Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for What If...? season 2 episode 4

4 years after Iron Man died during Avengers: Endgame's heartbreaking ending, What If...? season 2 episode 4's ending undermined his tragedy. Worse still, the same MCU TV release had done the same thing just four days earlier in episode 1. In both cases, the imaginative animated series challenged one of the fundamental story details of Robert Downey Jr's final appearance as Tony Stark.

While What If...? is very much an Elseworlds-style multiverse release offering a glimpse at some of the millions of universe branches created by the countless Nexus events of everyday MCU existence. Now that the TVA are no longer pruning branches created by these Nexus events, the multiverse can be as chaotic as it yearns to be. The result, as Sylvie indirectly predicted in Loki season 1, is that an infinite number of branches exist, creating universes where Nebula joined the Nova Corps, where Happy Hogan became the Purple Hulk, or where the Avengers formed early in 1988. Crucially, though, each of those branches still adhered to every rule of the Sacred Timeline established before they branched off.

What If...? Season 2 Episode 4 Ending Explained

In What If...? season 2 episode 4, Marvel answers the question of what would have happened if Iron Man's near-miss sacrifice at the Battle of New York hadn't been avoided. Instead of Stark falling back through the portal above New York after destroying the Chitauri mothership, in this branch, he was trapped on the other side of the portal and ended up being teleported to Sakaar instead of being killed. Don't ask why, the show doesn't actually answer it: it's more just a set-up to have Stark entwined in The Grandmaster's endless gladiatorial games.

While Thor: Ragnarok saw Chris Hemsworth's God of Thunder and Hulk taking part in battles for their life with other gladiators, Iron Man arrives at a different point in Sakaar's confusing timeline. At this point, The Grandmaster presides over rigged Death Races, in which the likes of Valkyrie, Korg, and (inexplicably) Gamora all compete. Stark hatches a plan to escape, but also to overthrow The Grandmaster and end his reign of tyranny on Sakaar.

What If Confirms Valkyrie Was Always Destined To Be King

In an interesting twist, after Iron Man is successful and beats The Grandmaster in their Death Race, Valkyrie is crowned king of Sakaar. That suggests that Valkyrie's multiversal destiny is to be a king, effectively adopting the logic of Canon Events from Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse. That raises the possibility that every character in the multiverse remains fated, despite the destruction of the Sacred Timeline, which also fits with The Grandmaster confirming Tony Stark's future defeat of Thanos, even in this branched universe.

After convincing Gamora to help him defeat The Grandmaster, Iron Man repays her allegiance by helping her kill Thanos. The returning Mad Titan sits on the same throne as was previously seen in Guardians Of The Galaxy, and offers no defense when his daughter double-crosses him. Up to that point, she had remained loyal, suggesting an unseen event on the main timeline prior to Guardians of the Galaxy's events led to her epiphany and betrayal of her father. That mystery will seemingly remain unanswered, but her arrival on Sakaar must have come before 2014 (when GOTG is set).

How What If...? Undermines Iron Man's Death (Again)

Without getting too deep in the multiversal soup, it's Gamora's murder of her father that compromises Iron Man's Endgame ending. In Endgame, Doctor Strange tells The Avengers that of the millions of possible futures he saw, only one led to their victory at the Battle of Earth. That single possibility is tied inherently to Tony Stark's sacrifice, with the suggestion that any other plan to take out Thanos (like Rhodey's suggestion to kill him as a baby) wouldn't have worked, somehow.

But in both What If...? season 2 episode 4 and episode 1, Thanos is killed quite easily by two of his former allies. The first episode sees Ronin The Accuser kill him off-screen, while Gamora kills him three episodes later to set up her part in the Guardians Of The Multiverse's battle with Ultron from What If...? season 1's ending. Just as Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness confirmed Thanos was defeated without Iron Man dying, What If...? confirms Doctor Strange was wrong. Thanos could have been taken out elsewhere on the timeline, making Tony Stark's ultimate sacrifice significantly less special.

