Marvel’s What If...? animated series coming to Disney Plus summer 2021

Marvel Studios’ first animated series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, What If...?, is coming to the Disney Plus streaming service in summer 2021. Marvel revealed the date and a new actor coming to the MCU, Jeffrey Wright (Westworld, Casino Royale), at its Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con.

Marvel also announced that “many actors from across the MCU” will reprise their roles as voice talent in What If...?

Jeffrey Wright will voice The Watcher, a race of celestial beings who observe events in the Marvel universe. In the films, the Watchers were seen briefly as part of a Stan Lee cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. The Watcher assigned to observe Earth and its solar system is named Uatu, and he served as the narrator of Marvel’s What If comic book series, telling readers tales of alternate realities.

Marvel’s What If comics pondered questions of alternate outcomes to major events in the Marvel Universe. The series debuted in 1977 with the question “What if Spider-Man joined the Fantastic Four?” and pondered other similar thought experiments like “What if Jane Foster had found the hammer of Thor?” and “What if Hulk had the brain of Bruce Banner?” — questions which would later become reality in Marvel Comics continuity.

What If...? is one of multiple announced Marvel Cinematic Universe series coming to Disney Plus, joining The Falcon and Winter Soldier, WandaVision, Hawkeye, and Loki. Disney Plus will launch in November; subscriptions to Disney’s new streaming service, which will be home to Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, and Pixar films and original shows, will cost $6.99 monthly or $69.99 annually.