We present to you the episode-by-episode review of season 2 of What If…?: here is the review of episode 4
ORIGINAL TITLE: What If…?. TYPE: animation. NATION: United States. REGIA: A.C. Bradley. CAST: Jeffrey Wright, Karen Gillan, Jude Law, Michael Rooker, Seth Green, Taika Waititi, Michael Douglas, Hayley Atwell, John Slattery, Kurt Russell, Chris Hemsworth, Laurence Fishburne, Sebastian Stan, Atandwa Kani, Jon Favreau, Cate Blanchett, Clancy Brown, Josh Brolin, Benedict Cumberbatch, Idris Elba, Frank Grillo, Jeff Goldblum, Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Elizabeth Olsen, Jeremy Renner, Sam Rockwell, Paul Rudd, Mark Ruffalo, Cobie Smulders, Tessa Thompson, Stanley Tucci, Rachel Weisz. DURATION: 20 minutes per episode. DISTRIBUTOR: Disney+. EXIT: from 22 December 2023.
At the end of the Battle of New York, Tony Stark manages to divert the nuclear missile towards the Chitauri mothership, but he doesn’t have time to fall back into the interdimensional portal to return to Earth. Having survived a period of loss in space, he is recovered and transported to the planet Sakaar, where he is hosted by the Grand Master (Jeff Goldblum) and witnesses the bloody games organized by him. He would like to return to Earth as soon as possible, but realizes that he cannot do so if he does not first remove the ruler of that planet, whose population is now tired of the oppressive regime that he lives in.
Tony Stark, fulcrum of change | Review What If…? 2 episode 4
In this series, as in the first, alternative futures are proposed for the most (or least) beloved characters of the Marvel cinematic universe. In the fourth episode of the second season the protagonist is Tony Stark, who, well before saving the entire universe in Avengers: Endgame, becomes a hero not only on Earth but also in space, challenging the Grand Master at his own game. Let us remember that the reason why the Grand Master is called such is precisely his skill in the games, which he studied for millennia and in numerous different worlds. The gimmick of the race, however, is not the central element of the plot, which is rather structured around what would have happened if a young Iron Man, just after sacrificing himself to save the Earth, had found himself in a new world, and above all with new people, to save.
The perspective is interesting, because in this episode not only is there action, but also the analysis of what is in many ways an atypical source of inspiration, like the now completely redeemed Tony Stark but with a stormy soul to say the least , can influence other people, and in particular two women whose role was central in last season’s What If…? and it could be central to this: Gamora and Valkyrie.
Intertwining between past and present | Review What If…? 2 episode 4
The episode resumes the most complex plot that binds the series in its entirety and is intertwined with season 1: Gamora is indeed one of the Guardians of the multiverse, but what is her past? This episode explains to us that, as with many heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, her transformation is due to her meeting with Iron Man, who in an ever unconventional way manages to be a source of inspiration for everyone with a very simple camping motto: leave the place better than you found it. In this episode the events substantially follow those of Thor: Ragnarok: Valkyrie, however, in this case finds a motivation to become a heroine not in Thor, but in Tony Stark.
In essence, the episode is largely positive. Perhaps the graphic animation takes a small step back compared to its predecessors, not so much because it lacks quality, but rather because he would like to do too much between explosions, chases and wild action scenes. On the other hand, Tony Stark steals the show even as an animated character, leaving behind a better Sakaar and a Definitely an excellent episode and with probable repercussions on the plot of the season.
Points in favor
- The heroism of Tony Stark, central to every reality
- The connection with the previous season
Points against
- Graphics perhaps subdued compared to previous episodes
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