This week’s episode of What If is finally embracing some of the darkness it has the potential for.
In a plot-line that explores what would happen if Marvel’s greatest superheroes are killed before they have the chance to shine, this episode is certainly the most intriguing by far.
The episode takes place in one very long week for Nick Fury, canonically known as Fury’s big week. It starts off with a divergent scene from Iron Man Two, where instead of recruiting Tony Stark, an unknown actor kills him, framing Black Widow.
The next event takes place from Thor, where the actor frames Hawkeye killing Thor, then later kills Hawkeye. Bruce Banner is the next Avenger who falls, followed swiftly by Black Widow herself. This makes for a great show, as within the films, Marvel typically have been reluctant to kill off legacy characters in a throwaway fashion such as this.
The parts introducing Loki are amazing on screen. It allows him to show some care for his brother when he dies, even though if that care is coated in Loki’s selfish desire to rule the Earth. It does create an interesting Loki/Fury relationship, as it forces Fury to work with the God of Mischief to catch the killer.
The time limit Loki sets for Fury is unnecessary. It tries to create tension but it doesn’t work out that way, as the audience is focusing on the killer more than what Loki will do to the Earth. The show had to reveal the killer at some point (the mystery is the driving force of the episode after all), so adding a fail condition doesn’t add any urgency to the situation. As the episode ends however, it positions Loki greatly. It allows him to take the Earth without force, succeeding where is live action counterpart fails.
Meanwhile, the emotion Fury shows in this episode is quite saddening. He is visibly beat up about what’s happening, with his own motivational speech quoted back to him by Coulson, its meaning now made empty because there is no one left to inspire. His voice also perfectly encapsulates his feeling, Samuel L. Jackson gives a great performance.
This episode isn’t perfect. The killer is framed as a mysterious and powerful force, though the eventual reveal isn’t satisfying. A deranged Hank Pym as a version of Yellowjacket is shown to be the murderer because he blames Fury for his daughter’s death.
If the audience was allowed to see clues of the killer throughout and been allowed to piece them together, that would have made for a stronger reveal. The justification also doesn’t carry enough weight for Hank to be killing Earth’s future defenders. Marvel would have been better off focusing on a more nefarious motive for the killer, and not playing up the mystery.
Another small critique is that this show completely leaves out Captain America, apart from a small nod at the end. The plot should have committed to killing all of the original Avengers, and not sparing Rodgers. It would have further added darkness to the episode and makes it so that Fury doesn’t have an easy way out of situation. Captain America is the symbol and leader of the Avengers, so leaving him alive doesn’t make too much sense.
Overall while there are critiques about this episode, the central plot-line and the creative way the episode kills its principal heroes, makes for an extremely compelling piece of media. Hopefully the rest of the series can be just as compelling.
What If…? is available to stream on Disney+
By Kieran Burt
Feature image: Marvel Entertainment