With the end of Loki on the horizon, that means the next MCU show on Disney+ is in the queue. And fans already know that it will be the alternate timeline series known as What If…? Both series have something big in common thanks to the exploration of different timelines. That is despite the fact that they couldn’t be more different in their formats.
But that leads to a very big question. Specifically, is there more in common between the two shows than just the time travel element? Loki dovetails into What If…? almost too perfectly. It’s enough to make fans wonder if that connection is a lot deeper. The impacts of that connection could resonate in the MCU on levels greater than anything previously seen.
What If…? makes its Disney+ debut
This anthology comic book series dates all the way back to the late 1970s. It popped up in different volumes and collections over the years. The essential premise has always been exploring what could have been if one thing happened differently. That has included what would have happened if Silver Surfer captured the Infinity Gauntlet from Thanos. Another story asked what would have happened if Frank Castle got the Venom symbiote.
Narrated by Uatu the Watcher, the upcoming Disney+ series plans to do the same thing. Like the comics, it will ask what would happen if just one pivotal detail was different. One episode will look at what would have happened if Peggy Carter became a super-soldier. Another will look at what would have gone down if Erik Killmonger had been sent to rescue Tony Stark after the Ten Rings captured him.
Loki’s core element is time
So far, Loki‘s stock-in-trade has been time itself. The big reveal of who is behind the TVA could have startling impacts on the overall timeline of the MCU. That means anything is possible, including the introduction of the X-Men. There’s nothing like messing with time to change the game for a story. Fans of the X-Men in the comics know exactly how dicey that situation can get.
Anyone watching the series has learned that the TVA exists to manage the Sacred Timeline. That means pruning any unauthorized branches and variants. Who appointed them to do this and why remains to be seen. But it is those branches that will become the focus of What If…? as the series moves forward. And Uatu is the one who will be asking the questions at that point, not the TVA.
What If…? poses bigger questions than the ones in the episodes
While The Watchers were already MCU canon, Uatu narrating this animated series will be their biggest impact. Their very nature of watching worlds and realities could put them at odds with a group like the TVA. And Uatu will essentially be showing off branches in the Sacred Timeline that they would have pruned. It can’t be a coincidence that this is happening after the end of Loki and potentially the TVA.
Alternate timelines, aka branches, starting to become more prominent certainly opens up a lot of doors. But how Loki and What If…? fit together could be incredibly telling to how all of this unfolds. If the TVA’s influence on time is coming to an end, that could mean big changes to the MCU. It also opens the door to stories, characters, and opportunities that were not there before.
