The narrator of Marvel's upcoming animated series What If...?, the Watcher, was partially inspired by Star Trek's Q. After taking 2020 off due to the coronavirus pandemic, the MCU has come out of the gate swinging this year with multiple movies and Disney+ shows. When it comes to the latter, the offerings so far have been (mostly) straightforward live-action efforts, but that will change with What If...? next week. The show will explore the multiverse on a grand scale as the franchise continues to move deeper into the idea of multiple realties.
What If...? imagines different events from the Marvel movies, but as if they had played out in a different way. Episodes will delve into ideas like what if Peggy Carter took the super-soldier serum, and what if T'Challa became Star-Lord. Connecting all of this is Jeffrey Wright's Uatu the Watcher, an omnipotent cosmic being who oversees and narrates all. The Watcher is the only Marvel newcomer to have a hand in What If...?, and he's guaranteed to play a major part in the series throughout seasons 1 and 2.
In a recent interview with Slash Film, What If...? director Bryan Andrews talked about the development of the Watcher and revealed some of the key inspirations for the character. He's previously cited Rod Stewart from The Twilight Zone as a major component, but this time, Andrews also added wily Star Trek: The Next Generation character Q. Andrews explained:
We wanted to have the narrator, we wanted to have this Rod Serling-type character that is also in the original What If…? comics? But the other notion was like, well, what do we say with him? How does he talk? What’s his point of view? So we started off originally with this very detached POV. I am notorious for comparing The Watcher to the Pizza Rat meme. Q from Star Trek was another inspiration. And my Chinese Daoist professor from college who was like, “You will never understand anything.” And I was like, “Oh, but you’re going to give me a test on it.”
Working with Jeffrey and hearing him talk about his own theories about the character and the way he wants to bring in other views of what a God could be like. Also hearing him talk about watching the Marvel movies with his son. I realized the whole arc of The Watcher is him almost becoming, not human, but having an understanding of humanity. For me, a connection with these characters, learning something from them, realizing that he isn’t just this omnipotent watcher watching from afar. He’s a viewer, he’s invested. He cares. How is that going to affect him as future stories arrive?
It's interesting that Andrews mentioned Q is an inspiration for What If...?'s the Watcher, as the character is about to make a major return on Star Trek: Picard. Beyond that, it's easy to see how the two connect. Q often observes humanity from an outsider's perspective, and the Watcher fills in a similar role for What If...?. So far, though, it sounds like the Watcher will be a bit more friendly than Q is, though that could very well change. With Marvel, one should expect the unexpected.
What If...? will take the MCU into brand new territory. There are already several other animated shows in development for the franchise, and the multiverse is going to play a key role in Phase 4 and beyond. What If...? will feature virtually every Marvel hero ever shown on screen, with the Watcher bridging them all together. It's safe to say no one knows quite what to expect from this series, but it sounds like it will be a fascinating ride. It all begins on Disney+ in one week.
What If...? premieres August 11 on Disney+.
Source: Slash Film
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August 05, 2021 at 12:10AM
