MARVEL MUST HAVES: Behold An Unusual Assembly!
In an article posted to the official Marvel website on Friday, August 27th, 2021, the third batch of What If…? Marvel Must Haves was released! However, this batch was a little different than what we’ve come to expect from the after-episode merch drops from Marvel during the advent of this Disney+ streaming era! Not sure what I mean, Marvel Blog True Believers? Never fear: allow me to explain!
Marvel Must Haves: The Pattern
As you’ve probably noticed, there’s a pattern emerging from the arrival of these Marvel Must Haves!
Space Prism t-shirt. Photo: Marvel
Each week, after we’ve gotten a new episode of a Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) series on Disney+, we get a Marvel Must Haves merch drop. Typically, these have included characters, costumes, and other elements that were revealed on that week’s episode of the show. For Disney and Marvel, this strategy works in two ways: it both ensures that story elements from the show are not ruined by the advance arrival of certain pieces of merch, and it capitalizes on the excitement viewers have after watching a new MCU episode by offering them irresistible and novel merch!
It’s sort of the way you can buy, say, a Cosmo the Dog stuffed animal after riding Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout at Disney’s California Adventure!
Cosmo from Disney’s California Adventure in Anaheim, California. Photo: The Los Angeles Times
But this week, the Marvel Must Haves were a little different…
All Uatu
Most of the merch this week was simply general What If…? merch, themed after the series in general rather than a specific episode and featuring Uatu the Watcher (Jeffery Wright).
For example, one of the this week’s Marvel Must Haves drops was the The Watcher Poster T-shirt from Amazon for $22.99.
The Watcher poster t-shirt. Photo: Marvel
This is a big departure from the previous two Marvel Must Haves for What If…?, which heavily featured elements from their respective episodes.
However, there is a Thermos water bottle for $39.99 featuring this incarnation of Black Widow (Lake Bell), who is featured heavily in this episode (and appears to be dead at the conclusion of the story… or is she simply in the Quantum Realm with Janet Van Dyne?).
Black Widow Stainless Steel Drink Bottle, Vacuum insulated & Double Wall, 24oz. Photo: Marvel
And there were a couple tees featuring a variety of characters from the different What If…? episodes coming to Disney+, and I won’t bore you with even more merch-based pontificating (yet), but here they are for your purchasing pleasure.
From Hot Topic, there’s the Marvel What If…? Enter The Multiverse T-Shirt, which is currently priced at $19.12 – $22.32, as well as the Marvel What If…? The Watcher Face Fill T-Shirt and the Marvel What If…? Hero Boxes T-Shirt, both for the same price.
Enter the Multiverse t-shirt. Photo: Marvel
The Watcher face fill t-shirt. Photo: Marvel
Hero Boxes t-shirt. Photo: Marvel
What If…?
What did you think of this week’s episode of What If…?, Marvel Blog True Believers? We’re dying to hear from you! Let us know what you’re thinking in the comment section.
Featured Image: Marvel
