Every What If Season 2 Episode Ranked Worst To Best
Warning! This post contains spoilers for every episode of What If…? season 2.
Summary
Now that the entire second season of What If…? is available to stream on Disney+, it’s time to rank each episode to see which multiversal adventures triumphed and which ones failed. While there were many fun moments this season, it definitely suffered occasionally from feeling too bloated and being obvious fan-service. The best episodes were self-contained, character-focused stories that placed familiar characters in an unfamiliar situation on the MCU timeline and explored how those characters learned and grew from the experiences. The worst ones felt like they were just throwing a new Avenger on the screen every five seconds just to capture the audience’s attention, while rehashing old plots in a boring way.
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RelatedWhat If...? Season 2 Cast & Marvel Character GuideWhat If...? season 2 premieres on December 22, 2023, on Disney+, bringing new and returning voice actors to the animated worlds of the MCU's Phase 5. 9 Episode 9: What If... Strange Supreme Intervened? You'd Think A Brilliant Sorcerer Would Have Learned His Lesson ![]()
Unfortunately, unlike season 1’s epic crossover that introduced the Guardians of the Multiverse, What If...? season 2’s finale once again saw Doctor Strange selfishly endangering the lives of others to bring the love of his life back. The premise of this episode makes little sense considering Strange has put himself through this exact situation before… and it resulted in his universe collapsing around him. Why he would try to bring Christine back again, only this time risking other universes with countless lives is unfathomable. Also his plan, which involves feeding universe killers and epic heroes into some magical Forge, makes little sense and needed more time to develop.
8 Episode 5: What If... Captain Carter Fought the Hydra Stomper? This Is Just Captain America: The Winter Soldier But Less Compelling![]()
Like some other episodes this season, What If…? season 2, episode 5 tries to tell a previously told MCU story with different characters. This concept can work well if it fundamentally alters a character’s trajectory, but when it’s told the same way all over again, it rings hollow. In this episode, Captain Carter is basically Steve Rogers, and a brainwashed Steve is Bucky Barnes whom Peggy must fight. The episode even ends with Captain Carter going on a quest to find Steve, like Steve did with Bucky, believing she can save him from his brainwashing. The episode only serves to convey how much Peggy loves Steve, which audiences know already.
7 Episode 1: What If... Nebula Joined the Nova Corps? A Slightly Convoluted Plot For An Overall Interesting Concept Close The premise of What If…? season 2, episode 1 is intriguing on paper: what would happen if Ronan the Accuser succeeded in betraying Thanos? The direction the episode decides to take, however, is generally lackluster. Ronan’s betrayal results in Nebula joining the Nova Corps, but less in a direct consequence way and more in a way that evokes The Butterfly Effect. Nebula then embarks on a detective journey to discover who obtained intel that threatened the Nova Corps authority, only to learn that she was hunting the Nova Corps itself the whole time. Though this episode begins with Yondu’s death, the twist makes it feel narratively unsatisfying.
6 Episode 8: What If... the Avengers Assembled in 1602? Some Campy Cameos In A Confusing Story![]()
Episode 8 of What If…? season 2 is its most fantastical episode by far, surpassing the zombies episode from season 1. This episode felt less like its writers wanted to explore the reality altering effects of decision making and more like they wanted to place as many Avengers as they could fit in a silly scenario, like a 17th century monarchical world. Because a new hero appears in the episode almost constantly, it can be difficult to keep up with how the world itself functions and why it is in dire need of Captain Carter’s help. Aside from a fun fight scene, it’s too busy for its own good.
5 Episode 3: What If... Happy Hogan Saved Christmas? A Festive, Feel-Good Character Spotlight For Iron Man's Right-Hand Man Close Happy Hogan has always been a gentle, funny presence in the background of Iron Man and Spider-Man movies, so it was a fun change of pace seeing him lead a MCU project in What If…? season 2, episode 3. The standout strength of this episode is how it takes advantage of season 2’s holiday season release schedule, as it was released on Christmas Eve and saw Happy saving a Christmas party. This episode also introduced the first MCU hulk variant not related to Bruce Banner, as Happy transforms into a powerful, quippy, yet slightly awkward purple Hulk. He seems to love being a hero, making his success very heartwarming.
4 Episode 6: What If... Kahhori Reshaped the World? A Courageous New Hero Changes The Course Of History Close Arguably the most anticipated episode of What If…? season 2 was episode 6, which introduced the new hero Kahhori, who is the first original MCU superhero, with no comic book counterpart. Set in the early days of American colonization, Kahhori falls into a lake contaminated by the Tesseract while trying to escape Spanish colonizers and is transported to a magical world in which members of her tribe are safe and have mastered incredible powers. Kahhori cements herself as an admirable hero when she decides to use her newly acquired powers to return to Earth and save the rest of her tribe from the colonizers, effectively rewriting American history.
