Created by A.C. Bradley (Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia, Arrow), Disney+’s What If…? is an animated series where each episode explores an alternate reality, such as what would have happened in the Marvel Cinematic Universe if Thor was an only child. The first season of What If…? debuted in August 2021, and the second season premiered on December 22nd, 2023 with an episode airing daily through December 30. According to TVLine, Bradley revealed that an episode she had created for season two was ultimately scrapped as it was deemed too dark.
As TVLine notes, those working on What If…? were writing episodes for season two throughout the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, which had influenced their writing. She explained, “It felt like the world was already ending and we didn’t need to add to it. And so [writing Season 2] became kind of an escape and a fun release.”
She continued, “However, I did write an episode, which is forever going in a drawer, that was very, very dark. I was calling it ‘Children of Men with Spider Man.'”
Bradley revealed nothing else about this unreleased episode. However, the comparison to Children of Men, which is a dystopian novel created by P.D. James (The Black Tower, Cover Her Face) that inspired a 2006 film of the same name, insinuates that this episode may have dealt with themes of infertility and the endangerment of humankind.
According to TVLine, for season three, Bradley will not be returning as showrunner. Matthew Chauncey (Thor: Love and Thunder, Self Center) will instead take over as head writer for the series. However, season three will include one episode written by Bradley, which features Bucky Barnes and the Red Guardian teaming up. Although there is no release date set for season three yet, a teaser for this episode has been released.
In relation to this episode, as TVLine notes, Bradley explained, “I will say that the Season 3 episode is probably my absolute favorite episode I’ve ever written for Marvel, and not just because it features Alexei, who my cat is named after.”