Warning: This article contains spoilers for Marvel’s What If...? episode 7.
The Guardians of the Multiverse could form as a response to Ultron’s rise in Marvel’s What If…? For months now, this group has been the subject of various rumors and teases related to the animated Disney+ series, but nothing about their debut has been outright confirmed by Marvel as of yet. They don’t exist in the comics, but their name has been tied to leaked merchandise for the show, plus a group of heroes has been seen battling Ultron in trailers.
So far, every episode of Marvel’s What If…? has been a contained story, with each one centering on different realities. Similar to the original comic and its connection to the wider Marvel Universe, What If…? episodes play with alternate scenarios of real events that happened in the MCU’s history. Due to the nature of the show and the idea it’s based on, the only link between the episodes is Uatu the Watcher, who has the ability to observe all timelines. This too is consistent with the comics’ approach. However, the series may be about to diverge from its current path in a huge way. The surprise ending of Marvel’s What If…? episode 8 could be a tease at a big crossover.
Somehow, Ultron has just burst onto the scene – but he’s not at all the same villain that battled Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Not only has he has taken over the Vision’s body, but he’s also gathered all six of the Infinity Stones, thus setting him up to be an all-powerful enemy. What’s not known though, is who he’s supposed to fight. Here’s why the Guardians of the Multiverse may be his chosen opponents in What If…?, and who they could be.
Ultron having a complete set of Infinity Stones is bad news for Party Thor’s universe, but what’s even more worrisome is the Watcher’s reaction. As a cosmic being who sees all, there’s obviously very little that can unsettle him, but he was clearly surprised by Ultron’s arrival. The Watcher not seeing this coming is likely an indication that it wasn’t supposed to happen in this timeline, or at all. That would make sense, considering that this assumption about Ultron should be correct. Party Thor’s story is a variation of how he came to Earth in Thor, which means that the episode is set before the Avengers ever formed. In other words, Ultron shouldn’t exist yet. In the main timeline, his activation in Age of Ultron hinged on events that happened in The Avengers, such as the discovery of the Mind Stone and the beginning of his association with Bruce Banner. So, all things considered, there’s a very good likelihood that this new version of Ultron crossed over from a different timeline, presumably one that will be explored properly in a future What If…? story.
Any character who has all six Infinity Stones would be a force strong enough to bring down entire teams of heroes. That’s because they would possess the capability to exponentially increase their own strength, rewind time, teleport, shoot powerful blasts of energy, rewrite reality, and more. Ultron, who is already a top-tier threat, would be close to unbeatable with the Infinity Stones, which isn’t that different to the situation with Thanos. Once he had all six, there was no stopping him, and it’s quite probable that the Avengers never would’ve killed him in Avengers: Endgame’s first act if he hadn’t destroyed the Stones himself. With that in mind, beating Ultron could depend on a perfectly-timed surprise attack, but it would have to be executed better than Thor’s Stormbreaker swing in Infinity War. And victory may require a weapon that’s on Stormbreaker’s level, given that Vision’s body is made partially out of Vibranium.
According to the Watcher, he cannot and will not intervene in any event, but Ultron may put his devotion to this principle to the test. He didn’t stop Evil Doctor Strange from causing the end of his universe in episode 4, but it’s possible that he’ll have a different view of Ultron’s situation. In Marvel Comics, Uatu often violated his oath to help the Fantastic Four as a result of his empathy toward humanity. This element of his character may end up being at play in What If…? as well, but since it didn’t affect his actions in episode 4, it may take a combination of reasons to force his hand.
Since episode 7's Ultron is arguably an invader from another timeline, it could be that the Watcher will regard his case as an exception. After all, Ultron attacking and potentially destroying Party Thor’s universe isn’t supposed to happen, so the Watcher trying to set things right could be viewed as a justifiable response. In addition to that, it could be that Ultron is threatening multiple timelines. Party Thor’s universe could just be one of many worlds in danger of being wiped out if Ultron isn’t stopped. There may be a limit to what Uatu will permit under his watch, and if Ultron goes too far, the Watcher may feel that he has no other choice but to get involved.
As for how the Watcher may take action against Ultron, his solution to the problem may be to bring in heroes who have what it takes to defeat him. If Party Thor’s world doesn’t boast enough powerhouses to hold him off, the Watcher may have to reach into different timelines. As noted above, trailers for the show have already spoiled a number of characters that may be tied to this team. Some have been shown fighting Ultron’s minions in the marketing. These include the central characters of the preceding episodes, such as Captain Carter from the series premiere, Evil Doctor Strange, Party Thor, and T’Challa’s Star-Lord. There’s also Black Widow and Gamora, but the particular incarnations of these characters that are expected to join the team haven’t been introduced yet. The Watcher could also pull a character from the Marvel Zombies timeline, like Hulk or Spider-Man. After assembling a diverse group of protagonists from nearly every installment in Marvel’s What If…?, the Watcher could send them to team up with Party Thor and form the Guardians of the Multiverse. Together, they may have the means to save his world from destruction.
Marvel's What If...? airs Wednesdays on Disney+.
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September 25, 2021 at 12:34AM
