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What If...?

What If...?

One question changes everything.

2021–2024Ended3 seasons26 episodes~32 min/epTV-14Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

Taking inspiration from the comic books of the same name, each episode of this animated anthology series questions, revisits and twists classic Marvel Cinematic moments.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch What If...??

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists What If...? streaming on Disney+.

Subscription

Highlights

What stands out about What If...??

What If...? earns 5 badges, led by Crowd Pleaser and Fell off.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is What If...? worth watching?

What If...?'s Midcredits score is the 60th percentile of all shows, from 177K ratings across 5 sources. 76% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

60th percentile

Better received than 60% of shows

67th percentile among Animation65th percentile among 2020s
Acclaim (how much people like it)56th
Approval (how many liked it)62nd

Acclaim

Crowd Pleaser: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

72 /100

56th percentile of all shows

62nd percentile among Animation61st percentile among 2020s

Critics 72 · Audience 72

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 7.3 — solid but not unanimous.

Approval

How many liked it

76% liked it

62nd percentile of all shows

71st percentile among Animation67th percentile among 2020s
76% rated it 7–1024% rated it 1–6

Critics 85% · Audience 62%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Reach

How many have seen it

93rd percentile

177K ratings across platforms

93rd percentile among Animation94th percentile among 2020s
TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 11% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the show is wildly uneven—some episodes shine while others fall flat—but the animation is consistently strong and the multiverse premise offers real potential.

Fans praised

  • Varied, imaginative scenarios and creative multiverse play
  • Standout episodes earn genuine emotional weight (Doctor Strange, Ultron storyline)
  • Top-tier animation, expressive visual style and fluid action sequences

Detractors panned

  • Over-reliance on Captain Carter and repetitive character focus
  • Rushed, choppy pacing that undercuts storytelling
  • Declining quality in later seasons, with forced and unconvincing writing

What stands out

Cinematography75

Beautiful, expressive animation with strong action choreography, only occasionally stiff

Effects and spectacleDivisive75

Stunning action set pieces and creative multiverse visuals, sometimes over-the-top

Acting65

Returning MCU actors mostly praised; occasional stiff or 'phoned-in' voice work

Originality55

Fresh premise but derivative scenarios, repetitive 'swap a character' approach

Characters45

Overuse of Captain Carter, underdeveloped new heroes like Kahhori, shallow arcs

Dialogue45

Some witty one-liners but often forced or 'quippy' and out of place

Plot and story35

Creative ideas undermined by rushed, inconsistent storytelling and weak logic

Pacing30

30-minute runtime feels rushed, no room to breathe or build tension

Preferred by

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Over-30s

Over-30s scored it 10 points higher than under-30s.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Critics

Critics scored it 34 points higher than users.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 7 points apart
  • US vs non-US 8 points apart

Episodes

3 seasons

Season 3 · 2024 · 8 episodes · 5.5 average across 8 rated episodes

  • S3E1

    What If... The Hulk Fought the Mech Avengers?

    Dec 22, 202431 minTMDB rating 5.0
  • S3E2

    What If... Agatha Went to Hollywood?

    Dec 23, 202430 minTMDB rating 5.1
  • S3E3

    What If... The Red Guardian Stopped the Winter Soldier?

    Dec 24, 202433 minTMDB rating 6.6Season best
  • S3E4

    What If... Howard the Duck Got Hitched?

    Dec 25, 202432 minTMDB rating 5.0
  • S3E5

    What If... The Emergence Destroyed the Earth?

    Dec 26, 202433 minTMDB rating 5.4
  • S3E6

    What If... 1872?

    Dec 27, 202432 minTMDB rating 5.3
  • S3E7

    What If... The Watcher Disappeared? (1)

    Dec 28, 202428 minTMDB rating 5.7
  • S3E8

    What If... What If? (2)

    Dec 29, 202434 minTMDB rating 5.7Finale

Watch experience

What is What If...? like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Earnest, light and charged — an even-paced watch that leaves you entertained.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
ThrillingJoyfulContemplative
Heaviest: throughout
Wry humor: Amused and slightly dry about it.
Register
PlayfulAdventurous · 15% of shows
Told as
Frame story · 3% of shows: A story told inside another — someone is recounting it.Anthology episodes · 6% of showsNew arc each season
ToneThe series treats its alternate MCU scenarios with a knowing, playful spirit, often undercutting dramatic moments with humor while still allowing some episodes to play sincerely.
The rideThe series maintains a generally upbeat, fast-paced energy but varies between action-packed thrills and quieter moments of reflection.
StructureThe series uses The Watcher as a framing device, introducing and concluding each episode from his cosmic perspective.
Episode formatEach episode is a self-contained story with its own cast and timeline, linked only by the framing device of The Watcher.
Season formatEach season presents a new set of alternate realities, with a loose overarching narrative that builds toward a season finale, but each season stands as its own thematic arc.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
FunBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe series delivers entertaining, often humorous alternate takes on Marvel stories, but some episodes carry a melancholy weight that lingers.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12%: Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2%
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40% (this title)

No archetype fits — true of 40% of shows: ensemble pieces, satire, slice-of-life.

Why this archetypeAnthology series where each episode presents a different what-if scenario; no single plot archetype dominates across the run.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfFreedomPower
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31%: Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% (this title) · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7% (this title): Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4% (this title)
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Power

Freedom · 4% of showsIdentity
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Cosmic stakes: Consequences reach beyond the world.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe series explores how small changes liberate characters from their canonical fates, allowing them to forge new identities and reshape their worlds.
StanceThe series questions how pivotal moments shape identity and freedom, treating its multiverse premise as an experiment in possibility rather than affirming any single path.

The world

TimelessUrbanOuter spaceScience fiction
Orchestral modernSupportive music · original score · Laura Karpman
SettingAlternate timelines of the Marvel Cinematic Universe
MusicThe score weaves familiar Marvel motifs into new arrangements that match each alternate timeline's unique tone.

Content guide

Is What If...? okay for kids?

TV-14

What If...? is rated TV-14. As of August 19, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (55/100), sexual content at minimal (11/100), language at mild (26/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (26/100) and frightening material at moderate (54/100). Overall it is heavier than 34% of TV-14 shows.

Ratings in 35 other countries
  • UK12
  • Canada14+
  • AustraliaPG
  • Germany12
  • France12
  • Ireland12
  • New ZealandPG
  • South Korea12
  • Brazil14
  • Austria12
  • Belgium12
  • BG12
  • Czechia12+
  • FinlandK12
  • Greece12
  • Hungary12
  • IDA
  • IndiaU/A 7+
  • Israel12+
  • ItalyVM12
  • LU12
  • MexicoB
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway12
  • Poland12
  • Portugal12
  • PRTV-14
  • RO12
  • Russia16+
  • SingaporePG
  • SK12
  • Spain12
  • Switzerland12
  • Türkiye18+
  • VITV-14
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 29% of all showsHeavier than 34% of TV-14 shows
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for a TV-14 show
heavier than 53%
Sex & Nudity
None / Minimal
light for a TV-14 show
heavier than 5%
Profanity
Mild
light for a TV-14 show
heavier than 14%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
light for a TV-14 show
heavier than 22%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate
typical for a TV-14 show
heavier than 59%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

Nothing here is extreme. The strongest element is violence, heavier than 53% of TV-14 shows.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does What If...? have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in What If...??

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Jeffrey Wright
as The Watcher
Emmy nominee: Primetime Emmy nomination — Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance
Terri Douglas
as Additional Voices
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Matthew Wood
as Additional Voices
Fred Tatasciore
as Additional Voices
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Robin Atkin Downes
as Additional Voices
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Shelby Young
as Additional Voices
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Dave B. Mitchell
as Additional Voices
Career best: Their highest-reaching show role by billing, audience size and rating.
Helen Sadler
as Additional Voices
Debra Wilson
as Additional Voices
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Hayley Atwell
as Peggy Carter
Established: A standing when this show came out that a top-10% working actor has today.

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What are shows like What If...??

TMDB's suggestions for shows like What If...? include Eyes of Wakanda (2025), Batman: The Brave and the Bold (2008) and X-Men '97 (2024).

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