All you need to know about Marvel’s animated series ‘What If…?’

All our favourite Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) characters are back in animated form—plus a few more new players—in the first trailer for "What If...?", a forthcoming series on Disney+ in which key events in the main timeline play out differently, creating a multiverse of infinite possibilities.  It is a part of the MCU's Phase Four, in which this multiverse will play a pivotal role.

This new series is based on the "What If...?" comic book anthology series that debuted in 1977, narrated by a character called Uatu the Watcher, an entity from a computer world who travels throughout the cosmos observing the rise and fall of various civilisations. Each story in the comics focused on an event in the mainstream Marvel Universe, but then there would be a point of divergence, and the rest of the story explored the consequences of that change to the timeline.

Marvel Studios first explored the What If...? concept in the fourth season of "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," when the team members found themselves trapped in a virtual creation called the Framework, each living out a drastically different life. The animated series recreates the basic narrative framework of the comics, with Jeffrey Wright  voicing Uatu the Watcher, and narrating the episodes.

A big part of the series' appeal is that all the original actors are voicing the iconic roles they brought to the big screen—including the late Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa.

Each of the 10 episodes in the first season will explore how a given pivotal event would be altered if things played out a bit differently, such as Loki wielding Mjolnir instead of Thor. Multiple Marvel films and characters will be represented in every episode, and a big part of the series' appeal is that all the original actors are voicing the iconic roles they brought to the big screen—including the late Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa.

The trailer opens with an animated re-enactment of the opening scenes from the original Iron Man (2008). Tony Stark is in a military caravan that is attacked by terrorists—except instead of being blown up by one of Stark Industries' signature weapons, he's rescued by Killmonger.

However, Stark's words are clearly spoken by an actor who is not Robert Downey Jr. There are no clear signs as to why Robert Downey Jr is not returning for the role despite over two dozen MCU actors returning to voice their respective characters.

Reportedly, one of the first two episodes will explore a reality where Steve Rogers takes on the Iron Man mantle instead of Stark. The other episode will feature Peggy Carter taking the super soldier serum instead of Steve to become Captain Britain. The trailer also shows us zombie versions of the Avengers.

"What If…?" will be released on August 11, 2021. A second season with 10 episodes is already in development.