Daily News for Marvel Movie

Summary

• What If…? season 2 follows up on Loki's big timeline reveal, showing a promising step in addressing lingering plot threads in the MCU.
• The trailer for What If…? season 2 indicates that the show will explore the consequences of Loki's actions, with The Watcher observing his timeline tree.
• While other plot threads in MCU Phase 4 and 5 have been left hanging, the quick follow-up on Loki's storyline in What If…? gives hope for more cohesive storytelling in the future.

Marvel's What If…? season 2 is set to be the final MCU release of 2023, and the series' latest trailer reveals that the show is taking steps to address a common complaint about the franchise. Throughout its 15-years-and-counting run, the MCU has found unparalleled success in maintaining a true shared universe in which characters and events create meaningful ripples across the big and small screens. However, Marvel Studios has received fair criticism in the time since Avengers: Endgame for introducing too many plot threads, characters, and twists and failing to follow up on them in a timely manner – or at all.
What If…? season 2 is set to premiere on December 22 and air one episode per day for eight more days after, and a few brief trailers have teased the multiversal variants and storylines that will be featured. The latest trailer contains many quick shots of new and returning characters, but one moment in particular reveals that the show will be following up on a big MCU twist much sooner than most were expecting. Time will tell if the MCU's other dangling plot threads will also son be addressed, but for now, What If…? is showing a step in the right direction.
Related What If…? Season 2 Cast & Marvel Character Guide What 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. What If Season 2 Is Immediately Following Up On Loki's Big Timeline Reveal What If…?
Release Date August 11, 2021 Cast Samuel L. Jackson , Stanley Tucci , Michael Douglas , Sean Gunn , Mark Ruffalo , Karen Gillan , Tom Hiddleston , Jeffrey Wright , Michael B. Jordan , Toby Jones , Sebastian Stan , Paul Rudd , David Dastmalchian , Natalie Portman , Josh Brolin , Dominic Cooper , Jeff Goldblum , Hayley Atwell , Djimon Hounsou , Chadwick Boseman , Taika Waititi , Chris Hemsworth , Neil McDonaugh , Jeremy Renner , Michael Rooker Seasons 2 Streaming Service(s) Disney Plus At the end of Loki season 2, the titular god embraces a new destiny. Sacrificing his friendships and freedom, Loki gathers all the dying branches of the multiverse after the destruction of the Temporal Loom and holds them together. The result, which forms the shape of Yggdrasil from Norse mythology, allows the multiverse to finally branch without restriction after He Who Remains kept it pruned for an undiscernible amount of time. In theory, this would have big consequences for the entire MCU, but the franchise's recent history of leaving set-ups dangling meant there was no guarantee. Fortunately, What If…? is following up almost immediately.
In the newest trailer for What If…? season 2, one clip shows The Watcher observing Loki's timeline tree from afar (which is, for reasons unknown, decorated with Christmas ornaments). By the time What If…? season 2 premieres, The Loki season 2 finale will only be about a month and a half old, showing an almost unprecedented small gap between major ending set-up and payoff elsewhere in the franchise. It's unknown if Loki himself will appear, but it's clear that the MCU is committed to his new role having impact across the cinematic universe.
MCU Phase 4 and 5 Set-Ups We're Still Waiting To See Addressed Close While Loki's multiverse tree is getting an immediate follow-up, there are still several character and plot threads that have been left dangling for too long in the MCU Phase 4 and 5. WandaVision, She-Hulk, and Eternals all set up new characters to be players in the MCU (White Vision, Skaar, and Eros, respectively). Moreover, Eternals' giant Celestial is still sticking out of the planet, but it's only been briefly mentioned once. Sharon Carter was revealed to be the Power Broker, but it's unclear if it'll matter moving forward. Shang-Chi's ending teased a new Ten Rings organization and a mysterious origin for the rings themselves.
While some of these may be lost in the shuffle as Marvel Studios refocuses its content, others will presumably play out in future sequels or spin-offs. However, even if so, the long time gap between set-ups and payoffs makes it difficult to get too excited about new teases. What If…? following up so quickly on Loki's new status quo is promising, though, and is hopefully a sign of more solid connective tissue to come.