andrews had knew he had the license to do it.
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More Mutants Could Have Been In What If …? Season 3
Andrews recently talked to Agents of Fandom about how he laid out Season 3 of What If …? He also talked about the fact that if he had known that Marvel know had the rights to introduce the X-Men into the series, he would have done so. However, he apparently still thought that Sony was the sole license holder of that group.
“In hindsight, I think we were kicking ourselves because, you know, it takes a while to set these things up and do these things. But it’s like we could have done more mutants this season, oh my gosh what the heck, but because at the time we didn’t know that they’re (Disney) gonna have all the Fox stuff back, you know what I mean, so we could have had a Hugh Jackman thing and you know, but oh well. Maybe, maybe there’ll be some (more What If…?) in the future and then we get to party with those guys. But at least we got Storm, that’s awesome.”
Certainly license stuff is always going to be complicated when it comes to Marvel and Disney and Sony and Fox. There is going to be confusion over who has what. But it’s more than a little odd that Andrews didn’t check with anyone. Didn’t check with the attorneys at Marvel’s disposal to see if perhaps there was any change, especially since he knew that he could include Storm. That alone should have been a sign that things had changed a little.
In the long run, there’s no guarantee that even if What If … ? Season 3 had included Logan or any of the other X-Men that it would have meant the season was any better or worse. What is clear is that Andrews wishes he’d looked into what he could and coudln’t do when it came to mutants before they finished planning out and shooting the season. It is worth pointing out that the show would have been planned out well before Deadpool and Wolverine hit theaters, but it feels like someone employed by Marvel would have known it was on the way.
What If …? Season 3 debuted on Disney+ on December 22, 2024.
What If…?
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