Marvel reveals ‘What If…?’ Season 2 details & first look, confirms Season 3 at SDCC

Live action might score a lot of the headlines, but don't sleep on Marvel Studios' animated side — as the studio used San Diego Comic-Con as a chance to show off Season 2 of hit MCU series What If…? and confirm a third season is already in the works.

The big news from Marvel’s animation panel today (attended by SYFY WIRE) is that Marvel has already renewed What If…?, the animated series that gave us our first deep dive into the MCU’s multiverse, for a third season before we’ve even gotten a chance to check out Season 2. The studio showed off a first look trailer for Season 2, which revealed the return of fan favorite characters like Captain Marvel and Black Widow, and featured everything from swashbuckling adventures to a Mad Max-style battle of vehicular carnage loaded with fan favorite and deep cut characters.

Season 2 is in production now, but is not expected to debut on Disney+ until 2023. However, fans in attendance had a chance to see a finished episode from Season 2, which picked up the story of Captain Carter and Black Widow as they once again cross paths with Steve Rogers and the Hydra Stomper. The episode was a wild ride, blending everything from nods to Black Widow and The Winter Soldier with some freaky 1950’s aesthetics.

No word on when we’ll see Season 3 or what it might feature, but with Season 2 slated for next year, it stands to reason 2024 could make sense, considering the pacing. 

Animator Ryan Meinerding, who’s design work has helped shape the look and feel of the MCU, said he remains as excited as ever to keep playing in such an expansive sandbox, noting animation was the only way — and right way — to tell these kinds of stories.

“It's not that much different [from live action]. We meet with filmmakers early on, and see what the tone of the show is going to be, then researching from the comics the most iconic things to really draw from,” he said. “[Marvel head honcho] Kevin Feige was always talking about doing a What If show, and animation was the logical approach. Then as we made the first season of What If we realized we wanted to make more. It means a lot to be able to expand the Marvel Cinematic Universe into new areas.”

Considering fan favorite animated What If...? hero (or at least a version of her, this is a multiverse after all) Captain Carter made the jump to live action in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, series producer Bryan Andrews was asked about what it was like to see the character in live action. That part was great, though he wanted to clarify their version of Captain Carter would’ve likely fared a bit better against the Scarlet Witch.

“Hayley Atwell's amazing, we love that she's been able to come back to our show, and she loves the character,” he said. “It’s also fun to point out that's not our Captain Carter. Our Captain Carter would not have gone out. She'd have kicked Wanda's ass [laughs].”

Click here for SYFY WIRE’s full coverage of San Diego Comic-Con 2022.

Looking for more superhero action in the meantime? Peacock is streaming Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever and Batman & Robin right now.