What if the ending references the lost episode of Gamora, now part of season 2?

Season 1 of What if…?, Marvel Studios’ first animated show for Disney Plus, concluded with an ending that echoes the best parts of Avengers, Ultron age, and Endgame. The Watcher, having broken his oath to never interfere with the inner workings of the multiverse, gathered heroes from all planes of existence to form his own team: The Guardians of the Multiverse. Captain Carter, Star-Lord T’Challa, Party Thor, Killmonger / Black Panther, and Dormammu-ish Doctor Strange were all there.

And so was Gamora, who … hasn’t been a major part of any particular episode, even though each of the Guardians was set in a previous unique event of What if…?. How did Gamora get The Watcher’s attention? There is a practical reason and we are likely to see the backstory in the future.

[Ed. note: The rest of this story contains spoilers for What If…? episode 9.]

Image: Marvel Studios

In the opening scenes of “What if … the watchman broke his oath?” The omniscient character of Jeffrey Wright arrives on the planet Nidavellir to greet Gamora, Iron Man in a Hulkbuster-style armor and Elitri, king of the dwarves, remembering a moment of Avengers: infinity war in which Thor and Rocket Raccoon go to find a custom ax from Dwarven Forge. In this world and timeline, Iron Man hopes to use Elitiri’s abilities to put “armor around the world,” in a nod to his plan that spawned Ultron. But why are they together? Because there is a full episode of What if…? waiting to be finished where the two meet in Sakaar’s orbit.

An episode focusing on Tony Stark was supposed to premiere in this first batch of episodes, What if…? creator AC Bradley confirmed Polygon. But due to production issues related to COVID-19, the episode could not be completed in time for its release, forcing producers to send it to What if…? Season 2 (which is good news for anyone wanting a What if…? Season 2).

Whereas “What if … the vigilante broke his oath?” Now raising some accidental questions about Tony and Gamora’s relationship in a pocket of the multiverse, Bradley says it was worth it. “Given the global tragedy of the pandemic, fueling an episode is nothing,” he wrote to Polygon. “I just hope that viewers have been entertained these past 9 weeks and enjoyed the trip as much as I did.”

The episode certainly delivers with or without an explanation as to why Gamora is among The Watcher’s chosen ones. In the grand finale, the combined powers of the Guardians of the Multiverse, including Gamora, are enough to subdue a universe-consuming Infinity Stone wielding Ultron and allow none other than Black Widow to step forward and infect the universe. bot with the digital Arnim. Zola from Captain America: The Winter Soldier. The death of Natasha Romanoff was one of the most polarizing aspects of Avengers Endgame, and as the animation nods to its Soul Stone sacrifice, What if…? renew the character with heroic energy worthy of a cosmic battle. It governs.

So what awaits Gamora and Tony in What if…? season 2? While some pre-season-1-premiere leaks hinted at the plot of the episode, including the way Tony gets to Sakaar (a location name marked in “What if … the vigilante broke his oath?) And by As The Watcher refers to Gamora as the “Destroyer of Thanos”, nothing is completely certain with the resumption of production and the Iron Man episode turning into a new batch of What Ifs. For now, the end of the Season 1 unintentionally does what a Marvel installment does best: It leaves us wanting more.