What If…? Season 3: Marvel’s most mind-bending “What Ifs” yet

Marvel fans, prepare yourselves: the third and final season of What If…? is set to launch on December 22, wrapping up with eight episodes that promise the most jaw-dropping alternate universes yet. In true What If…? fashion, the trailer teases a reality-bending line-up that could only come from Marvel's wildest multiverse visions. This time around, we’re meeting Storm as the Goddess of Thunder, a towering, Gundam-sized Captain America, and even a cowboy-inspired Shang-Chi. Marvel’s multiverse just got even weirder, and we’re all here for it.

Season 3’s final stretch has Marvel Studios’ streaming head Brad Winderbaum calling it the “completion of a trilogy,” which signals big things for Uatu, the ever-watchful narrator of these fractured realities. Winderbaum hints that this season will push boundaries far beyond anything we’ve seen, not just in terms of spectacle but in deeper, more moving arcs for the Watcher and the characters he’s witnessed reshaped by their “What If…?” scenarios.

Fans have followed What If…? since 2021, and as it reaches its conclusion, there’s a wave of nostalgia in the air. The series has been a love letter to Marvel's "what could have been" moments, echoing the unpredictable plots of old comics that would give us fresh perspectives on familiar faces. It’s an anthology that dared to break formula and ask fans to imagine the unimaginable—a throwback to those wild “What If…” comics of the '70s and '80s, yet updated for the MCU’s modern and massive storytelling fashion, each twist reminding us that Marvel heroes are not one-dimensional; they’re shaped by circumstances as much as character.

This season, written by fan-favorite Matthew Chauncey with Ryan Little and What If…? vet A.C. Bradley, pulls out all the stops with unexpected appearances, including the return of Sam Wilson as Captain America, Bucky Barnes, Hulk, Red Guardian, and even Agatha Harkness, reminding us that Marvel’s multiverse is truly limitless. Fans can expect new explorations that test the essence of these characters, and who doesn’t want to see the Winter Soldier and a Gundam-sized Cap in the same scene?

And while it’s the end of this anthology, What If…? is likely to leave a lasting impact on us. It tapped into the core of why we love comics—the freedom to imagine and reimagine heroes, to test them in the strangest and sometimes darkest of ways, and to see what remains of their true nature. As the series reaches its 'trilogy' conclusion, Season 3 is set to cement What If…? as both a bold storytelling experiment and a cornerstone in exploring how far Marvel can push its own envelope.

And as we bid farewell to What If…?, there's a bittersweet feeling that comes with the end of an era. Like closing the final pages of a well-loved comic book, it’s a reminder that even our favorite stories eventually find their conclusion. Yet, in true Marvel fashion, an ending is never really the end. The legacy of What If…? promises that new adventures are always waiting in the wings, inviting us to dream bigger and imagine bolder. It’s a comforting thought that the Marvel multiverse, with all its alternate realities, still holds countless surprises just around the corner.

One character fans are especially thrilled to see again is Agatha Harkness, the MCU’s delightfully wicked witch. What If…? offers the chance to revisit Agatha in a whole new light—this time, in a multiverse twist that could reveal even deeper layers to her mystical prowess. Marvel fans and Culturess readers alike will remember our fascination with Agatha’s cunning and charisma, as she stole scenes in WandaVision and quickly became a fan-favorite. Her return here after Agatha All Along feels like a nod to her lasting impact and Marvel’s willingness to celebrate the unconventional characters that make this universe so rich. For those who’ve kept up with her journey, this season could offer some of her most unpredictable moments yet.

So, get ready to close out What If…? with a bang—and perhaps a few multiverse-shattering surprises. With directors Bryan Andrews and Stephan Franck at the helm and executive producers Kevin Feige and Brad Winderbaum steering this ambitious series, we can expect nothing less than an epic farewell to one of the MCU’s most imaginative spin-offs. It’s the end of an era, and in the Marvel multiverse, that means just one thing: endless possibilities.