What If...? represents the best parts of Marvel’s multiverse. As the animated anthology thrives in the hypothetical, it’s free to imagine worlds in which heroes and villains traverse different paths, or team up with characters they might have never encountered in the MCU proper. It’s not unlike fan fiction, especially when the series gives audiences a crossover they didn’t know they needed. But not every idea introduced in What If is technically a one-off, especially as Marvel’s Multiverse Saga inches closer to its grand finale.
With the lines blurring between the “Sacred Timeline” (where almost every Marvel story takes place) and the alternate realities surrounding it, What If is becoming a point of inspiration. A few ideas introduced in it have gone on to inform Marvel’s live-action projects, like the appearance of Sinister Strange in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. The series’ third season is continuing that streak in earnest, even if it doesn’t directly inform canon. Its latest episode not only reimagines the origin story of a fan-favorite anti-hero, but sneakily sets the stage for a highly-anticipated team-up.
