Marvel’s What If…? Season 3, Episode 2 takes a bold leap into Hollywood’s golden age, reimagining the MCU with a retro twist – featuring Kathryn Hahn’s Agatha Harkness and Kumail Nanjiani’s Kingo as unlikely allies.
The episode combines the glamour of old-school filmmaking with Marvel’s cosmic stakes. With Howard Stark directing the duo in a movie that’s far more than it seems, the story delivers an alternate reality filled with magic, betrayal, and a surprising love for the silver screen.
WHAT IF… THE TRAILERS AND TITLES WERE GOOD?
I really think Disney and Marvel have been massively underselling this show. I don’t know if it’s down to the outright awful and vague episode titles, but both today’s episode and yesterday’s – I’ve found myself going in with little-to-no expectations, because of the various trailers I’ve watched and the misleading episode titles, which has caused a certain level of shock when these episodes are going in directions I never expected.
Sure, I knew Agatha was involved, so some sufficient level of magic was going to be present. I knew of the Hollywood setting, that was fine. But I never really pieced together that Kingo’s role in the episode, combined with Agatha’s power-hungry persona would entail the episode we received… a huge, cosmic quest for power, which I found myself really enjoying..
WELCOME TO HOLLYWOOD
Inspired by the golden age of Hollywood, the latest episode of What If…? is full to the brim of nostalgic elements – the inclusion of old Hollywood parties, huge sets, Paramount Pictures-inspired golden gates and so much more.
The Bollywood dance number with Klingo at the forefront was a nice, small addition too. Really helping to sell the aesthetic which the episode was going for. The various 1930’s black-and-white cut-ins for exposition? Chef’s kiss.
I really liked what the episode did for the characters of Howard Stark and Jarvis too. We know Stark has always been a showman and innovator, and thanks to his inspired counterpart Walt Disney – we see Stark as a new kind of storyteller, this time behind the camera.
WHAT IF… IT LOOKED EVEN BETTER?
While I can’t say I’m a fan of What If…?‘s animation style, which often feels flat and lacking the finesse of so many other animated series out there, I can’t help but appreciate the thought that’s gone into the visuals of Hollywoodland.
The grandeur of old Hollywood, with its golden gates, lavish parties, and sprawling studio lots, is captured with a clear love for the era’s aesthetic. It’s frustrating, though, to think how much more impactful this could have been with a richer, more polished animation style akin to something like Arcane, which manage to deliver both vibrancy and depth in every frame.
CLIFFHANGER?
Now, I don’t mean to be pedantic but one of the episodes biggest shocks comes in the form of a seemingly shocker of a cliffhanger following the episode’s “happy ending”. After defeating Arishem, Kingo warns Agatha of the impending arrival of the other Celestials, though I sort of feel that this is massively anti-climatic giving this show will have no future after next week.
Unless, this story is going to continue through later episodes past the anthology structure, then we’ll have to see. But I do wonder, if the Celestial/Cosmic beings will be the big bads of the show’s final season. First, we had Infinity Ultron in Season 1, Doctor Strange Supreme in Season 2, so I wouldn’t put it past Marvel to have the Celestials take on some villainous role.
There’s surely got to be something following this… right?! Unless Agatha’s “Just wait for the sequel” is some meta joke about the canned Eternals sequel.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I ended up preferring this episode to the premiere purely because of the ties to Hollywood, and the central chemistry between Agatha and Klingo throughout. I am hoping we get some continuation in the concluding episodes of the series, otherwise this will unfortunately end up being more pointless than it currently feels. However, I hope I’m wrong!
New episodes of What If…? arrive daily on Disney+ up until December 29. Check out the trailer below:
The Review
'What If... Agatha Went to Hollywood?'
I ended up preferring this episode to the premiere purely because of the ties to Hollywood, and the central chemistry between Agatha and Klingo throughout. I am hoping we get some continuation in the concluding episodes of the series, otherwise this will unfortunately end up being more pointless than it currently feels. However, I hope I'm wrong!