We Now Know Why ‘What If…?’ Is Coming to an End

by Justin Hermes · December 19, 2024

When What If…? first premiered in August 2021, the series broke numerous barriers for Marvel Studios.

For starters, What If…? marked the first animated production by Marvel Studios. The series’ success would pave the way for X-Men ’97 and the upcoming Eyes of Wakanda and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

(L-R): Morph (voiced by JP Karliak), Storm (voiced by Alison Sealy-Smith), Gambit (voiced by AJ LoCascio), Cyclops (voiced by Ray Chase), Rogue (voiced by Lenore Zann), Wolverine (voiced by Cal Dodd), Bishop (voiced by Isaac Robinson-Smith), Beast (voiced by George Buza) in Marvel Animation’s X-MEN ’97. Photo courtesy of Marvel Animation. © 2024 MARVEL.

Perhaps more importantly, however, What If…? also allowed the studio to explore the limited possibilities of the Marvel Multiverse. With The Watcher as their guide, audiences were introduced to new worlds, variants of their favorite characters, and the possibilities of the multiverse.

‘What If…?’ Has Been an Undeniable Success

With the debut of characters such as Captain Carter, Strange Supreme, and Kahhori, What If…? pushed the limits of Marvel storytelling and gave fans a glimpse into the kind of multiversal catastrophes that would later occur in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madess and Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Source: Marvel/ Sony

Despite the series’ success, however, Marvel has decided to end What If…? after its third season, which will debut on December 22.

Why the Series Is Ending?

In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Marvel’s Head of Streaming and Animation, Brad Winderbaum, explained that the broader story of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) necessitated the end of What If…?

Image: Disney

“What If…? has always tied into the greater MCU and the Multiverse Saga. And for reasons that will become clear in the next couple of years, this was the right time to culminate the series from a story perspective,” he said.

With the Marvel Multiverse Saga set to culminate with the events of Avengers: Doomsday and Avengers: Secret Wars, it looks like What If…?’s time simply ran out. Seemingly, a major event in the MCU will end the multiverse as we know it.