‘What If…?’ Season Finale Recap: Is [Spoiler] Alive?

Everything in What If…? Season 1 has led to this moment in the finale, where The Watcher breaks his oath and interferes with the multiverse. What started as a fun television show from Marvel Studios turned into a shocking, connected story in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Fans believed that What If…? would be an anthology that featured their favorite characters in different scenarios. But by the finale, it was clear that the What If…? writers had a greater plan for the show. The characters we met in the different episodes, like Captain Carter and Star-Lord T’Challa, showed up in the season 1 finale to help The Watcher save the day.

[Spoiler alert: This article contains spoilers from What If…? Episode 9, “What If… The Watcher Broke His Oath?”]

What happened in episode 8?

What If…? Episode 8, “What If… Ultron Won?,” set up the finale by showing how Ultron Vision came to be. In this alternate universe, Ultron successfully uploaded his conscience into Vision’s body. After that, he was unstoppable. He destroyed almost all of civilian life on Earth. Then, Thanos arrived with five of the Infinity Stones. He wanted the Mind Stone, but Ultron Vision split him in half before he could take it from him.

Ultron Vision gained possession of all six Infinity Stones, which allowed him to become aware of other civilizations in the universe. He destroyed every living piece of the universe that he could get his hands on, but that still wasn’t enough for him. Ultron Vision eventually reached god-like status. This abled him to hear The Watcher and feel his presence. That was when Ultron Vision discovered the multiverse. Of course, he then aimed to wipe out all civilian life in the multiverse.

Ultron Vision and The Watcher fought, but The Watcher was forced to flee. Meanwhile, the last surviving Avengers, Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton, uploaded Armin Zola’s intelligence into an Ultron droid to oppose Ultron Vision. Clint, unfortunately, died in the process. But their mission would become very important in the What If…? finale. In the final scene, The Watcher recruited Strange Supreme to help him.

The Watcher breaks his oath in the ‘What If…?’ Season 1 finale

The What If…? Season 1 finale, “What If… The Watcher Broke His Oath?,” began with The Watcher recruiting more heroes from across the multiverse to help him defeat Ultron Vision. These heroes include Captain Carter from episode 1, Star-Lord T’Challa from episode 2, King Killmonger from episode 6, Party Thor from episode 7, and a Gamora variant. The Watcher dubs this team as the “Guardians of the Multiverse.”

Together, the Guardians come up with a plan to take down Ultron Vision. They head to a dead planet where Party Thor uses his powers to alert Ultron Vision of their presence. When Ultron Vision comes, Strange Supreme casts a protection spell on all of the Guardians. Star-Lord T’Challa gets the Soul Stone from him, and the team goes to Ultron Vision’s home universe. Natasha Romanoff, from episode 8, shows up to help them in their fight. They manage to keep down Ultron Vision, and Gamora uses the Infinity Crusher from her planet to destroy all of the Infinity Stones.

But, of course, there’s a plot twist. The Infinity Crusher only works on the stones from her universe. So, Ultron Vision rises again. The villain is about to defeat the Guardians when Natasha, with Captain Carter’s help, hits Ultron Vision in the eye with an arrow that contains Armin Zola’s intelligence. Zola defeats Ultron Vision. King Killmonger then takes the Infinity Stones for himself. He and Zola fight, but Strange Supreme and The Watcher freeze the two in a pocket dimension.

The Guardians all return to their home universes, and Strange Supreme looks after the pocket dimension. The Watcher sends Natasha to the universe from episode 3. In a mid-credits scene in the What If…? Season 1 finale, Captain Carter discovers the Hydra Stomper armor aboard the Lemurian Star, and someone is inside. Could Steve Rogers be alive in Peggy’s universe? Is that why The Watcher didn’t want to send her back to the 1940s?

What’s in store for ‘What If…?’ Season 2?

Thankfully, Marvel and Disney+ renewed What If…? for a second season before the show even aired. And thanks to the What If…? Season 1 finale, we have some insight into what season 2 will look like. Many stories from season 1 can be and should be continued. For example, we have to learn who is in the Hydra Stomper. And, perhaps, we’ll see Natasha help the Avengers from the universe in episode 3 stop Loki.

Per Entertainment Weekly, head writer AC Bradley talked about what the writers have in store for What If…? season 2 after the season 1 finale. Bradley said season 2 episodes will “focus a lot more on the character stories and these heroes and showing a different side of them that people don’t expect and hopefully they can relate to.” If season 2 is anything like season 1, then fans have a lot to be excited about.

What If…? Season 2 might premiere as early as 2022.