Following its upcoming second season, Marvel Studios' animated anthology series What If...? will return for a third installment on Disney+.
During the Marvel Studios Animation panel at San Diego Comic-Con 2022, it was confirmed that What If...? had been renewed for a third season. Season 2, meanwhile, is currently expected to premiere on Disney+ in early 2023.
Debuting in 1977, Marvel Comics' What If is an anthology series that offers a glimpse into various alternate realities, showing what the Marvel Universe might have looked like had key events unfolded differently than they did in the mainstream continuity. Marvel Studios' What If...? animated series serves a similar purpose, though is specifically based on the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Marvel Studios' What If...? Has More Multiversal Stories to Tell
Marvel Studios initially announced What If...?, its very first animated series, three years ago at San Diego Comic-Con 2019. The series ultimately premiered on Disney+ on Aug. 11, 2021. Season 1 ran for a total of nine episodes, concluding on Oct. 6, 2021. Narrated by The Watcher (Jeffrey Wright), What If...? Season 1 featured a number of MCU-adjacent universes, showcasing Peggy Carter as Captain Carter, the first Avenger; T'Challa as Star-Lord, leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy; and a version of the MCU that had been overrun by super-powered zombies, among other scenarios.
Following What If...? Season 1, a version of Captain Carter actually appeared in live-action in the film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. What If...? director Bryan Andrews described seeing the character on the big screen as being "pretty awesome," though clarified that the animated Captain Carter is indeed different from the live-action one.
Furthermore, Marvel Studios' slate of upcoming animated projects for Disney+ goes well beyond future seasons of What If...?. The studio is also working on Marvel Zombies, a dedicated adaptation of Marvel Comics' horror series of the same name; as well as Spider-Man: Freshman Year, which follows the early days of the MCU's version of Spidey. Finally, there's X-Men '97, a continuation of the fan-favorite X-Men: The Animated Series, which originally aired on Fox Kids from 1992 to 1997.
Marvel Studios' What If...? Season 2 premieres on Disney+ in 2023. The show has been renewed for Season 3.
Source: Marvel Studios Animation