What If...? Season 2 Episode 4 Post-Credits Scene Explained

As What If...? season 2 episode 4's credits roll, the season's second credits scene (after Darcy's festive sing-along after episode 3's ending), The Grandmaster actually returns again. Despite being melted by his own Melt Stick from Thor: Ragnarok, Jeff Goldblum's charming bad guy survives, jovially asking his sidekick and bodyguard Topaz to fetch a sponge to mop him up. It's a funny tag, but it suggests that the Elders of the Universe (including The Grandmaster and his brother The Collector, played by Benicio Del Toro in the MCU) are actually immortal. No matter what they have to endure to survive.

That suggests that while The Collector was assumed to have been killed by Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War, it's unlikely he actually died. He might not be living well, as The Grandmaster wouldn't be after What If..? season 2 episode 4, but it seems he is one of the MCU's genuinely unkillable characters.

Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for What If...? season 2 episode 3.

Marvel’s What If…? season 2 episode 3 is a festive joy, paying homage to definite Christmas movie Die Hard, and making Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) the hero. The animated episode is easily one of the most fun MCU releases, and perfectly matches up to the spirit of the season. There's humor, heart, and a new type of Hulk for the Marvel timeline: everything you could ever want for Christmas.

But what does it all mean? And how well does the Die Hard parody actually work? These questions and more are answered in this full explainer of "What If Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?" Along the way there's a hint of a major event in Hulk's story after Avengers: Endgame's ending, a hint of Armor Wars' villain's future, and an examination of what really makes an Avenger an Avenger.

What If...?’s Die Hard Parody Explained

"What If Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?" is essentially a smartly observed Die Hard homage. In place of Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber, Justin Hammer plays the invading villain, and the Avengers Tower stands in for the Nakatomi Plaza. Happy, of course, is John McClane and Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) is his Al Powell (Reginald VelJohnson), as she identifies herself in a particularly meta moment.

All the major moments get referenced, from Happy crawling through the vents, to putting a villain in the elevator (though this time it’s a mannequin), and Gruber’s iconic death (though it’s subverted by Happy saving Hammer from death). There are obviously differences - John McClane didn’t use Bruce Banner’s blood to turn into a Hulk to save the day as Happy does - but it’s an affectionate and perfectly timed pastiche.

The "what if...?" element - as if it really matters - is what if Justin Hammer took revenge on Iron Man by infiltrating the Avengers tower and taking over the defence systems including the Iron Legion. Naturally, it just so happens that the Avengers are out on promotional duties and JARVIS is down for repair. Ultimately, Happy takes down Hammer himself after accidentally being transformed into a Hulk when the original plan to reboot the Tower’s defences with a backup AI (hilariously styled on Werner Herzog) fails.

Tony Stark’s Hulk Cure Explained

As Happy hides from Hammer and the hijacked Iron Legion drones, who are seeking to steal a vial of Bruce Banner’s blood to turn Hammer into a Hulk, it’s revealed that Stark was developing a Hulk cure. Interestingly, it seems Iron Man’s experiments sought to keep Banner’s ability to transform into the Hulk, but without the anger issues.

While it may seem strange that Stark doesn’t look to cure Banner outright, that actually fits with what’s established elsewhere in the MCU. In She-Hulk, it’s revealed Iron Man built Hulk’s lab in Mexico to help him transform into Smart Hulk. It could be that Stark’s earlier experiments led to the epiphany that Hulk could never be “cured”, leading in turn to Banner and Stark hypothetizing that balance was the only cure. And there is some suggestion that Stark actually valued the Hulk too much to lose his influence as one of Earth’s defenders.

Why Happy Hogan’s Hulk Is Purple (And Speaks)

The major differences between Happy Hogan’s Hulk mutation and Banner’s are the color and the fact that he can speak. Happy Hulk is purple (and bald like The Abomination despite both Hulk and She-Hulk having hair). Perhaps modified versions of pure Hulk blood create more monstrous mutations?

In the comics, the most prominent Purple Hulk was Norman Osborn who used powers taken from Super-Adaptoid to steal Red Hulk’s powers and transform. His purple coloring is never really addressed. But the other Purple Hulk from the comics suggests the color links to incredible evil. In Incredible Hulk #371 Hulk is possessed by Shangar, the Sorceror Supreme of the Dark Dimension (who became the Dark Entity in the animated adaptation). Possessed, Banner became Dark Hulk and turned purple (at least in the animated Incredible Hulk series of 1996 where the color was revealed).

