Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
Cast: Karen Gillan, Jude Law, Michael Rooker, Seth Green, Taika Waititi, Peter Serafinowicz, Michael Douglas, Hayley Atwell, John Slattery, Kurt Russell, Chris Hemsworth, Laurance Fishburne, Devery Jacobs, Sebastian Stan, Atanwa Kani, Madeleine McGraw, Gene Farber, Jon Favreau, Kat Dennings, Cobie Smulders, Sam Rockwell, Mark Ruffalo, Jeremy Renner, Jeff Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Rachel House, Josh Brolin, Samuel L. Jackson, Frank Grillo, Rachel Weisz, Elizabeth Olsen, Benedict Cumberbatch, Clancy Brown, Cate Blanchett, Idris Elba, Tom Hiddleston, Paul Rudd, Stanley Tucci, Abraham Erskine, Mark Wingert, Lake Bell, Josh Keaton, Julianne Grossman, Fred Tatasciore, Mace Montgomery Miskel, Keri Tombazian, Jeff Bergman, Feodor Chin, Lauren Tom.
In a year of mixed results for graphic novel cinematic adaptations, the nine-part episode offering of the second series of the animated What If? is arguably a high point of consistent writing and production; and in a period of superhero fatigue on the large screen, it is gratifying to witness the return of one of Marvel’s finest unsung heroes of the comic world, Uatu, being once more prominent as the infinite strands of the multiverse are played out and digested.
What If?, the possibilities are endless within the MCU alone, however what catches the eye perhaps more than most in the observations made by the serene galactic being, voiced by the ever reliable Jeffrey Wright, is the continuous rise of Captain Carter and her evolving story within the framework of alternate histories and futures of some of the most beloved characters from the house of Marvel.
The fact that for the most part the animated series manages to have the actors from the cinematic and television world retain the voices that give the animation life is a testament to the continued aspirations of the company, and with the superb Hayley Atwell, Karen Gillan, Michael Douglas, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Kat Dennings, and Jeff Goldblum all returning to the parts they have made their own, and with the additional voice artists such as Mark Wingert portraying Tony Stark/Iron Man with a fantastic homage to Robert Downey Jr., and Lake Bell voicing Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow with exceptional ease, what might be perceived as a loss is actually a win-win scenario for fans worldwide.
In what could be considered a masterstroke, the introduction of a brand-new character, a young woman from the Haudensaunee Confederacy in pre-colonial America, Kahhori, is one to savour. Not only was the episode broadcast virtually all in the Mohawk language, but it also drives home the point that inclusion of the indigenous Native Americans is a paramount thought. It is one not born out of ‘wokeness’ but in terms of the absolute necessity to provide a voice for those of the land before European expansion, and their own indelible stores they should be offering the world.
Along with the evolution of Captain Carter, the emergence of Kahhori is a most welcome and valuable asset to the continuance of Marvel’s film and television aspirations, and one that sets a seal of fortune on the coming of the company’s Phase Five.
Ian D. Hall