What If...? Season 2 Reveals Return Of Fan-Favorite Marvel Villain After 9 Years
On November 15, Marvel debuted a trailer for Season 2 of "What If...?," its animated anthology series that spans alternate realities throughout the multiverse. Simultaneously, a poster for the upcoming season circulated on social media, including a post to the official Disney+ account on X, formerly known as Twitter. It highlights the various stories and characters audiences can expect to see, including someone who hasn't been seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for a while.
Among the various figures on this poster is the likeness of what appears to be fan-favorite "Iron Man 2" villain Justin Hammer. It's impossible to confirm whether or not this bespectacled man in a suit and red tie is definitively Hammer, but given his resemblance to Sam Rockwell, who played Justin Hammer in "Iron Man 2," it's a safe assumption.
The last time Hammer was mentioned in a Marvel Cinematic Universe property was in an episode of "Secret Invasion." As far as actual screen time, however, his absence has spanned nine years in total. That prior 2014 appearance was in a short included on the Blu-ray release of "Thor: The Dark World," titled "All Hail the King." In it, Rockwell reprises the role.
Justin Hammer fans are looking forward to the character's return
While Justin Hammer may not be a top Marvel character in terms of popularity, he has his fair share of fans anticipating his return after a nine-year absence. For instance, a post by @master_crowley on the X platform celebrating Hammer's apparent inclusion on the "What If...?" Season 2 poster received more than 140 likes and comments from a few similarly excited Hammer-heads.
Meanwhile, a Marvel account with the handle @MarvelLeaksNews shared an enthusiastic post about Hammer's return and claimed he'll play a part in the upcoming live-action War Machine film, "Armor Wars," too. Also in the rumor department, @AlexFromCC on the X platform claimed that Sam Rockwell is returning to voice his MCU character for "What If...?" Season 2. Lacking an official source, this is still very much hearsay, but the tweet received more than 300 likes, suggesting a fair number of viewers are looking forward to this possibility.
"What If...?" Season 2 premieres on December 22. Its precise episode order has yet to be detailed, but new episodes will drop on Disney+ daily through December 30. This means MCU fans can enjoy Hammer's return over the holidays.