With multiple spin-offs and original movies based on characters in the MCU coming out this year, let’s see where we stand with the new What If…?. With most of the shows exploring the different circumstances in the different moments in the MCU, it will be difficult to mark its exact spot in the Marvel timeline. Each episode will be filled with references and exciting plots that would deal with the core idea of parallel universes. The animation style was stylized and served as a visual treat as we navigated through the story. Now let’s see where What If episode 1 fits in MCU’s timeline.
Episode 1 – What If… Captain Carter Were The First Avenger?
The first episode of What If…? dealt with the idea of Peggy Carter going through the super-soldier experiment and becoming somewhat of a parallel to Captain America. Although her version of the patriotic figure is titled, Captain Carter. There were major changes in the episode that would lead to a completely different universe with drastic effects. Howard Stark provides Steve Rogers with an armor that resembles the War Machine suit. This would probably lead to an entirely different story for the origins of the original timeline of Iron Man. Or maybe there would be no Iron Man from Tony Stark in this universe.
Another drastic change would be the one the origin of Winter Soldier. Though Bucky makes a strong appearance in the episode and he does fight alongside them against Hydra. But at the very moment when we had lost Bucky in the train heist in Captain America: The First Avenger, something entirely different happens in the episode. Bucky almost falls off the roof of the train and Captain Carter grabs hold of him and saves him by catching his hand. Bucky later says that she almost ripped his hand off which is a reference to what actually happened in the original MCU timeline. Since there is no Winter Soldier, Tony Stark would lose his parents to that assassination.
The timeline
The moment or the Nexus even that causes the rift in the storyline is the moment Peggy becomes Captain Carter. This would be the exact timing when Steve Rogers became Captain America. According to the First Avenger comic book adaptation, the exact timing of that event is June 22. The events of the episode take place in the timing of Captain America: The First Avenger. We know that the breakout of Bucky Barnes and the rest of the soldiers happened on November 3, 1943. After that, not much is known of the timeline over which the events take place. The last scene takes us to the moment from Avengers where Captain Carter meets Nick Fury and Hawkeye. This tells us that the ending of the episode took place in 2012.
Now we know where What If Episode 1 fits in the MCU timeline. The show will be back with another episode on Wednesday, August 18. We’ve also got several other upcoming MCU shows for Disney Plus including Hawkeye, Ms. Marvel, Moon Knight, She-Hulk, Secret Invasion, Ironheart, I am Groot, Armor Wars, Echo, Wakanda, and Okoye.
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