What If...? Season 3 First Images Reveal A Marvel Character Season 2 Couldn't Use

Marvel fans can finally rest easy knowing they'll probably see Sam Wilson again before "Captain America: Brave New World" comes out on February 14, 2025. Marvel Studios just released a few still images from the upcoming "What If...?" Season 3, and Cap is there in full regalia, along with a couple of allies.

It looks like Captain America is in some kind of S.H.I.E.L.D. facility besides Monica Rambeau (Teyonah Parris) dressed in her Spectrum suit. Plus, it seems Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) got a haircut, as that's presumably him on Sam's other side. You can slightly see his metal arm on his left side. Most importantly, Sam is back after his last substantial appearance was in 2021's "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier."

The team behind "What If...?" previously clarified on why they hadn't used Sam Wilson in the animated anthology series yet. It basically came down to conflicting schedules, as they worked on "What If...?" at the same time as "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," and they didn't want to introduce Sam as Captain America before the live-action series had a chance to show him off. He's here now, and fans are sounding off on their enthusiasm, like @ResonantJustice: "FINALLY SAM WILSON GETS TO BE PART OF THE FUN!!!" And that's not the only exciting thing to come on "What If...?"

Sam Wilson on "What If...?" Season 3 is more than enough reason to celebrate, and it seems like he may get a chance to pilot a "Pacific Rim"-style mech suit. Another image released by Marvel shows a giant Captain America-themed robot, complete with a mega-shield. Considering that mech is standing next to another robot with the color scheme of Monica's outfit, it'd be safe to assume the two pictures are from the same episode. It may have taken a while for "What If...?" to give Sam a prime role, but if he gets to operate a Mech Avenger, it'll all be worth it. 

The two other pictures Marvel Studios uploaded to X appear to be from an episode we already knew was coming in the new season. Marvel previously teased a villain team-up with Winter Soldier and Red Guardian getting the spotlight. The clip shows them on a road trip, but now, we get to see them together in a building next to a broken window. Again, we're assuming the final picture is within that same episode, as some kind of giant holds Red Guardian by the leg. Bill Foster (Laurence Fishburne) has growing abilities and was in the clip posted earlier, but this character looks different. Maybe Bill calls in some help to deal with the pesky Russian operatives.

With all these images, it'd be a safe bet to say production on "What If...?" Season 3 is pretty far along. Season 2 may have come out in December 2023, but there's a chance audiences won't even have to wait until the end of 2024 to go on another journey through time, space, and reality.