Bucky glares at the Red Guardian in a car, with a desert landscape behind him.

Marvel Releases First Look at ‘What If…?’ Season 3

Marvel’s What If…? has wrapped up its second season on Disney+, and Marvel Animation has good news for fans of its animated anthology series: season 3 is already in the works.

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In fact, on the day of the What If…? season 2 finale, Marvel released a first look at What If…? season 3! In this scene, Bucky and the Red Guardian get involved in a car chase on a desert highway.

According to Discussing Film, What If…? season 3 was announced in July 2022, during San Diego Comic Con. At a screening of two episodes of What If…? season 2 on December 11, 2023, the show’s creators confirmed that season 3 is currently in development.

So what do we know about What If…? season 3? Currently, almost nothing! But there are a few tidbits of information floating around—and plenty to speculate about.

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What If…? season 3 release window

When will What If…? season 3 come out? It’s hard to say right now, especially since Marvel has begun spacing out its Disney+ content, leading to numerous delays. However, executive producer Brad Winderbaum said at Comic-Con 2022 that the studio’s “intention is to make [What If…?] an annual release.” That means that What If…? season 3 could potentially hit Disney+ around the holiday season in 2024.

However! The Bucky and Red Guardian scene above says that What If…? season 3 is “coming soon.” How soon? We don’t know yet!

What If…? season 3 cast

Who could potentially be in What If…? season 3?

Right now, without knowing which characters and storylines will be adapted for the episodes in season 3, we can only guess. It’s reasonable to suspect, though, that as Marvel moves further into phases 5 and 6, and the Infinity Saga recedes further into the past, that its newer characters will start to take center stage in What If…? That could mean less of Iron Man and Hawkeye, and more of newer characters like Shang-Chi and She-Hulk.

Or Marvel could use What If…? as a nostalgia factory. Who knows? I wouldn’t necessarily complain!

Either way, Marvel has a pretty good track record so far of getting its A-list stars to voice their characters in the anthology series. That means that whichever characters pop up, we may be treated to the talents of their live-action actors. Plus, Jeffrey Wright will almost certainly return as the show’s transdimensional guide, Uatu the Watcher.

What If…? season 3 plot

What will What If…? season 3 be about? Unless What If…? takes a radical departure in its next season, we can expect more of the freewheeling fun we experienced in seasons 1 and 2. What If…?‘s formula offers endless possibilities, as familiar characters are placed in new and interesting situations and Uatu guides us through all the possibilities of Marvel’s multiverse.

(featured image: Disney+)


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Julia Glassman
Julia Glassman (she/her) holds an MFA from the Iowa Writers' Workshop, and has been covering feminism and media since 2007. As a staff writer for The Mary Sue, Julia covers Marvel movies, folk horror, sci fi and fantasy, film and TV, comics, and all things witchy. Under the pen name Asa West, she's the author of the popular zine 'Five Principles of Green Witchcraft' (Gods & Radicals Press). You can check out more of her writing at <a href="https://juliaglassman.carrd.co/">https://juliaglassman.carrd.co/.</a>