Editor’s note: The following contains spoilers for Marvel’s What If…? Episode 3
WhileAvengers: Endgamebrought an end to the Avengers as we know them, the new Marvel Studios Disney+ seriesWhat If…?revisited the OG lineup in its third episode this week. The animated show takes place in the multiverse and findsJeffrey Wright’s The Watcher pondering different scenarios in different universes where small changes have major ripple effects – like what happens when Peggy Carter takes the super soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers, or if Yondu picks up T’Challa instead of Peter Quill?
Episode 3 deviates from this formula a bit in that it’s not revisiting a specific MCU movie like the previous two episodes (Captain America: The First AvengerandGuardians of the Galaxy, respectively). Instead, Episode 3 — which is titled “What If… The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?” — is a bit of a murder mystery as it takes place around the time ofIron Man 2and finds the Avengers lineup being killed off one-by-one. It starts with Tony Stark, then Thor, then Hawkeye, and eventually nearly the entire Avengers lineup is dead and Black Widow is trying to piece together who, specifically, is behind this.
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The episode provides a great opportunity for some iconic MCU characters to return, but not every MCU actor reprised their role. First up in theWhat Ifvoice cast, let’s take a look at who came back for the animated series:
Nick Fury –Samuel L. Jackson
Hank Pym / Yellow Jacket –Michael Douglas
Agent Coulson –Clark Gregg
Brock Rumlow –Frank Grillo
Clint Barton / Hawkeye –Jeremy Renner
Bruce Banner / Hulk –Mark Ruffalo
Loki –Tom Hiddleston
Lady Sif –Jamie Alexander
As you may see there’s a bit of a trend to who came back – the majority of these actors also appear in live-action Marvel Disney+ shows. Jackson returns as Nick Fury in the upcomingSecret Invasion, Renner stars inHawkeye, Ruffalo is back inShe-Hulk, and of course Hiddleston and Alexander were inLoki. There are still a couple, however, that made special exceptions, although contractually Douglas re-upped forAnt-Man 3so one imagines Marvel could have madeWhat Ifpart of that contract renewal.
As for who didn’t come back, here are the characters who have different voice actors:
Black Widow –Lake Bell
Tony Stark / Iron Man –Mick Wingert
Betty Ross –Stephanie Panisello
General Ross –Mike McGill
Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel –Alexandra Daniels
It makes sense thatRobert Downey Jr.isn’t back given that his Marvel contract ended withAvengers: Endgame, and ditto Scarlett Johansson andBlack Widow. Plus,Liv Tylerhasn’t played Betty Ross since 2008’sThe Incredible Hulkso her absence isn’t shocking. But it’s interesting thatBrie Larsonisn’t back as Captain Marvel despite reprising the role in the live-action sequelThe Marvels. She’s not the only MCU actor to do this –Chris Prattwas also replaced inWhat If?Episode 2, but returns as Peter Quill inGuardians of the Galaxy 3and theGuardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. Of course,Dave Bautistawent public with the fact that he wasn’t even asked to reprise his role as Drax inWhat If?Episode 2, so we can’t fully assume that contracts are entirely to blame for these absences.
Regardless,What If?Episode 3 brings back a pretty robust lineup of familiar faces, and folks like Bell do an excellent job of filling a role previously played by someone else.
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