Another Wednesday has come and gone, which means another episode of What If…?, the first animated series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, has been released on Disney Plus. And as with all the previous episodes, this week’s release explores another shockingly different timeline in the infinite possibilities of the multiverse.
Episode 4 of What If…?, titled “What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?”, serves as a notable departure from the past two episodes in some respects. While Episodes 2 and 3 both combined elements of multiple MCU films to create a completely new story, Episode 4 scales things back to focus on the story of a single Marvel hero — namely, Dr. Stephen Strange. But despite being a more character-driven story than past installments, this episode nevertheless proves to be just as ambitious as its predecessors.
RELATED: What If…? Episode 4 Review
The episode, as the name implies, depicts a timeline where the origin story of Doctor Strange (portrayed once more by Benedict Cumberbatch) was driven not by damage to his hands, but by the death of Dr. Christine Palmer (Rachel MacAdams, reprising her role from Doctor Strange). While this universe’s Doctor Strange goes on to save reality from Dormammu and become the Sorcerer Supreme as usual, he still finds himself struggling with grief afterward. Before long, Strange uses the Time Stone in the Eye of Agamotto to go back in time to save Christine’s life.
However, Doctor Strange soon finds that saving Christine is seemingly impossible. He rewinds that fateful night time and time again, only to watch the woman he loves die horribly every time. The spirit of the Ancient One (played yet again by Tilda Swinton) appears before Strange, warning him that trying to change history further will only make things worse. But Strange, lost in the depths of his despair, refuses to listen. He strikes out on his own to gain further power, absorbing the souls of countless magical entities until he attains the power to reshape reality itself. But in the process, Doctor Strange forsakes his humanity — he lost his heart not just because he failed to save the woman he loves, but because he became consumed by his own lust for power in the process.
Before long, reality itself begins to decay as the corrupted Stephen, dubbed “Doctor Strange Supreme” by supplementary materials, unravels time and space to free Christine from her tragic fate. Strange Supreme soon finds himself locked in battle with a variant of himself from another timeline created by the Ancient One, but emerges victorious. Strange Supreme distorts into a demonic form as he finally liberates Christine, only for her to react with horror to the monster he’s become. Then, reality finally collapses around Strange Supreme, and despite his attempt to hold back the end of everything, the universe is destroyed with Christine along with it, leaving Stephen to spend eternity alone in a prison of his own making.
Needless to say, Episode 4 of What If…? is a truly bleak tale that illustrates how the road to Hell is often paved with good intentions. Last week’s episode already dealt with some dark subject matter, depicting the vicious serial murder of the Avengers — sometimes in incredibly disturbing ways — at the hands of a vengeful Hank Pym. This episode also explores the evil that good men can commit when their hearts are clouded by grief, but this time with even more disastrous consequences. Watching the Avengers die is bad enough, but this episode ends with the death of an entire universe, save for Strange Supreme.
But cosmic horror isn’t the only kind of darkness this episode has to offer. First and foremost, it’s a deeply personal examination of how someone — even a superhero — can be broken by the mental and emotional impact of trauma. This is beginning to become a recurring theme for Phase 4 of the MCU, with Scarlet Witch, Bucky, Loki, and Black Widow all struggling to overcome trauma of their own in their recent adventures. But while the rest of Phase 4 depicts heroes overcoming their trauma, What If…? instead opts to show what happens when a hero succumbs to the grief brought on by loss.
The MCU has never been afraid to go to dark places with its films, but it’s always done so by keeping the seriousness balanced out with comedy. Avengers: Infinity War ends with half of all life being destroyed, but it features plenty of wisecracks beforehand to soften the blow. As such, some Marvel fans have expressed fear that grittier characters like Moon Knight and Blade won’t be done justice when they eventually enter the MCU. However, Episode 4 of What If…? proves that when necessary, the MCU is perfectly capable of easing off on comedy and exploring darker stories in unflinching detail.
Once again, What If…? shows that its greatest strength is its ability to tell any story imaginable within the Marvel multiverse. It can be a lighthearted space opera in one episode, a thrilling murder mystery in another, and a grim examination of grief in the next. The MCU truly has become a setting filled with endless possibilities, especially now that the multiverse is here to be explored. Time will only tell what kind of stories What If…? will tackle in the rest of the season.
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