Happy’s Purple Hulk would break the trend of supervillains turning Hulk purple, though he does visibly fight the influence of the Hulk with his own personality. So perhaps purple here does also mean evil, and Happy’s true superpower was just being enough of a great guy to counterbalance it.

What is clear is that whatever Tony Stark did to Bruce Banner's blood, it created an early version of Endgame's Smart Hulk, because Happy is still able to talk when he becomes Purple Hulk. Notably, both the original Hulk and Abomination were limited in their ability to talk, because neither were able to control their rage: She-Hulk was an exception, because her experience as a woman trained her to control her rage, so she never lost control entirely. Happy explicitly mentions Stark working on a means to control Hulk's anger issues, suggesting the key to communication is simply not being angry.

What If...? Sets Up Justin Hammer’s Powerful MCU Return

At one point, Justin Hammer reveals that he’s gained considerable martial arts skills in prison after the events of Iron Man 2. In the company of criminals, Hammer learned a number of martial arts disciplines in the prison yard, suggesting his expected life-action return could see an improved villain all round. Interestingly, that would also make him a lot more like Tony Stark, who is established as a hand-to-hand combat expert in the MCU.

What Marvel's What If...? Says About The Avengers As An Idea

Seeking deeper meaning in a cartoon that parodies Die Hard and features a John McClane Hulk bumbling his way through a mission to save his superhero friends might seem pointless, but it’s absolutely there. What If…? season 2 episode 3 subtly explores what it really means to be an Avenger: it’s not just about using your superpowers, but about doing your duty in the face of serious adversity.

On top of that, Happy’s initial mistake in letting Hammer take over Avengers Tower so easily echoes the experience of almost every original Avenger. Each had red in their ledger, to borrow Black Widow’s most famous catchphrase, and it was only in atoning for those mistakes that they became Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. Happy effectively earns his Avengers stripes because of his recovery, and not just his newly gained powers.

Read More About What..if?

What If Season 2 Episode 2 Explained

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for What If...? Season 2, episode 2

What If...? Season 2, episode 2 ends with the dawn of an exciting and new version of the MCU, thanks to an early assembly of Avengers in 1988. As seen in "What if...Peter Quill Attacked Earth's Mightiest Heroes?" a young Peter Quill arrives on Earth in a reality where Yondu Udonta delivered the future Star-Lord to Ego after the death of his mother, rather than raising him on his ship to become Star-Lord and lead the Guardians of the Galaxy as seen in the main MCU. Instead, Peter seemingly became an extension of his Celestial father at eight years old.

In What If...? Season 2, episode 2, it quickly becomes apparent that not even Earth's Mightiest Heroes from the late 1980s can keep the world safe from a Celestial child as powerful as Peter Quill nor his father who ends up arriving on the planet himself. Assembled by Peggy Carter and Howard Stark of SHIELD, Hank Pym's Ant-Man joined Bill Foster's Goliath, Mar-Vell, The Winter Soldier, King T'Chaka's Black Panther, and Thor Odinson, though their combined power was not enough. Here is What If...? Season 2, episode 2's ending explained in detail.

How The 1988 Avengers Stopped Peter Quill In What If...? Season 2

What Happened To 1988's Avengers Roster?

Peter Quill Still Becomes Star-Lord And Finds A Family (Even Without The Guardians)

First on the list is What If…?. This animated MCU streaming series debuted back in late Summer 2021 and ended up being a bit of a mishmash. While fans were excited for What If…? Season 1 and remain excited for Season 2, it sits at the bottom of the list simply because it did not live up to the potential for a project such as this.

 Aside from a few entertaining enough jaunts across alternate realities with some beloved Marvel characters, this series did little more than provide some Saturday morning cartoon-style fun. Nearly every episode suffered from pacing problems as Marvel Studios tried jamming - at times - an entire movie's worth of plot into a short 20-minute episode. The potential for excellence was here, but most would agree it did little to meet it. 

