TV REVIEW: What If S1E1: “What If… Captain Carter Was the First Avenger?”

I’ll be honest and admit that I didn’t have strong feelings about the What If series coming into it. While I had read the 90’s run of the original comic, it was always something of a B-list series even back when it came out. At the same time, What If does offer limitless possibilities, not being bound by regular continuity, even in terms of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Because the concept revolves around alternate universes, virtually anything can happen in a good What If story, as it’s not constrained by the usual limitations of the genre. There are no concerns about killing characters, or making huge, sweeping changes that break the traditional status quo. The Watcher is a good Serling-style narrator character, as he is sworn to observe but never to interfere in these stories.

The concept of the first episode is laid out clearly in the episode title: “What If Captain Carter Was The First Avenger?” It makes sense to begin with an alternate take on Captain America, since Cap is the foundation of the MCU. By changing that one event, it’s possible to explore how the entire MCU would change as a consequence. The idea of Peggy Carter as the first super-soldier is also a plausible one, given how involved she was in Captain America: The First Avenger. The MCU’s Peggy Carter is an interesting character in her own right, and exploring how the Super-Soldier Serum might affect her offers some real possibilities. The consequences on the Captain America mythos, and his influence on the Avengers are also worth exploring on a storytelling level. The idea of a British woman taking over the role of an American super-soldier in World War 2 also opens up possibilities. There’s real potential in this idea on many different levels.

Although this episode is quite solid, the result in practice doesn’t quite realize that potential of the episode’s high concept. The episode we get is mostly a retelling of Captain America: The First Avenger, except with Peggy Carter in the role of the main heroine. In terms of plot, the story follows most of the main beats of that film, from the liberation of Bucky to the train mission and a final confrontation with the Red Skull. Most of the actual changes are a bit smaller, mainly dealing with who survives, the roles played by certain characters, and the villain’s master plan. The most fascinating development concerns Steve Rogers, who never receives the serum but finds a way to contribute to the war effort even without his powers or his shield. As a feel-good war adventure starring Captain Carter, this episode works perfectly well, and this is a satisfying enough effort on that level. By the end, I became interested in Captain Carter, and I hope we get to see a modern-day sequel to her adventures, so it is a success in that respect.

At the same time, there are numerous missed opportunities with this episode. The What If show doesn’t take full advantage of the canvas that it has been given by the multiverse concept. The beauty of this series is that anything can happen, and it’s possible to take risks that aren’t possible in the main Marvel Universe. In contrast, this episode is relatively safe, and it doesn’t take any real risks with the source material that it’s been given. There are no significant deaths, the flow of history remains generally the same in this reality, and even most of the character outcomes aren’t really that different from Captain America: The First Avenger. We also don’t see present-day consequences for changing the events of the first Cap movie. There could have been a great story in the potential setup of the change to the train mission; if Steve Rogers had become the Winter Soldier instead of Bucky, for instance, that could have led to a heartbreaking confrontation between Steve and Peggy. Instead, that possibility is dashed in favor of a battle with a Cthulhu-inspired tentacle monster and a reversal on Cap’s sacrifice at the end of First Avenger. Additionally, the episode doesn’t show the consequences of Captain Carter’s impact on the present-day Avengers. We don’t see Peggy Carter leading the Avengers, which likely could have led to a much different reality than what was shown in the MCU films. While it’s possible that we could see this world revisited in a later episode, we’re only given a taste of what this reality could have been. In fairness, none of these omissions make the episode bad or less enjoyable, but the unrealized potential of these ideas is unfortunate. Hopefully, future episodes will take better advantage of the concept and take more risks with the series.

Fortunately, those are the extent of my issues with the show. The animation style on What If is quite good, perfectly suiting the “motion comic” flavor of the series. The action is fast and fluid, especially when we see Captain Carter in action. Peggy’s character design as Captain Carter looks reasonable, keeping the look established by Hayley Atwell’s screen performances while looking like a super-soldier. The design of the Hydra Stomper echoes the Iron Man armor while looking true to the period, reflecting the influence of Howard Stark. The episode makes some changes to the characters from First Avenger, some a bit odd, but mostly keeps a visual consistency with the original film. Some additions take full advantage of the animated medium, especially the HYDRA castle and the tentacle monster. The art style is more realistic than some animated shows, but it looks like a comic, and the animated format allows the show to do more than the live-action shows can typically do.

The voice cast on this episode is perhaps as good as Marvel reasonably could have gotten without spending considerable sums of money on A-list actors. Most of the original cast of First Avenger returns to reprise their roles, including most of the important characters. Most importantly, Hayley Atwell returns to her role as Peggy Carter, and it’s difficult to imagine anyone else playing the character at this point. Dominic Cooper does an excellent job as Howard Stark, sounding very much like the Howard Hughes inspired character he was intended to be. Sebastian Stan’s Bucky in this reality is much more of a light-hearted character than he is in any of the films or shows he’s been in, but that highlights the differences in the Captain Carter reality. The most notable recasts are Chris Evans, who stepped away from the role of Captain America, and Hugo Weaving as the Red Skull. Josh Keaton plays the animated Steve Rogers, and while he sounds noticeably unlike Evans, he plays the character earnestly and reasonably well. Ross Marquand is a solid replacement for Weaving, picking up where he left off in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. For a story centering around Peggy Carter, those changes are noticeable but easily forgivable. As it stands, it’s impressive that Disney managed to reunite most of the original cast for this episode, and it’s enjoyable to see them together again here. Jeffrey Wright would not have been my first choice to play the Watcher Uatu, as his voice doesn’t quite fit my expectations for the character, but he’s a respectable actor who makes the role work for him.

The first episode of What If is perfectly good if you’re interested in exploring alternate takes on Marvel history. The Captain Carter storyline is solid enough, and if you’re a fan of Captain America: The First Avenger, this episode shouldn’t disappoint you. However, the writing hasn’t yet embraced the full potential of a nearly limitless concept, and it is my hope that future episodes take better advantage of what the series can offer. In the meantime, though, this episode is enjoyable for what it does provide, and that’s more than enough as a starting point.

Score: 3.8/5

Director: Bryan Andrews

Writer: A.C. Bradley

Cast: Jeffrey Wright, Hayley Atwell, Josh Keaton, Dominic Cooper, Sebastian Stan, Stanley Tucci, Samuel L. Jackson, Ross Marquand, Bradley Whitford

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Steve Sellers

Steve Sellers had been a fan of superheroes ever since Superman: The Movie. But it took the JSA, the Legion of Super-Heroes, Dragonlance, Lord of the Rings, Twilight Zone, and Chris Claremont's legendary run on the X-Men to make him a writer and a longtime fan of comics, fantasy, and science fiction. Steve is the co-creator of WHITE DRUID & MICHAEL NERO and GUARDIANS OF ELAYIM for Omen Comics, and he is also the creator of BLITZ and SHOCKWAVE for Revelation Comics (an imprint of Omen Comics).