3 Episode 7: What If... Hela Found the Ten Rings? An Empowering Retelling Of Thor's Story![]()
What If…? season 2, episode 7 succeeds where episode 5 failed. The episode is essentially a retelling of Thor’s story but with his older sister Hela, where Odin decides to banish Hela to Earth. That is where the similarities end, however. Where Thor had to learn the true meaning of being a hero to prove his worthiness, Hela had to unlearn her villainous thought patterns and realize that all she ever wanted was freedom from Odin’s control. Once she relinquishes herself from his control, she undergoes a stunning transformation and uses her newfound powers and allies to defeat threats across the universe, including Thanos.
2 Episode 2: What If... Peter Quill Attacked Earth's Mightiest Heroes? A Powerful Celebration Of Found Family Over Blood![]()
This episode succeeds largely due to its straightforward, effective story. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 revealed that Yondu was supposed to deliver Peter Quill to his father Ego when he was a child, but chose not to because he knew Ego couldn’t be trusted. With this knowledge, it only makes sense to explore what would have happened if Yondu gave Peter to Ego. What If…? season 2, episode 2 uses the premise to spread the message that people do not have to remain loyal to their blood family, especially if they are awful, and can instead form deep connections with people that truly love and take care of them.
1 Episode 4: What If... Iron Man Crashed Into the Grandmaster? Iron Man Is At His Best When He Is In Service Of Others![]()
Iron Man is known for making careless, often dangerous mistakes in his quest to be heroic, but when he does succeed, he has some of the most heartwarming moments in all of the MCU. In the reality of What If…? season 2, episode 4, Iron Man doesn’t fall back to Earth during the Battle of New York and crash-lands on Sakaar. Tony could have devoted all his energy to escaping Sakaar, especially after Gamora starts hunting him in Thanos’ honor, but he hates the Grandmaster’s authoritarian rule so much, that he commits himself to liberating Sakaar’s people, exemplifying why he remains one of the most iconic MCU heroes.
[圖擷取自網路，如有疑問請私訊]
Summary
- What If...? Season 2 successfully elevates side characters to center stage, proving they can lead their own MCU projects.
- The best episodes of the season are self-contained and character-focused, exploring how familiar characters learn and grow in unfamiliar situations.
- Some episodes suffer from feeling bloated and relying too heavily on fan-service, throwing new Avengers on the screen without meaningful development.
Now that the entire second season of What If…? is available to stream on Disney+, it’s time to rank each episode to see which multiversal adventures triumphed and which ones failed. While there were many fun moments this season, it definitely suffered occasionally from feeling too bloated and being obvious fan-service. The best episodes were self-contained, character-focused stories that placed familiar characters in an unfamiliar situation on the MCU timeline and explored how those characters learned and grew from the experiences. The worst ones felt like they were just throwing a new Avenger on the screen every five seconds just to capture the audience’s attention, while rehashing old plots in a boring way.
RelatedWhat If...? Season 2 Cast & Marvel Character GuideWhat If...? season 2 premieres on December 22, 2023, on Disney+, bringing new and returning voice actors to the animated worlds of the MCU's Phase 5. 9 Episode 9: What If... Strange Supreme Intervened? You'd Think A Brilliant Sorcerer Would Have Learned His Lesson 
Unfortunately, unlike season 1’s epic crossover that introduced the Guardians of the Multiverse, What If...? season 2’s finale once again saw Doctor Strange selfishly endangering the lives of others to bring the love of his life back. The premise of this episode makes little sense considering Strange has put himself through this exact situation before… and it resulted in his universe collapsing around him. Why he would try to bring Christine back again, only this time risking other universes with countless lives is unfathomable. Also his plan, which involves feeding universe killers and epic heroes into some magical Forge, makes little sense and needed more time to develop.8 Episode 5: What If... Captain Carter Fought the Hydra Stomper? This Is Just Captain America: The Winter Soldier But Less Compelling
Like some other episodes this season, What If…? season 2, episode 5 tries to tell a previously told MCU story with different characters. This concept can work well if it fundamentally alters a character’s trajectory, but when it’s told the same way all over again, it rings hollow. In this episode, Captain Carter is basically Steve Rogers, and a brainwashed Steve is Bucky Barnes whom Peggy must fight. The episode even ends with Captain Carter going on a quest to find Steve, like Steve did with Bucky, believing she can save him from his brainwashing. The episode only serves to convey how much Peggy loves Steve, which audiences know already.7 Episode 1: What If... Nebula Joined the Nova Corps? A Slightly Convoluted Plot For An Overall Interesting Concept Close The premise of What If…? season 2, episode 1 is intriguing on paper: what would happen if Ronan the Accuser succeeded in betraying Thanos? The direction the episode decides to take, however, is generally lackluster. Ronan’s betrayal results in Nebula joining the Nova Corps, but less in a direct consequence way and more in a way that evokes The Butterfly Effect. Nebula then embarks on a detective journey to discover who obtained intel that threatened the Nova Corps authority, only to learn that she was hunting the Nova Corps itself the whole time. Though this episode begins with Yondu’s death, the twist makes it feel narratively unsatisfying.