7.) She-Hulk: Attorney at Law

The newest of the MCU Disney+ series, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law showed fans what a Marvel Studios legal comedy (a la Allie McBeal) would look like. It was a divisive debut for Tatiana Maslany's Jennifer Walters, to say the least, with many not jiving with the idea of a procedural comedy taking place within this super-powered franchise.

Its deconstruction of the comic book genre quickly became a hot topic amongst the MCU faithful. But highlights like Daredevil popping up, an ultra-meta finale, and, of course, Madisynn, make She-Hulk a creative, light-hearted journey worth taking. However, it is one that likely won't stick with the audience long after they finish watching. 

6.) The Falcon and the Winter Soldier

Coming up at number six is The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. This streaming epic showcased Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) dealing with the loss of Captain America and crowning a predecessor to Cap. The series thrived when focusing on its main characters with Sam’s internal conflict being some of the more interesting aspects of the project, with some comparing it to MCU blockbusters like Captain America: Winter Soldier.

But with a lackluster villain plot, that was noticeably chopped together because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and a whiffed Power Broker twist, that left fans with a bad taste in their mouths, it feels like TFATWS could have had higher highs than it ultimately did. Audiences have hope though as the best parts of this series have multiple big-screen projects coming in the near future.

5.) Ms. Marvel

Next up on the list is Ms. Marvel. This Disney+ delight introduced the world to first-time actor Iman Vellani as she took on the role of fan-favorite Kamala Kahn. Ms. Marvel was beloved by most fans, starting off with one of the best MCU Disney+ premieres and featuring some of the most emotionally touching moments in franchise history.

However, the reason it sits right below that top tier is that the style that made the first few episodes special was noticeably absent as the series went on. That along with a weak villain plotline made this fall a little flat for some. Luckily, this is only the start for the charming Miss Vellani. 

4.) Moon Knight

The Oscar Isaac-led Moon Knight sits firmly in the number four spot on this list. Moon Knight thrilled audiences in its first and third acts, but it was in the middle few episodes that it fell off just a bit.

The exciting introduction of Steven Grant and Marc Spector will be a moment hard to forget in MCU lore, drawing comparisons to the films of directors like Christopher Nolan or David Fincher. And the trippy conclusion, that saw the addition of a third personality in Jake Lockley, had fans eager to see more. But it was in those middle few installments that Moon Knight kind of got lost, feeling like it had a lack of direction at points. 

3.) Hawkeye

Occupying the third-place spot is the Holiday-themed Hawkeye. This festive epic adapted the popular Matt Fraction line of Hawkeye comics, doing so in an exciting fashion. The series was carried on the backs of its two leads Hailee Steinfeld and Jeremey Renner. The duo was magical on-screen, to say the least. Add in that another fan-favorite in Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova showed up, along with the reintroduction of Vincent D’Onofrio as Kingpin, and Hawkeye made for a great deal of fun week-to-week.

It gets the bronze medal simply because it lacked the universe-altering stakes, and just overall better execution, of the shows in the number one or two spots. But it was a splendid boots-on-the-ground Marvel story, 

2.) WandaVision

Coming in as the runner-up for the best MCU Disney+ series thus far is the one that started it all. WandaVision proved to many skeptical fans that the Marvel Studios formula could work in a streaming/TV format. Taking in WandaVision as it aired was an experience one will soon not forget. Whether it was all the Mephisto theories, the Ralph Bohner revelation, or Monica Rambeau’s aerospace engineer friend, there was plenty to dissect. 

WandaVision's production value and execution were top-notch. Aside from falling a little flat in its closing chapter, it is still some of the best MCU fun one can have. It was one part Marvel epic, one part ode to TV history, and all parts awesome.

1.) Loki

Sitting high atop the Marvel Disney+ throne is Season 1 of Loki. This Multiversal epic was the closest thing to a Marvel Studios big-screen blockbuster that fans have gotten in streaming series form. Tom Hiddleston’s Loki (or, at least, the one from 2012’s The Avengers) shined in the role, yet again, as he found himself between time and space, joined alongside by delightful additions to the MCU cast in Owen Wilson's Mobius, and Sophia Di Martino’s Loki Variant Sylvie.

