MCU: 10 Possible Uses Of The Multiverse In Phase 4 (And Beyond)
6. To Link The Live-Action Movies With The "What If?" TV Show
The upcoming Disney Plus streaming service is set to feature a bunch of MCU TV shows, including ones centred on Vision and Scarlet Witch, Falcon and Winter Soldier, and Loki. There's also going to be a What If? animated series, which will explore key moments in the MCU's history, but give them a different outcome. For example, one episode will revolve around a timeline where Loki found Mjolnir instead of Thor.
It's a huge coincidence that Marvel Studios is building a What If? series at the same time it's introducing the multiverse into the movies, and while it's been said that the show will not be considered canon in the MCU, the multiverse will allow Earth-616 to remain unaffected by these What If? timelines, restricting them to their own alternate universes.
From here, the Earth-616 MCU could choose to integrate these alternate timelines as and when it pleases. Look at that timeline where Loki finds Mjolnir instead of Thor: what if, at some point in the future, Loki is brought back into the movies, but as this hammer-wielding variant? Another episode of the show will feature Peggy Carter as Captain America, and not Steve Rogers: so, what if Peggy's Cap is also brought into the films one day?
Part of the appeal of What If? is being able to tell wacky, ridiculous stories without being tied down by the restrictions of the main timeline. But with the multiverse, the MCU could have the best of both worlds.