Disney Confirms When Marvel's What If...? Season 2 Will Premiere

Disney has finally confirmed a release window for Season 2 of the animated Marvel Cinematic Universe series "What If...?" stating it will be out by the end of the year. The 1st season was a visual treat for fans of animated superhero shows, drawing on comic book material previously unexplored in the MCU to imagine alternate universes of possibility for fan-favorite characters.

In a press release announcing its holiday lineup, Disney+ revealed that "What If...?" Season 2 will premiere "this holiday season" on the streaming service. The lack of an official date attached to the announcement suggests it will probably be released closer to late December.

While no specifics about the new batch of episodes have been released, the Season 2 synopsis reads in part, "The Watcher continues the journey as our guide through the vast multiverse, introducing brand-new and familiar faces throughout the Marvel Cinematic Universe." However, some rumored Season 2 episode titles have suggested storylines involving Gamora killing Thanos, the original Ant-Man fighting Red Guardian, and Yondu delivering Star-Lord to Ego.

Since its foray into streaming series began in 2021, the MCU has centered content around a holiday season release. That year, there was the Christmas-themed "Hawkeye," featuring Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) trying to make it home to his family before the holiday, with a final battle centered around the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. For last year's offerings in 2022, James Gunn served up "The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special," which featured the titular galactic misfits' comedic attempts to give Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) the gift of Christmas cheer.

This year, there's no holiday-specific MCU release, and "What If...?" Season 2 steps into the role of something the whole family can binge-watch after unwrapping presents. There had previously been rumblings that the new season would drop around the holiday season back when the Kathryn Hahn-starring Agatha Harkness spin-off got pushed back, so today's news simply confirms that Disney+ had its own calendar marked.