Disney Plus’ What If…? animated series is bound to give the MCU a much-needed break from reality in more than one way. So with What If...?less than two weeks away from premiering, it’s time to introduce one of its Marvel newcomers: The Watcher.
In Marvel Comics lore, the Watchers are an alien species that’s almost as old as the universe and they are known for sitting on the sidelines without doing anything to intervene with the normal flow of things, unlike Loki's version of Kang the Conqueror. While such a character would be perfectly at home showing up in Loki, the latest trailer for What If…? features The Watcher’s voice in the background to confirm Marvel Studios would rather keep this intergalactic voyeur in animated format.
With that in mind, the official What If…? Twitter account shared a new poster that shows exactly what kind of look the series’ Watcher will be sporting as he observes everyone’s favorite Marvel heroes fulfill very different paths than their live-action counterparts. It’s still unclear if The Watcher will fully abide by his “I do not, cannot, will not interfere” mantra, as his race has been known to make an exception or two in the comic books. It may be worth noting that The Watchers made a brief appearance in a post-credits scene of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, where they were shown listening to the tales of Stan Lee.
Although What If…?'s Watcher keeps his humanoid features in the same way he has throughout his comic book appearances, the show will be making the best out of its animated nature to give him a much more distinctive red skin tone that will make him pop on-screen. As to what kind of role he’ll have on this side of the multiverse, it’s likely that he can help this new batch of superheroes figure out exactly what’s going on and why on earth there are zombie Avengers.
Perhaps the biggest question surrounding What If…? is whether the animated series can be considered MCU canon, with Kevin Feige explaining that technically everything produced by Marvel Studios should be considered as such. With Tom Hiddleston's comments on What If …?, it appears Feige was not kidding since the entire plot for the series lines up perfectly with everything that happened in Loki.
At the same time, What If…? represents a huge milestone for the MCU as the studios' first animated show, which can unleash the potential for an even wilder style of action that's not limited by the logistics of planning out stunts within Marvel Studios' massive budget. Regardless of that, if the MCU can honor the animated legacy of Marvel's cartoons from the '90s, then What If...? will certainly be something worth remembering for generations to come.
What If…? will premiere on Disney Plus on August 11, 2021.
Source: @whatifofficial|Twitter