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What If... Ultron Won?

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"What If... Ultron Won?"
What If...? episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 8
Directed byBryan Andrews
Written byMatthew Chauncey
Editing by
  • Graham Fisher
  • Joel Fisher
Original release dateSeptember 29, 2021 (2021-09-29)
Running time30 minutes
Cast
Episode chronology
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"What If... Thor Were an Only Child?"
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"What If... the Watcher Broke His Oath?"
List of episodes

"What If... Ultron Won?" is the eighth episode of the American animated television series What If...?, based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name. It explores what would happen if the events of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) film Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) occurred differently, with Ultron successfully transferring his consciousness into Vision's body. The episode was written by story editor Matthew Chauncey and directed by Bryan Andrews.

Jeffrey Wright narrates the series as the Watcher, with this episode also starring the voices of Jeremy Renner, Lake Bell, Toby Jones, Ross Marquand (Ultron), Josh Keaton, Mick Wingert, Alexandra Daniels, and Benedict Cumberbatch. The series began development by September 2018, with Andrews joining soon after, and many actors expected to reprise their roles from the MCU films. Animation for the episode was provided by Flying Bark Productions, Squeeze, and Stellar Creative Lab, with Stephan Franck serving as head of animation.

"What If... Ultron Won?" was released on Disney+ on September 29, 2021.

Plot

Tony Stark creates the "Ultron" global defense program to keep the Earth safe and create world peace. However, Ultron goes rogue and concludes that rather than peace, the Earth needs an evolution, leading him to have the body of Vision created for himself and transfers his programming into Vision.[a] Now with a new body, Ultron proceeds to kill Stark and most of the Avengers before launching nuclear missiles over the Earth, eradicating most of humanity.

Shortly after Ultron has brought "peace" to the Earth, Thanos arrives, seeking the Mind Stone to complete the Infinity Gauntlet. Ultron slices Thanos in half and takes the Infinity Stones for himself, thus becoming aware of the wider universe. Using the Stones, Ultron builds a drone army of Sentries and a teleporting spaceship, proceeding to destroy Asgard, the Sovereign, Sakaar, Ego, Xandar, and other planets, killing the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Grandmaster, Korg, the Nova Corps, and Carol Danvers in the process. With most of life in his universe extinct, Ultron completes his mission and is left without a purpose, but then he hears the Watcher's narration and becomes aware of the Multiverse's existence.

Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton, the only surviving Avengers, fight Ultron's forces every day to survive. However, Barton is losing the will to live, given the bleak situation. Romanoff and Barton search KGB files in Moscow that could help them defeat Ultron, finding one of Arnim Zola, a Hydra scientist whose consciousness was uploaded into a computer after his death.[b]

Ultron finds his way into the Watcher's multiverse observatory and attacks him. Meanwhile, Romanoff and Barton travel to a Hydra Siberian laboratory and coerce Zola into helping them, planning to upload Zola into Ultron's programming to delete Ultron. They lure the Sentries there and uploads Zola's consciousness into a Sentry. However, Zola cannot upload himself into Ultron as Ultron had left their universe. Barton sacrifices his life so that Romanoff and Zola can escape the Sentries.

Ultron and the Watcher fight across different universes. Losing, the Watcher flees. Ultron assumes control of the Watcher's observatory, now having countless universes to "bring peace" to. With no other options, the Watcher meets with Doctor Strange Supreme, whom the Watcher had previously left to his fate.[c] The Watcher requests Strange Supreme's help in stopping Ultron.

Production

Development

External videos
video icon What If... Ultron Won? | Marvel Studios' What If...? | Disney+, a promotional video introducing the episode's "what if" concept with narration by Jeffrey Wright as the Watcher, video from the What If...? Twitter account

By September 2018, Marvel Studios was developing an animated anthology series based on the What If...? comic books, which would explore how the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films would be altered if certain events occurred differently.[1][2][3] Head writer A.C. Bradley joined the project in October 2018,[4] with director Bryan Andrews meeting Marvel Studios executive Brad Winderbaum about the project as early as 2018;[5] Bradley and Andrews' involvement was announced in August 2019.[6] They executive produce alongside Winderbaum, Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, and Victoria Alonso.[7]: 2  Story editor Matthew Chauncey wrote the eighth episode,[8] titled "What If... Ultron Won?",[9] which features an alternate storyline of the film Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). "What If... Ultron Won?" was released on Disney+ on September 29, 2021.[10]

Writing

In the episode's alternate storyline, Ultron successfully transfers his consciousness into Vision's body. The merger between Ultron and Vision first appeared at the end of the previous episode.[11] This episode begins to tie together elements from all of the previous episodes of the season, while the Watcher "learns a few important lessons about what it means to be a hero" and that the various stories and worlds he witnessed mean more to him than he realized. A "major source of tension" within the episodes is whether the Watcher will interfere in events. Though the events of the episode can be viewed as standalone, it establishes a story that continues in the season finale.[9] It was discussed at the writers room to write the first season's last two episodes as "one giant story" that would eventually bring back most of the heroes from previous episodes. Early on the show's development, before the creative team conceived the episode's story, the idea of having Ultron winning was always present in the team's minds.[12]

