Warning: Spoilers for Marvel’s What If…? episode 9. MCU Misses an Opportunity!
In episode 9 of Marvel’s What If…?, Black Widow is given the happily ever after. However, MCU missed a massive opportunity. In the episode, we see The Watcher breaking his vow and finally intervening in the events in What If…? episode 9. He recognizes he should defend the multiverse.
Thus he assembles Guardians of Multiverse, a team handpicked by The Watcher that includes MCU superheroes from different timelines. The main aim is to remove the threat of Ultron.
What happens at the end of episode 9?
Once the battle ends, The Watcher returns the superheroes to their respective timelines. Also, he gives them a reward. We see Doctor Strange Supreme gets a friend who will visit him frequently. Stever Rogers and Captain Carter will reunite under unexpected circumstances. Party Thor goes back to Jane Foster. And Dystopian Black Widow is transported to a completely different timeline.
Since she didn’t want to live in her current timeline as the only living being alive, she is transported to What If…? episode 3 Earth. And this is clearly a missed opportunity by MCU.
MCU misses the opportunity by a long shot
The main reason the studio has missed a good opportunity is that this is not the only timeline that has lost its Black Widow. Instead of transporting the Dystopian Black Widow to this timeline, The Watcher could have transported her back to the main MCU timeline after Avengers: Endgame.
The MCU has failed Black Widow and her death. This was a perfect opportunity for MCU to put everything right. Introducing Dystopian Black Widow to the main MCU timeline who is similar to the original Black Widow however subtly different would have made a massive impact.
But the series has always felt like a second-tier series. Being conceptually different affects the way a series is viewed. However, analysts suggest the series is used as a filler before Shang-Chi & the Legend of the Ten Rings and Hawkeye release on Disney+.
But if MCU would have used What If…? to introduce a new version of Black Widow, it would have mattered a lot. Although, we know the relationship between Scarlett Johansson and Disney is not going so well, this was a perfect opportunity to use multiverse to cast a new actor in the role.
But the stupid has chosen a different direction. And Natasha Romanoff’s story has ended in the MCU timeline.
Source: ScreenRant