6 Episode 8: What If... the Avengers Assembled in 1602? Some Campy Cameos In A Confusing Story
Episode 8 of What If…? season 2 is its most fantastical episode by far, surpassing the zombies episode from season 1. This episode felt less like its writers wanted to explore the reality altering effects of decision making and more like they wanted to place as many Avengers as they could fit in a silly scenario, like a 17th century monarchical world. Because a new hero appears in the episode almost constantly, it can be difficult to keep up with how the world itself functions and why it is in dire need of Captain Carter’s help. Aside from a fun fight scene, it’s too busy for its own good.5 Episode 3: What If... Happy Hogan Saved Christmas? A Festive, Feel-Good Character Spotlight For Iron Man's Right-Hand Man Close Happy Hogan has always been a gentle, funny presence in the background of Iron Man and Spider-Man movies, so it was a fun change of pace seeing him lead a MCU project in What If…? season 2, episode 3. The standout strength of this episode is how it takes advantage of season 2’s holiday season release schedule, as it was released on Christmas Eve and saw Happy saving a Christmas party. This episode also introduced the first MCU hulk variant not related to Bruce Banner, as Happy transforms into a powerful, quippy, yet slightly awkward purple Hulk. He seems to love being a hero, making his success very heartwarming.
4 Episode 6: What If... Kahhori Reshaped the World? A Courageous New Hero Changes The Course Of History Close Arguably the most anticipated episode of What If…? season 2 was episode 6, which introduced the new hero Kahhori, who is the first original MCU superhero, with no comic book counterpart. Set in the early days of American colonization, Kahhori falls into a lake contaminated by the Tesseract while trying to escape Spanish colonizers and is transported to a magical world in which members of her tribe are safe and have mastered incredible powers. Kahhori cements herself as an admirable hero when she decides to use her newly acquired powers to return to Earth and save the rest of her tribe from the colonizers, effectively rewriting American history.
3 Episode 7: What If... Hela Found the Ten Rings? An Empowering Retelling Of Thor's Story
What If…? season 2, episode 7 succeeds where episode 5 failed. The episode is essentially a retelling of Thor’s story but with his older sister Hela, where Odin decides to banish Hela to Earth. That is where the similarities end, however. Where Thor had to learn the true meaning of being a hero to prove his worthiness, Hela had to unlearn her villainous thought patterns and realize that all she ever wanted was freedom from Odin’s control. Once she relinquishes herself from his control, she undergoes a stunning transformation and uses her newfound powers and allies to defeat threats across the universe, including Thanos.2 Episode 2: What If... Peter Quill Attacked Earth's Mightiest Heroes? A Powerful Celebration Of Found Family Over Blood
This episode succeeds largely due to its straightforward, effective story. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 revealed that Yondu was supposed to deliver Peter Quill to his father Ego when he was a child, but chose not to because he knew Ego couldn’t be trusted. With this knowledge, it only makes sense to explore what would have happened if Yondu gave Peter to Ego. What If…? season 2, episode 2 uses the premise to spread the message that people do not have to remain loyal to their blood family, especially if they are awful, and can instead form deep connections with people that truly love and take care of them.1 Episode 4: What If... Iron Man Crashed Into the Grandmaster? Iron Man Is At His Best When He Is In Service Of Others
Iron Man is known for making careless, often dangerous mistakes in his quest to be heroic, but when he does succeed, he has some of the most heartwarming moments in all of the MCU. In the reality of What If…? season 2, episode 4, Iron Man doesn’t fall back to Earth during the Battle of New York and crash-lands on Sakaar. Tony could have devoted all his energy to escaping Sakaar, especially after Gamora starts hunting him in Thanos’ honor, but he hates the Grandmaster’s authoritarian rule so much, that he commits himself to liberating Sakaar’s people, exemplifying why he remains one of the most iconic MCU heroes.[圖擷取自網路，如有疑問請私訊]
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