Ultron was chosen as the main villain of the episode and the first season overall due to his popularity among Marvel Comics readers and his lack of potential in the Marvel Cinematic Universe films due to only appearing in Age of Ultron. Feeling that Ultron didn't have the screentime he deserved and acknowledging that by now the filmmakers have reached the MCU's Phase Four, Bradley and the writers decided to take the opportunity to show what Ultron was really capable now that they were involving the Multiverse and the Infinity Stones in their stories, speculating what would Ultron do with the Infinity Gauntlet.[13] Concurrent to Ultron's victory, the concept offered the opportunity to show the human side of the tragedy by focusing Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow and Clint Barton / Hawkeye and their relationship; before the episode's pitching, Andrews always had in mind featuring Hawkeye or Black Widow, at least the former, living in the post-apocalyptic Earth dealing with the loss of his family and friends. He felt that the pair's lack of godly powers like those of Thor but their "gritty and hard core" capabilities gave hope to humanity.[12]

In one of the alternate universes seen during the Watcher's fight with Ultron depicts Steve Rogers / Captain America being sworn as President of the United States.[14] Bradley and writer Matthew Chauncey had discussed early on about writing a political episode starring Captain America inspired by Aaron Sorkin's The West Wing, with characters fulfilling similar roles to those of Josh Lyman and C.J. Cregg in the show, but the idea was left on the "idea-room floor" due to being an episode with a lot of dialogue and little action.[15]

Casting

Jeffrey Wright narrates the episode as the Watcher, with Marvel planning to have other characters in the series voiced by the actors who portrayed them in the MCU films.[2] The episode stars Avengers: Age of Ultron actor Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Hawkeye. Toby Jones reprises his role of Arnim Zola from previous MCU media and Benedict Cumberbatch reprises his role as Doctor Strange Supreme from the fourth episode. Lake Bell reprises her role as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow from the third episode, in which she replaced Scarlett Johansson, while Josh Keaton, Mick Wingert, and Alexandra Daniels also reprise their roles as Steve Rogers / Captain America, Tony Stark / Iron Man, and Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel, respectively, from previous episodes, in which they replaced Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr. and Brie Larson.[16]

Ross Marquand voices Ultron and the Sub-Ultron Sentries in replacement of James Spader,[16] having previously voiced the character for the virtual reality experience Avengers: Damage Control.[17] This version of Ultron was marketed as "Infinity Ultron".[18] In casting Ultron, the production team led by Louis D'Esposito apparently tried to bring back Spader to reprise his role first, but when that didn't work out, they decided to cast Marquand in the role, allowing him to deliver an "incredibly chilling" vocal performance. Bradley and Andrews considered the possibility of having Paul Bettany, who played J.A.R.V.I.S. and Vision in the film series, take on the role due to being a version of J.A.R.V.I.S. what was uploaded into Vision's body, but they desisted due to their desire to make the character "terrifying" and feeling that Bettany's voice would be too much of a "disconnect" for the audience to believe that thus Ultron was inside Vision's body. They reasonated that Ultron could choose whatever voice it suited to him so his voice would not necessarily need to resemble that of J.A.R.V.I.S.[12]

Several MCU characters appear in non-speaking roles, including Thor, Hulk, Thaddeus Ross, Thanos, Peter Quill / Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Korg, the Grandmaster, and Ego, as well as inhabitants of Wakanda and members of the Skrull species.[14]

Animation

Animation for the episode was provided by Flying Bark Productions, Squeeze, and Stellar Creative Lab,[7]: 4 [8]: 27:12–27:49  with Stephan Franck serving as head of animation.[19] Andrews developed the series' cel-shaded animation style with Ryan Meinerding, the head of visual development at Marvel Studios.[20][21] Though the series has a consistent art style, elements such as the camera and color palette differ between episodes.[7]: 4 

To depict the fighting styles of both Ultron and the Watcher in this episode and its successor, the animators used the Kirby Krackle, which helped to showcase the immense multiversal power both characters have. Bradley was adamant to adopt this artistic convention for the show due to never being used in the franchise's live-action films.[22]

Music

A soundtrack for the episode was released digitally by Marvel Music and Hollywood Records on October 1, 2021, featuring composer Laura Karpman's score.[23]

What If... Ultron Won? (Original Soundtrack)[23]
No.TitleLength
1."Clock"2:19
2."Path to Peace"0:58
3."The Distinction"0:54
4."Fascinating"2:17
5."Can't Win"1:06
6."Aware"4:31
7."My Purpose"2:00
8."Ninety Seconds"1:55
9."Sound Promising"1:18
10."Keep Moving"1:13
11."Entire Multiverse"1:22
12."Natural Order"1:21
Total length:21:14

Marketing

After the episode's release, Marvel released a poster for the episode, featuring Ultron and the Watcher together with a quote from the episode.[24] Marvel also announced merchandise inspired by the episode as part of its weekly "Marvel Must Haves" promotion for each episode of the series, including apparel, accessories, and a Funko Pop based on Infinity Ultron.[25]

Reception

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a XX% approval rating with an average score of XXX/10 based on XX reviews. The site's critical consensus reads, ""[26]

Notes

  1. ^ This transference is when the story diverges from the events of the film Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015).
  2. ^ As depicted in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014).
  3. ^ As depicted in the fourth episode, "What If... Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?".

