Current Events > I'm trying to like Marvel What If.... idk how I feel about it (SPOILERS)

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I'm only watching the ones that sound interesting to me post-release. I watched the zombies one because the "And Zombies" element of just throwing zombies into a franchise is fun to me. I watched the Killmonger saving Tony episode because it was finally a Tony-centric episode (until it wasn't). I watched the Party Thor one because it sounded like it had something to watch for related to the Ultron episode, and I watched the Ultron one just because it sounded cool. I'm considering watching the Strange episode too just because I like the groundhog day-esque plot to it. The rest either sound boring, or from what I hear sound stupid with how characters are portrayed.

Part of my issue is the transition from live-action to animation means characters feel way more powerful than they did in the movies. It's something that's bound to happen when you make a live-action adaptation, powers get subdued, but it still feels off just seeing Vision slice Thanos in half like it's nothing. It almost devalues Thanos and Infinity War/Endgame altogether just seeing Vision act like Thanos is a low-level grunt.

The Thor vs Captain Marvel fight almost felt like a parody. Speaking of parody, all these characters feel more like parodies than their actual selves. It's why I couldn't watch episode 2 because from what I hear, Thanos again, acts like a chump. Thanos looking like a chump is a pretty big issue a lot of these episodes have it feels now that I'm thinking about it. The Zombies episode was full of it not even feeling like these were actually the MCU characters anymore. Party Thor as an episode had some funny moments but also had a lot of "tazer face" level-humor in it that came across as a little cringe. The Infinity Gems themselves feel like they lost a lot of their characteristics and come across more like an upgrade to your power if you have them.

I guess my big issue is, this series is called What If because it's supposed to be a What If of the MCU, but in the end, these guys don't feel like the MCU characters. They feel like a different version of the heroes/side-characters/villains altogether. Just as the MCU is a different version of the 616 heroes, the What If heroes feel like they're different versions of the MCU heroes. I just can't see the MCU characters saying or doing some of the things they've done in this series. Plus, for all the complaints the movies get of being filled with quip humor, I feel this series turns it up to a point where even I'm a little put-off by it.

There's still 1-4 that I haven't watched. I don't know if I really care to see 1 as the premise isn't that interesting, and 2 feels a little goofy. Unfortunately, I already know the twist for 3 so I feel that might be ruined slightly, and I already said I'm considering watching 4.

Any of you guys feeling similar to me? Like, it's something you want to watch because it's premise sounds interesting but the execution just doesn't fully seem to be there for you?

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It's as you said, animated gets a buff like in star wars animated vader was super agile but in live action you couldn't convince me he could beat biden in a race. I enjoy it more when I think of it as a fun side thing, but even then it isn't all that

Blue_Popo posted...

It's as you said, animated gets a buff like in star wars animated vader was super agile but in live action you couldn't convince me he could beat biden in a race. I enjoy it more when I think of it as a fun side thing, but even then it isn't all that

Yeah... with Vader, I like to think maybe it's because he's younger in those depictions, but idk, I get what you're saying with inconsistencies. A part of it is that as Vader has aged, the rule of cool and power creep apply to him. You have to feel the fans that grew up watching him now want to make him as powerful as they thought he was as a kid and are in a position to do so. It's just something you have to accept when something gets that animated adaptation that suddenly these guys are 100x stronger than their live-action versions.

But your last point is just what gets me the most. It's one thing if it feels a little out of place or out-of-character, it's another thing if it doesn't feel all that good either. It's fun kinda, but it's also pretty meh, so it just makes me annoyed at the faults even more.

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