What If…?
Season 3 has been a festive treat for many MCU fans, delivering the final installment of the animated series with new episodes releasing on Disney+ daily from December 22. The new season has seen a more divided set of reviews from both critics and audiences, but perhaps its most scathing review has come from former Marvel Studios showrunner Beau DeMayo.
DeMayo was the creative force behind Season 1 of X-Men ’97 before he was unexpectedly dismissed by Marvel Studios just ahead of the show’s debut, and now he has publicly criticized their latest season of What If…? expressing his disapproval through a series of candid posts on social media.
In his initial reaction, DeMayo took to X/Twitter and delivered a very short, frank assessment of the new episodes. He wrote, “#whatif season 3 yikes just yikes.” While his opinions came before the series completes its run, DeMayo made it clear that he had no intention of keeping up with the rest of the series. His follow-up post read:

“I’d watch more to give notes on how it could’ve easily been done better but I have some water to watch boil.”

Despite his reluctance to seemingly spend any more time on the series, DeMayo was not done by a long way.
Beau DeMayo Has Not Held Back in his Review of ‘What If…?’

DeMayo has been critical of Marvel Studios many times since his firing, but this time he has really gone to town on the latest series to hit Disney+. After his general disapproval, he went on to share some more specific thoughts. Across two posts he added:

“To has no substance and feels like fanfic. The dialogue is flat and so obvious, and some of the premises are just weird. This is also the season where AC Bradley completely stepped back for Chauncey to take over.”

That comment was aimed at writer and producer AC Bradley’s passing the torch to Matthew Chauncey for What If…? Season 3. That would be the same Matthew Chauncey who was also set as DeMayo’s replacement on X-Men ’97. Read into that what you will, but we cannot wait to see what notes DeMayo has when that series returns for its second season.
DeMayo’s departure from Marvel Studios in March 2024 was reportedly due to allegations of sexual misconduct. Following his exit, he has been extremely vocal about Marvel’s projects and decisions. He has previously revealed canceled plot details and plans for various projects that he was involved in before his sudden exit, and noted that their decision to cancel his plan to have Onslaught feature as the villain in the second season of X-Men ’97 was Marvel loving to “shoot themselves in the foot.”

Related

What If…? Season 3 Review: Multiverse Madness in a Funnier than Expected Series Finale

The Watcher (Jeffrey Wright) faces dire consequences after eons of observing infinite universes.

DeMayo’s outspoken criticism of the franchise he was removed from is probably not that surprising. However, with reviews for the new season of What If…? already being mixed, it is not something that Marvel Studios probably want to contend with. In the long-term, though, it may well be something they need to get used to, especially when Season 2 of X-Men ’97 rolls out.

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What If…?

What If… ? is an animated anthology series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe which features fan-favorite characters, including Peggy Carter, T’Challa, Doctor Strange, Killmonger, Thor, and more. The new series, directed by Bryan Andrews with AC Bradley as head writer, features signature MCU action with a curious twist. The show sees Uatu the Watcher, an omnipotent being that observes the events of multiple universes from afar as they unfold, unable to interfere. However, things shift when an entity peers beyond the veil, jeopardizing the multiverse. 

Release Date

August 11, 2021

Cast

Samuel L. Jackson
, Stanley Tucci
, Michael Douglas
, Sean Gunn
, Mark Ruffalo
, Karen Gillan
, Tom Hiddleston
, Jeffrey Wright
, Michael B. Jordan
, Toby Jones
, Sebastian Stan
, Paul Rudd
, David Dastmalchian
, Natalie Portman
, Josh Brolin
, Dominic Cooper
, Jeff Goldblum
, Hayley Atwell
, Djimon Hounsou
, Chadwick Boseman
, Taika Waititi
, Chris Hemsworth
, Neil McDonaugh
, Jeremy Renner
, Michael Rooker

Seasons

3

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