WHAT IF...? Season 2 Hailed As "Awe-Inspiring" And An "Absolute Blast" In First Critic Reactions

WHAT IF...? Season 2 Hailed As "Awe-Inspiring" And An "Absolute Blast" In First Critic Reactions

The first social media reactions for What If...? season 2 have surfaced, and it sounds like the animated series will have been worth the wait by the time it starts streaming on Disney+ later this month.

By JoshWilding - Dec 12, 2023 05:12 AM EST
Filed Under: What If

Yesterday evening, filmmakers, press and special guests gathered on The Walt Disney Studios lot for a screening of two all-new episodes of What If...? season 2.

The special screening, introduced by executive producer Brad Winderbaum, head of streaming, television and animation for Marvel Studios, was followed by a Q&A with filmmakers including director/EP Bryan Andrews, writer/EP AC Bradley and writer/producer Matthew Chauncey.

Those in attendance have also been allowed to share their reactions to "What If... Nebula Joined the Nova Corps?" and "What If... Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?", and the buzz right now is extremely positive. While we always take social media posts like these with a pinch of salt, it sounds like critics had fun with the show and that it's as good as, if not better than, the first batch of episodes. 

That Christmas episode sounds like a riot, while it appears the delay may have been to make What If...? a little more unique in terms of what, in season one, was a pretty conventional animation style. 

Check out a selection of reactions in the X posts below. 

Season two of What If...? continues the journey as The Watcher guides viewers through the vast multiverse, introducing brand new and familiar faces throughout the MCU. The series questions, revisits and twists classic Marvel Cinematic moments with an incredible voice cast that includes a host of stars who reprise their iconic roles.

The series features fan-favourite characters this season like Nebula, Hela and Happy Hogan, with episodes directed by Bryan Andrews (episodes 2-9) and Stephan Franck (episode 1) and written by AC Bradley (episodes 3, 4, 5, 8), Matthew Chauncey (episodes 1-3, 7, 9) and Ryan Little (episodes 6, 8). The animated series is executive produced by Brad Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Bryan Andrews and AC Bradley.

What If...? season 2 returns with a new episode debuting nightly beginning December 22.

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TheManWithoutFear
TheManWithoutFear - 12/12/2023, 6:00 AM
I love Happy Hogun, so i'll watch that one. Underrated moment in Endgame when Happy takes care of Morgan at the end.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 12/12/2023, 6:24 AM
@TheManWithoutFear - The line "I'll get you all the cheeseburgers you want" always makes one solitary bubble of water magically appear in my actual eyeball and I don't quite understand why.

Weird science phenomenon.
tb86
tb86 - 12/12/2023, 6:05 AM
I wonder what episode features the bearded Hulk.
HegoD
HegoD - 12/12/2023, 6:18 AM
@tb86 - I think the one that takes place in 1600s. The same red filter is used when one of the characters has a sword.
ObserverIO
ObserverIO - 12/12/2023, 6:22 AM
I'm mildly buzzed for 1602. If that helps, lol.
mountainman
mountainman - 12/12/2023, 6:31 AM
Awe inspiring? An amazing sunrise or view from the top of a mountain is awe inspiring. Not sure if I’ve ever seen a cartoon fill that label. And I doubt this one will fit that bill either.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 12/12/2023, 6:46 AM
@mountainman - awe: a feeling of great respect sometimes mixed with fear or surprise:

I get your point but I kinda want to have respect of the craft for decents animations and for a comic and/or action related one have moments of fear and surprise so it does fit if a product is good by dictionary description even if not in your own personal useage of the term.
mountainman
mountainman - 12/12/2023, 7:23 AM
@Apophis71 - Quite possibly the first time I saw a Studio Ghibli movie it might have fit that description. Maybe this show inspired awe in the person who saw it. It just feels like one of these hyperbolic descriptors these interviewers use, like game chnaging.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 12/12/2023, 7:36 AM
@mountainman - As I say, entirely get your point, and critics are prone to hyperbole (and never trust their opions b they good or bad)
mountainman
mountainman - 12/12/2023, 7:52 AM
@Apophis71 - That was the original point. These early reactors always have the silliest things to say. It’s as if they have to out-hyperbole each other just for the social media engagement farming.

