Marvel's What If...: 8 Characters Who Had Better Lives In The Multiverse
Marvel's What if... series is easily one of the studio's most ambitious projects in recent years. Without befuddling the Sacred Timeline, the show ventures into the multiverse and shows alternate versions of famous characters like Thor, Captain America, and Iron Man. Whether for good or for bad, something drastically changes in these characters' lives to alter the course of their history. But there are some instances where the alternative is the better outcome for the hero in question.
As great as it is seeing Loki cause mischief, he's arguably happier as king of the Frost Giants. Likewise, his brother is more in his element as a party-hardy golden god than as an Avenger. In retrospect, sometimes different is better.
Right from the pilot episode, fans are introduced to a different take on the Captain America formula by having Peggy Carter swap places with Steve Rogers, becoming the universe's resident supersoldier. While it's not what the agency originally planned, it gave Agent Carter a more heroic role in the war against HYDRA.
Simply put, Captain Carter just accomplishes more on a larger scale than her MCU counterpart. Not only does she become a member of SHIELD, but Carter and Rogers are both reunited without having to use the Infinity Stones.
Jumping off of Captain Carter's outcome, What If's would-be Captain America arguably gets a much cooler deal than being injected with experimental substances. True, the world might have lost Captain America, but it gained the HYDRA Stomper. Though he's no Star-Spangled Man With a Plan, Rogers still got a very interesting story arc.
He's still as skinny and scrawny as he was before the introduction of the serum, but the image of an underdog hero wielding Stark's armor truly works to a tremendous benefit. While Steve might not be as famous as Captain America, he still gets to be both with the love of his life and a superhero.
Peter Quill might have been the most lovable Star-Lord, but T'Challa was the most beloved. Not only did he take up the mask and mantle of the character with the same amount of dignity and panache that he did as Black Panther, but he was easily much more of a success and hero than Quill could hope to be.
While Quill was certainly a lovable outlaw, T'Challa was more of a benefit across the multiverse. Not only did he assist in defeating Ultron, but he managed to talk Thanos out of his universe-decimating plans with a simple conversation. That alone is worthy of the highest praise.
As touching as Yondu's relationship with Quill was, his career with T'Challa at the helm was arguably much more prosperous and fortuitous. Not only did Yondu and the rest of the Ravagers walk away with infinitely more loot, but he was able to reinvent the corps as a force for good rather than petty thievery.
At the end of the day, Yondu is still Yondu. He's still a shady rogue with a deadly arrow and a little bit of a twisted side, but his energy and nature are used in a much more fulfilling direction, resulting in a happier Ravager.
A common fact many Marvel fans are prone to forgetting is that Loki isn't an Asgardian, but part Frost Giant. As part of the episode "What If Thor Were An Only Child," Thor is raised alone without Loki keeping things, as the Watcher describes, lively. Instead of Loki being the scheming trickster, he's a strong and confident king of the Jotuns.
In a way, Loki finally gets what he's always wanted. He's a king with all the bells and whistles that come with it. And as far as the viewers can tell, no realms were decimated in the process.
While the party-happy Thor episode wasn't the deepest or most complex, and arguably didn't match the vibe of the overall series, it did give viewers an entertaining and enjoyable take on the God of Thunder. But to say he isn't a happier version of himself would be ultimately untrue.
Even though he gets his Asgardian posterior decked by Captain Marvel, he's still the prince of Asgard fans know and adore. While it was definitely a character-defining moment for his arc, it was heartwarming to see him reunited with Frigga.
He might have been the series' penultimate evil, but the What If... version of Ultron was one of the best variants of an already compelling villain. Not only did he win and succeed in his ultimate goal of purging the planet, but he did it several times over in multiple universes.
Yes, he ultimately lost to the Guardians of the Multiverse, but there's no denying that in his universe of origin, the ultimate version of Ultron still won and conquered all life on Earth. It can't be denied that he met his prime directive at least once.
Not only was Thanos disarmed by a solid argument from Star-Lord/T'Challa, but he went on to live a much happier existence, even rekindling his relationship with his daughter Gamora. While the Mad Titan of Earth 616 succeeded in wiping out half of all known life, the version in the multiverse has a much better deal.
He might still have that genocidal theory, but his power is used for good and his planet was saved by T'Challa and the Ravagers. Since there's no need for him to pursue the Infinity Stones, there's no reason to usher in an age of destruction. In the end, he's still much more content in his farming, or so T'Challa says.