In Review: Marvel’s What If…? (S1 – EP3) What If… The World Lost it’s Mightiest Heroes

Synopsis: In What If… The World Lost its Mightiest Heroes. Nick Fury struggles to launch The Avengers Initiative. When its candidates are targeted by a mysterious serial killer.

The Story

This week’s episode sees Nick Fury along with Agent Coulson trying to kick off the Avengers Initiative. Unfortunately, for them, a mysterious killer is on the prowl and is looking to end The Initiative before it begins. When Earths Mightiest Heroes start dying. Nick Fury, Agent Coulson, and Black Widow are forced to investigate. But when Thor is killed. The team has a new problem in the form of Loki, who wishes to avenge his brother.

Now, Nick Fury and his team must race against time to find the killer so they can serve Loki his pound of flesh.

The Voice Acting

Samuel L. Jackson reprises his role of Nick Fury as the master architect behind The Avenger’s attempts to form the team. I’m so glad that Samuel L. Jackson was able to do these animations because I feel that we’d have been able to tell if it were a different actor because of Jackson’s very distinct voice. Likewise, I think it would have been a tough sell to cast anyone other than Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson. Especially when it comes to delivering fun and quippy comments about how great Thor’s hair looks. Lake Bell does a respectable Job with Black Widow and carries most of the action beats in the early half of the episode.

Overall. All the actors carry off their parts well.

Overall

As with previous weeks. It was a lot of fun to see a different take on an established origin story. I really enjoyed seeing the new take on the scene from Iron Man 2 where Nick Fury goes about recruiting Tony Stark. Although in this instance it did not end so well.

As to who the mysterious killer was. Well… there were only really so many people that could have been. I thought having Loki come into the story to avenge Thor’s death was funny because by this stage in the story. I was beginning to suspect that the killer was Loki. But when the killer’s identity was eventually revealed. I wasn’t all that surprised given the character’s history with S.H.I.E.L.D., which is touched upon in his movie.

Overall. Another fun episode with some great in-jokes.