I’m actually moderately excited for What If, or at least a few of the episode concepts. I bet it’ll be like season one where a few episodes are really neat.
Origame
Origame - 12/12/2023, 6:46 AM
Weren't the early reactions for season 1 great too?
Vigor
Vigor - 12/12/2023, 7:25 AM
@Origame - all early reactions are good. But yeah to answer your question, it did. And season 1 was a good deal of fun too
Origame
Origame - 12/12/2023, 7:36 AM
@Vigor - no it wasn't.
Apophis71
Apophis71 - 12/12/2023, 7:39 AM
@Origame - Certainly tend to mostly lean positive, tend to have to read between the lines to see the cracks (ie praise for specifics can suggest issues elsewhere in the full review to come).

Tends to b more a case if they sonnd net positive as they mostly all tend to but include ANY negatives then the full reviews are likely to be mixed to bad.
Origame
Origame - 12/12/2023, 7:43 AM
@Apophis71 - exactly.
Reginator
Reginator - 12/12/2023, 7:48 AM
I really enjoyed the comic book, but couldn't make it through an episode of season1.
Typhoon20
Typhoon20 - 12/12/2023, 8:07 AM
I'm going to watch it simply for Strange Supreme as he was the best thing about S1 but aren't these people just youtubers? They're critics now? I know some are allowed on rotten tomatoes which is weird as they're not really critics but just corporate fans.
Shivermetimbers
Shivermetimbers - 12/12/2023, 9:47 AM
@Typhoon20 - Just like anything else, the film industry has turned to "influencers" to promote their films. These are not reviews, as you noticed.
Izaizaiza
Izaizaiza - 12/12/2023, 8:14 AM
Didn't love the first season, but the episodes are pretty short, if I remember correctly. Little investment, so I'll probably check these out
Vigor
Vigor - 12/12/2023, 8:18 AM
@Izaizaiza - yeah it's like, throw it on in the background while you grind your coffee kind of content
Batmangina
Batmangina - 12/12/2023, 8:20 AM
The only way DisMarv can keep ANY of the original vibe and mojo of the MCU alive.

But. For. How. Long...?

PS: The Marvels IS NOT the worst [frick]ing thing I have ever seen (granted, I'm only 30 minutes in via bite sized chunks).

I now want the Ms. Marvel girl to succeed in equal proportion to the amount I want that Snow White dingbat to fail. She's the first one since Tom Holland in Civil War that actually seems overjoyed just to be there - it's impossible to hate that vibe.

However, The Marvels is NOT a $300M movie - should have been a D+ Kids series - it would have been [frick]ing perfect.
MisterDoctor217
MisterDoctor217 - 12/12/2023, 12:34 PM
@Batmangina -

I agree about The Marvels! Definitely not the worst thing ever , but it does seriously have some pacing issues and the action wasn’t as good as I thought considering they hyped that up a lot.

But you’re right Ms Marvel is the standout ! And also I wish they had given Monica more to do.

But yeah this is definitely a Disney + project, not a theatrical release.

The effects needed polishing too, but we know that’s the producers and studios fault.
But like you said , a series would have been better. Probably better received too.
marvel72
marvel72 - 12/12/2023, 8:38 AM
So first two episodes are good...

But what about the rest.

DocSpock
DocSpock - 12/12/2023, 9:51 AM


What if? this mattered at all.

bkmeijer1
bkmeijer1 - 12/12/2023, 11:43 AM
Ah yes, early reactions. Those are always representative, especially if only a part of the season was screened.
grif
grif - 12/12/2023, 1:54 PM
cool.

wont be watching it
Fogs
Fogs - 12/12/2023, 1:56 PM
If they had balls they should've done this series like the Animatrix, with many styles not only visually but also in tone.
NinnesMBC
NinnesMBC - 12/12/2023, 6:17 PM
What-If S1 was great so I don't think I'll have much complains for the new Season.
TheOtherOn
TheOtherOn - 12/12/2023, 11:16 PM
WHAT IF...? Season 2 Hailed As "Awe-Inspiring" And An "Absolute Blast" In First "PAID" Critic Reactions.

There, fixed it for you! 😜
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