‘What If…?’ S3 Episode 1 “What If Hulk Fought The Avengers?” Review

What If…? season 3 continues the concept shown in the first two seasons, with its first episode “What If… The Hulk Fought the Mech Avengers?” showcasing how the smallest of choices can drastically change the stories we know from the live-action projects. Read our full review of the episode below.

The first episode quickly became one of my most anticipated episodes after its first look in January revealing an all-new Avengers team consisting of Phase 4 characters and mechs which brought me back to my Power Ranger / Pacific Rim days.

The stylised intro was perhaps one of my favourite parts, I always craved varying art styles for the series so having a very retro version is definitely a welcomed addition even though it may be short in length. When mentioning designs we come to one of my complaints, some characters particularly Bucky’s (Sebastian Stan) and Moon Knight’s (Oscar Isaac) designs felt a bit off to me, I’d argue even Shang Chi (Simu Liu) looked a bit strange comparing him to the “1602” episode’s design but the phase 4 characters weren’t given enough spotlight for me to have a better judgement. I was however absolutely in awe of the mech designs and how each reflected their hero well.

I was mostly satisfied with the fights, some even giving Godzilla vs. Kong vibes. If there was one thing I’d change about them, I’d involve more of the individual mechs, I found myself wondering about the power sets of the heroes’ mech counterparts. The combination scene is probably the highlight of the episode and the emotional ties behind it make it all the better. I found myself pretty satisfied with it despite not being a huge fan of the design during our first look.

I found the moment where the timeline split a bit odd but I loved how moments from projects such as Falcon And The Winter Soldier were used while also referencing Avengers: Age Of Ultron to some degree

Overall the first episode of What If…? season 3 satisfied my need for Mech and Kaiju fights however the episode could use some work in terms of character design and highlighting its characters.

What If…? season 3 episode 1 stars Jeffrey Wright as Uatu the Watcher, Anthony Mackie as Captain America, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner / The Hulk, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Teyonah Parris as Monica Rambeau, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Oscar Isaac as Moon Knight, and more. Episode 2 titled “What If… Agatha Went To Hollywood?” premieres on Disney+ on December 23rd at 12AM PT / 3AM ET.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed the article consider checking out our Marvel section and our news section.