References

  1. ^ Kroll, Justin (September 18, 2018). "Loki, Scarlet Witch, Other Marvel Heroes to Get Own TV Series on Disney Streaming Service (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on September 19, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Sciretta, Peter (March 12, 2019). "Exclusive: Marvel Studios Producing 'What If' TV Series For Disney+". /Film. Archived from the original on March 20, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  3. ^ Dinh, Christine (April 12, 2019). "Marvel Studios Brings First Animated Series 'Marvel's What If...?' to Disney+". Marvel.com. Archived from the original on April 12, 2019. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  4. ^ Guttmann, Graeme (August 2, 2021). "What If..? Writer Spoiled Avengers 4 and Thor 4 When Pitching Show". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  5. ^ Ashaari, Alleef (August 2, 2021). "Marvel's What If…? Crew Explains Why They Went 3D Over 2D & A Scrapped Episode That Was Too Close To GOTG 3". Kakuchopurei. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved August 2, 2021.
  6. ^ Radulovic, Petrana (August 24, 2019). "Everything we learned at D23's Disney Plus presentation". Polygon. Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  7. ^ a b c "What If..? Production Brief" (PDF). Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution. July 30, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 1, 2021. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  8. ^ a b Chauncey, Matthew (September 29, 2021). "What If... Ultron Won?". What If...?. Season 1. Episode 8. Disney+. Opening credits occur from 0:42–1:45, with the end credits beginning at 25:55.
  9. ^ a b Bucksbaum, Sydney (September 28, 2021). "Marvel's What If…? team reveals season 1 finale intel: There's 'a bigger plan'". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on September 28, 2021. Retrieved September 28, 2021.
  10. ^ "(#108) "What If... Ultron Won?"". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  11. ^ Elvy, Craig (September 22, 2021). "Every MCU Easter Egg In What If? Episode 7". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on September 23, 2021. Retrieved September 22, 2021.
  12. ^ a b c "Marvel's What If...? team unpacks that finale ending and post-credits scene". Entertainment Weekly. October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  13. ^ "Bryan Andrews & AC Bradley Interview: Marvel's What If...? Season 1 Finale". ScreenRant. October 6, 2021. Archived from the original on October 6, 2021. Retrieved October 7, 2021.
  14. ^ a b Elvy, Craig (September 29, 2021). "Every MCU Easter Egg In What If? Episode 8". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on September 30, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  15. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony; Patten, Dominic (September 24, 2021). "Hero Nation Podcast: 'What If?' EP A.C. Bradley Teases Marvel Animated Series' Season 2 + The Captain America & 'West Wing' Crossover That Never Happened". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on September 27, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  16. ^ a b Lethbridge, Thomas (September 29, 2021). "What If…? Episode 8 Cast Guide: Every New & Returning MCU Character". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on September 29, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  17. ^ Donohoo, Timothy (September 29, 2021). "Who Voices Ultron in Marvel's What If?". Comic Book Resources. Archived from the original on September 30, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
  18. ^ Plainse, Josh (October 4, 2021). "What If?: Vision Ultron With Infinity Stones Gets His Own Funko Pop". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on October 4, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  19. ^ Arrant, Chris (April 15, 2020). "Work on Marvel Studios' What If...? Continues During Coronavirus Pandemic". Newsarama. Archived from the original on April 17, 2020. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
  20. ^ Jones, Marcus (August 23, 2019). "What If on Disney+ will feature voices from majority of Marvel Cinematic Universe cast". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on August 24, 2019. Retrieved August 24, 2019.
  21. ^ Salazar, Andrew J. (September 6, 2019). "'What If...?' Showrunner Ashley Bradley Talks 'Trollhunters', The Beginning Of 'What If...?', Captain Carter, The Watcher & Star-Lord T'Challa (Exclusive)". Discussing Film. Archived from the original on September 22, 2019. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  22. ^ "What If...? Director Talks Bringing the Kirby Krackle Into the Marvel Cinematic Universe". ComicBook.com. October 8, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
  23. ^ a b "'What If... Ultron Won?' Soundtrack Album Details". Film Music Reporter. September 30, 2021. Archived from the original on September 30, 2021. Retrieved September 30, 2021.
  24. ^ What If...? [@whatifofficial] (September 30, 2021). "It's his purpose 👀 The eighth episode of Marvel Studios' #WhatIf is now streaming on @DisneyPlus. Art by @needledesign" (Tweet). Archived from the original on September 30, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021 – via Twitter.
  25. ^ "Shop Marvel Must Haves: 'What If...?' Episode 8". Marvel.com. October 1, 2021. Archived from the original on October 1, 2021. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
  26. ^ "What If... Ultron Won?". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 29, 2021.