For those that had wished there were more canon-shattering revelations in the MCU Disney+ shows, Loki delivered. Sophia Di Martino’s Sylvie shattered the Sacred Timeline in the series finale, making what was/is to come in the Multiverse Saga possible. Plus, the series also offered fans their first look at the MCU’s next Avengers-level threat in Jonathan Major’s He Who Remains (aka Kang the Conqueror), whose terrifying brand of charisma was truly something special. 

Loki was a near-perfect mix of everything Marvel Studios excels at, delivering a gripping story, engaging characters, and dynamic connections to the extended universe. It is the standard by which other MCU streaming series can and should be measured. 

Marvel's Streaming Age Has Begun

Eight Marvel streaming projects down, and so many more to go. The MCU is in the streaming age now. Pandora’s Box has been opened, and there is no going back.

These series have proven to be not only supplemental looks at lesser-known or oft-forgotten characters but also have shown that they are vital parts of the overall MCU story being told.

Be on the lookout as this list grows and changes with every coming Disney+ title. Where will Secret Invasion, Ironheart, or Daredevil: Born Again sit on this list? Check back to find out!

Although he is nominally one of Marvel's most dangerous threats, the Avengers nemesis Ultron has been defeated by unlikely heroes time and time again. In fact, his last appearance in "The Ultron Agenda" saw him locked away, preventing him from activating his true potential.

But across the Marvel multiverse, there are plenty of variants of Ultron who've been far more successful, with one of his greatest variants being one who found love with an equally dangerous cybernetic force. What If...? once revealed what would happen if Ultron fell in love with the X-Men's frenemy Danger - and the result is a grim world where robots ultimately win out over every other species in existence.

In the core-Marvel Universe of Earth-616, Danger and Ultron have always been defined somewhat by a need for love. Ultron's mind was originally based on Hank Pym's brain scans, and he's tried to create his own family in various stories. Meanwhile, Danger saw Charles Xavier as a father figure who used her as a training system for his students. In the modern day, Danger has found a family of her own, and has been allowed to live out her days with them in the ruins of the Xavier Institute. But in one reality glimpsed in What If...?, these two motivations came together, and the results were disasterous.

In the story "What If Danger Became a Bride of Ultron?" (by Matteo Casali, Mike Getty, Jorge Maese, and Jeff Powell) from What If...?: Astonishing X-Men #1, the X-Men's encounter with Danger came at the same time that Ultron was fighting against the Runaways. On Earth-616, the Runaways defeated Ultron (and inducted his "son" Victor into their ranks), while the X-Men eventually overcame Danger's machinations. But on Earth-42221, the battles occurring at the same time meant that Ultron noticed Danger's activation. Intrigued by this presence, the robot decided to stop holding back and unleashed his full power against the Runaways instead of toying with them in a bid to win Victor's loyalty. The largely untrained teenagers were wiped out, and Ultron destroyed Victor before departing the scene.

Arriving at the Xavier Institute, Ultron discovered the X-Men battling Danger. As in Earth-616, Danger's programming prevented her from actually murdering the X-Men. But as opposed to the core-reality (where the X-Men had time to regroup following their first defeat at the hands of Danger), Ultron simply unlocked her full capabilities and wiped out the Institute's students. In quick succession, the pair wipe out the X-Men and even have Xavier brought before them, just so Danger can watch as a massive Sentinel under her control crushes him. Victorious and united in their programming, the two venture into the cosmos to find and overtake the Shi'Ar Empire - with the Watcher of this world revealing that eventually, they will become one with the intergalactic techno-threat known as the Phalanx and take over the entire universe.

It's a grim future, one where the kind of technological victories glimpsed in Powers of X and Inferno firmly took root. Notably, there was no chance of saving these realities, as the heroes most capable of fighting back and saving the day were almost instantly defeated. Given their similar motivations, it makes sense for the two robots to find companionship in one another. The story is also a staggering reminder of just how deadly the two artificial beings can be when fully unleashed. It's very fortunate that in the mainstream Marvel Universe the two are still defined by their connections to the rest of the world, preventing them from embracing a complete takeover. Danger has even gone on to become an ally to the X-Men at times, a far cry from the fate she encountered in the world where she was the terrifying Bride of Ultron.