Kevin Feige Finally Confirms What We Suspected About What If...? And The MCU
Marvel's acclaimed "What If...?" series has become the MCU's Little Engine that Could, with plans for another season now underway and — if what Kevin Feige recently said is true — a possible crossover influence that could change the live-action film franchise forever.
"I really believe the deepening fictional mythologies is a way to appreciate them more, is a way to understand them more, look at them in a different way," explained Feige, the Marvel Studios president, in the latest episode of "Marvel Studios: Assembled" on Disney+.
The first season of "What If...?" provided some of the best storytelling in MCU history thanks to incredible animation and deep, often haunting character arcs. There was the fall of Doctor Strange Supreme, the deception and murder of Tony Stark by Killmonger, the reign and eventual defeat of Infinity Ultron at the hands of the Guardians of the Multiverse, and a number of other amazing tales told from an alternate perspective. The show proved to be a hit with fans and apparently Marvel Studios too, seeing how excited Feige is to talk about what the future holds for the "What If...?" franchise.
What If...? may spin off into the live-action MCU
Marvel boss Kevin Feige was joined by producer Brad Winderbaum during the latest episode of "Marvel Studios: Assembled," in which the two both talked about possibly bringing the "What If...?" franchise into film.
"'What If...?' gives us an opportunity to tell stories with a whole new idea of what the physical reality of the universe is," Winderbaum said. "That is something that's gonna be explored in other ways moving forward in our films." Feige tipped his hat to the creative team behind "What If...?" He also hinted at what the future might hold for the series and its captivating characters.
"They've got now two seasons of 'What If...?' ideas underway," Feige explained.
"That's some of the best storytelling we've ever had, that you may see spin into other mediums." Winderbaum added. "When we got greenlit for the second season we had to really look at the characters and really justify why we would keep telling stories in this fashion. Obviously you can spin out any number of 'What If...?' stories, and it's exciting to do so, but we were searching for that essential thread that could make it feel like essential viewing for the MCU, and what emerged was the relationship between Captain Carter and the Watcher, which is something that evolves in grand fashion in the second season of the show."