The much anticipated reimagined version of the MCU puts forth new takes on our beloved characters in a new light. The fanbase required to fuel such an optimistic approach towards creating universes enabled the creators to dive deep into the realm of character reimaginations which may or may not work depending upon the person, as a person might be open to see their characters in totally new attires by shuffling the sequencing of the event in the previous films. In contrast, some hardcore fans might not be that welcoming of the project as it simply nullifies the creation of new age for the heroes by a negation of almost all the aspects of the franchise that made it a household name, whilst earning revenues that made DC rethink its approach towards superhero films. Still, the Joss Whedon fiasco pointed out how masses do not appreciate MCU-Esque DC films for being too lively for a convincing Justice League cinematic portrait. Understanding the warcry of the fans and monetizing it by the Snyder Cut, DC showed us how a story plays out if thought from two different perspectives. One is dark and gritty, while the other is quite humorous and astute with its characters. You pick yours, but What If…? estimates were based on the Marvel phase 5 franchise having a new look with a more conservative method after the economic annihilation of the Covid 19.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder or out of sight, out of mind?
What is an appropriate amount of time for the creators to develop a project that shows conviction towards the past while altering it simultaneously? The answer to that will be provided in the upcoming days by the fans who have either waited too long to be excited about it, or not much interested in the project, for the fact that you know it’s like your Wandavision and Loki, which were a much-required setup to find newer and green pastures.
As the project is considering Iron Man to be played not by effervescent RDJ, it has to acknowledge the daunting task at hand with a precision that speaks for the new take while not negating the 10yrs of filmmaking by a group of talented creators who have created their respective projects whilst establishing the franchise itself.
Is ‘What If…?’ going to impact the outcome of the ‘Dr. Strange Multiverse of Madness’?
To appreciate the optimism, we have to look at the underlying fact that this film is a totally different creative approach with the fans seemingly being involved in the progress of the franchise by allowing the creators to keep the various aspects of the society pacified by being politically correct as the past decade has seen a rise of the pseudo-intellectual comment sections of not so positive Reddit posts, the reason being blatantly open story arcs left by the creators in the previous films, which are eventually closed by the various extremely hardworking and punctilious creator who has dedicated hours to find multiple hidden easter eggs in the gargantuan filmography of the MCU.
‘What If…?’ Trailer Breakdown – Is it the next big MCU Project we were looking for?
The very first trailer of What If…? reassures the viewers to take the animation seriously as it stems directly from the first scene of the humble beginnings of the MCU with an egotistical Tony Stark ironically mocking the word “peace,” waiting for the character to become a pop-culture phenomenon of the decade. Reassuring us of the project’s potential, Marvel has released a perfectly orchestrated sequence of enticing trailers that do their job of allocating the masses, increasing the hype which might work for or against them as the product won’t match up to the market.
There has to be a subtle sense of responsibility on the creators to segregate the various reimaginations so that they do not coincide with the storytelling achieved by 80+ hours of cinema, so your perspectives of the heroes changes in real-time and not during the wait for the next Ep which creates a void between the audience and the chronologies are received by the fans who pin-up their hopes for the fugazi created by the franchise which demands it to be at par with “good” cinema of the recent predominant era where superhero franchise have to be democratic in choosing one of the thousand ways for reinventing the fabled Black Panther or Black Widow, the Scarlett Johansson flak that acquired the media houses with a frenzy as the film had an OTT release on Disney+, creating a flurry of shows of which venture into exploring themselves, while Wandavison and Loki were received well by the fans. It becomes a cumbersome longing for the eventual big reveal to be in Dr. Strange Multiverse of Madness in 2022. The synopsis found on the web for Dr. Strange is simply a signboard that says “Further Adventures of Dr. Strange” yup, that’s all you get to know, which is a shroud for the reveal to happen out of nowhere to secure the element of surprise, creating a new era of fans that might like the “new take” on MCU. Is it, though?
Steve Roger’s appearance as the Warmachine is executed flawlessly with sublime timing as a 40sec nod to the Cap Fans. Peggy Carter playing the “Captain America” resonates with the “woke” minded crowd as the female empowerment tropes have seen either empower women without the actors being a sedated version of themselves seeking the positive audience reception solely on the “empowerment” notion and doesn’t become too optimistic for its self induced downfall as the fans might not care about the revenues allocated by the Disney, but the characters that they feel invested in. It might be exactly what you want as a fan of a series that could have and should have been avoided. *Fingers Crossed*
What If…? is a 2021 Animated Anthology Series created by A.C. Bradley, based on Marvel Comics.
