The upcoming Marvel animated series, What If…?, has continued its production amidst the coronavirus pandemic, according to Slash Film. While other Marvel television projects have witnessed halted productions such as The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Loki, and WandaVision, the animated series set to premiere on Disney Plus without a pause in production due to the studio’s ability to work on the project remotely. Under the direction of Marvel’s animation head Stephan Franck (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and The Iron Giant), the series and its narratives are kept under wraps with animators and other production assistants transitioning to remote work relatively quickly.
What If…? is the first of many new Marvel Comic television programs coming to Disney Plus in the coming months with an anticipated premiere date sometime in 2021. The series will be the first animated television series from the comic book company as it explores different alternate timelines and realities that could exist within the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Set as an anthology series, What If…? will star Jeffrey Wright (Angels in America and Westworld) as The Watcher, a member of The Watcher race in the Marvel Comic Book who can see all the alternative realities and timelines in the universe. Wright’s character will act as the narrator for the anthology series as viewers will explore timelines such as Bucky Barnes interacting with a zombie version of Captain America and many others. The program will also feature a rotating voice cast of the actors behind various live-action Marvel characters including the likes of Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury), Chadwick Boseman (Black Panther), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), and many more.
What If…? acts as one of the installments of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Four, consisting of ten episodes in the upcoming first season. Currently, there is no set date for the premiere on Disney Plus. Yet, with the continuation of its production during the pandemic and a second season renewal, the show will seemingly be on schedule with its original plans. To learn more, check out the 2019 D23 Marvel panel discussing the upcoming television series below: