Marvel’s animated Disney+ series What If…? just wrapped its second season with nine solid episodes that were well-received by the fans. The show is boasting the highest Rotten Tomatoes scores of the year from anything in the Marvel wheelhouse, so the creators must have done something right this time around. According to head writer A.C. Bradley, it was the freedom afforded to them after they toed the line in Season 1.
In a recent interview with IGN, Bradley talked about Marvel Studios executives’ push to include the “headliners” in the show’s first season, and what they were able to do in the second season with the “second stringers.”
“With Season 1, there was a push to use the headliners, to do the Tony Stark episode, to do the Black Panther episode and Doctor Strange,” Bradley shared. “But with Season 2, we had a bit more freedom. At the end of the day, we’re not writing the big blockbuster, 100-million-dollar movie. We’re not even showrunning the live-action TV shows. We’re the scrappy, little animation show slipping under the Marvel machine radar. So, it was really subconscious but I think we veered toward the scrappy characters in Season 2. We started with the second stringers, the undervalued and overlooked, like Nebula [Karen Gillan], Darcy [Kat Dennings], and Hela [Cate Blanchett].”
Both seasons have been a lot of fun, but it does feel like they’re hitting their stride this season. The show has been renewed for a third season, but unfortunately, A.C. Bradley won’t be returning to write it. In a recent X post, she revealed her favorite episode of the season, and explained that she is moving on, though it sounds like it’s under friendly circumstances, fortunately.
What were your favorite storylines this season? What would you like to see them explore in Season 3?