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Marvel Studios' recent What If...? season 3 has followed in the footsteps of 2024's Deadpool & Wolverine by proving exactly what formula works best for the MCU, and this should be repeated in the franchise's upcoming projects. Comprising eight episodes released daily over 2024's Holiday period, What If...? season 3 marked the final chapter of the animated Multiverse Saga series. Season 3 may have had a bigger impact on the wider MCU than its predecessors, and could have even given Marvel Studios a new way of delivering its most-anticipated upcoming stories.
What If...? season 3 was perhaps the wildest installment of the animated series, introducing characters such as the Celestial Agatha Harkness, Darcy Lewis and Howard the Duck's hybrid daughter, the Mech Avengers, a Vision-empowered Riri Williams and an all-powerful yet heroic Infinity Ultron. However, these characters seldom embarked on their adventures alone, and this, alongside Deadpool & Wolverine, could have set a new theme for the MCU. Marvel Studios may have just found the perfect formula that could make its upcoming MCU projects even stronger.
What If…? Introduced Several New Superhero Duos To The MCU
What If...? Season 3 Included Some Unexpected Team-Up Stories
Unlike its predecessors, most of the episodes in What If...? season 3 saw unlikely characters come together to form strong partnerships. Most notably, this included Agatha Harkness and Kingo in episode 2, the Winter Soldier and the Red Guardian in episode 3 and Shang-Chi and Kate Bishop in episode 6. The likes of Sam Wilson and Monica Rambeau (and Wilson and Bruce Banner) and Darcy Lewis and Howard the Duck also formed strong bonds, making What If...? season 3 the era of the duos.
Previous seasons did, of course, bring together the likes of Tony Stark and Killmonger, Tony Stark and Gamora, Hela and Xu Wenwu and Captain Carter and Kahhori, but these partnerships weren't always effective. What If...? season 3 showed how brilliant teaming up heroes with one another can be, and it's possible some of these partnerships could be explored in the live-action MCU. This is perhaps even more likely after the huge success of Deadpool & Wolverine, which finally saw its titular antiheroes partner up.
Deadpool & Wolverine Proved Duos Work Perfectly In Live-Action
Deadpool & Wolverine Was Just What The MCU Needed
While several different and unexpected heroes came together for individual adventures in What If...? season 3, Deadpool & Wolverine already proved the sheer enjoyable potential of teaming up heroes as duos in the live-action MCU. After years of waiting, Deadpool & Wolverine finally brought together its titular antiheroes, portrayed by Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman, respectively, and the result was incredible. Not only was Deadpool & Wolverine truly hilarious, but the movie also underlined the growing friendship between these characters.
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Watching this bond develop and change over Deadpool & Wolverine's duration was incredible, particularly in moments such as when Wolverine berates Deadpool in the Honda Odyssey, when they negotiate with Cassandra Nova, and when they come together to save Earth-10005, and, by extension, the entire multiverse. Focusing on these two heroes meant Deadpool & Wolverine had plenty of time to develop their stories, characters and motivations, which is exactly what has been missing from many recent MCU projects.
Which Upcoming MCU Projects Could Include New Duos?
Several Upcoming Projects Could Partner MCU Heroes Together
It would be fantastic to see Marvel Studios repeat this pattern in any number of its upcoming MCU projects, allowing the connection between two heroes to be developed satisfactorily, rather than rushing the development of a whole team or introducing too many solo heroes. The most obvious place that this is already confirmed to be taking place is in February's Captain America: Brave New World, which will highlight the connection between Sam Wilson's Captain America and Joaquín Torres' Falcon. This movie doesn't need to be alone, however.
Sam Wilson became Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, while Captain America: Brave New World will be Joaquín Torres' first time suiting up as the Falcon. Sam Wilson used to be the Falcon to Steve Rogers' Captain America.
March's Daredevil: Born Again could see Matt Murdock team up with the Punisher, the White Tiger or, based on recent speculation, Jessica Jones. Spider-Man 4 is also primed to partner Tom Holland's Peter Parker with another hero, perhaps someone assuming the mentorship role previously filled by Iron Man and Doctor Strange. Blade, Armor Wars, Shang-Chi 2, Doctor Strange 3, Wonder Man and the upcoming Nova series could also easily pull this off. This means What If...? may have established a new status quo for the MCU, allowing a plethora of new duos to debut very soon.
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What If… ? is an animated anthology series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe which features fan-favorite characters, including Peggy Carter, T’Challa, Doctor Strange, Killmonger, Thor, and more. The new series, directed by Bryan Andrews with AC Bradley as head writer, features signature MCU action with a curious twist. The show sees Uatu the Watcher, an omnipotent being that observes the events of multiple universes from afar as they unfold, unable to interfere. However, things shift when an entity peers beyond the veil, jeopardizing the multiverse.
Release Date August 11, 2021
Finale Year December 22, 2024
Seasons 3
Writers Ashley Bradley , Matthew Chauncey
Directors Bryan Andrews
Showrunner Ashley Bradley
Upcoming MCU Movies
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Release Date February 14, 2025
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Release Date July 25, 2025
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Release Date July 24, 2026
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English (US) ·