Before 2023 came to an end, Marvel Studios delighted fans with the release of the second season of “What If…?”. However, there was almost a groundbreaking appearance by everyone’s favorite web-slinger. Hudson Thames was set to portray Spider-Man in the show, and it would have been one of his darkest stories ever seen on screen.
The second season of “What If…?” embraced the characteristics of classic film genres like “Blade Runner” and incorporated familiar Marvel tropes. But what surprised Marvel fans the most was the new direction taken by Marvel Studios. In an exclusive interview with IGN, head writer/showrunner A.C. Bradley revealed that Spider-Man was originally planned to star in an episode heavily inspired by “Children of Men”. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the episode was scrapped.
Bradley explained that the decision was made because it felt like the world was already in a state of crisis, and there was no need to add more darkness to it. Instead, they wanted the show to serve as an escape and a fun release for the audience. Nonetheless, Bradley did write a very dark episode that he referred to as “Children of Men with Spider-Man”, but it will never see the light of day.
The production of the animated series takes a longer time compared to traditional live-action media, especially with the addition of CGI. The team behind “What If…?” has been working on season two since before season one even premiered on Disney+ in 2021. The scripts for season two were written fully remote in 2020. Bradley mentioned that for season one, there was a focus on using the popular characters like Tony Stark, Black Panther, and Doctor Strange. However, for season two, they had more freedom and decided to explore the lesser-known characters such as Nebula, Darcy, and Hela.
Considering the circumstances at the time of writing the Spider-Man episode, Bradley felt it was best not to add more darkness to the world. The film “Children of Men” portrays a dystopian future where women are infertile, leading to the collapse of society. Given the light-hearted nature of Spider-Man, a bleak setting like “Children of Men” would have made for a heavy episode.
While Bradley hasn’t revealed specific plot details of the scrapped episode, he emphasized that it was very dark. “What If…?” is a series that explores alternate realities within the Marvel Cinematic Universe and presents unique twists on familiar storylines. It is narrated by Jeffrey Wright as The Watcher and features fan-favorite characters in new roles. The show offers an intriguing exploration of the multiverse and showcases the creative possibilities of the Marvel universe.
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