Summary
- Captain Marvel’s Mar-Vell finally gets a chance to shine in What If…? season 2 after her limited screen time in the film.
- The episode will explore what would have happened if a young Peter Quill was delivered to Ego, resulting in him attacking Earth and prompting the Avengers into action.
- The 80s Avengers lineup in the episode will include Peggy Carter, Hank Pym, Bucky Barnes, and Wendy Lawson as Starforce, potentially redeeming Mar-Vell’s wasted potential and setting her up for future MCU appearances.
Captain Marvel introduced the powerful Mar-Vell, but What If…? can finally do the MCU hero justice after her screen time was severely limited on the big screen. What If…? season 2 is set to feature a story that looks at what would have happened if a young Peter Quill was actually delivered to Ego, and the trailer show the young boy attacking Earth. This is a call to action for the Avengers, whose roster will be filled out with MCU characters from the 80s.
Headed by Peggy Carter, the What If…? episode will feature familiar MCU heroes like Hank Pym as the original Ant-Man and Bucky Barnes as the Winter Soldier. Deceased heroes will also get to appear in their prime hero era, such as King T’Chaka as the Black Panther. The most mysterious hero of the group will undoubtedly be Wendy Lawson as Starforce, whose appearance will hopefully bring the character of Mar-Vell to her true potential.
What If Season 2 Can Redeem Mar-Vell After She Was Wasted In Captain Marvel
What If…?
- 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
- 2
Wendy Lawson made her first and last MCU appearance in 2019’s Captain Marvel. Introduced as a scientist working on Earth, she got to know Carol Danvers through Project PEGASUS. After she was revealed to be a Kree named Mar-Vell, her passion for the project made more sense as she intended to give the technology to the Skrulls so they could defend themselves in the war. Yon-Rogg and the Starforce ultimately killed her after the Supreme Intelligence learned of her betrayal, ending the potential of an interesting character. Though Mar-Vell was key to Captain Marvel, her character was ultimately wasted as the film didn’t show off her full strength.
With Mar-Vell confirmed to appear as a member of the 80s Avengers in season 2 of What If…?, the MCU can redeem her wasted potential. Wearing the Starforce uniform, Mar-Vell can finally show off her Kree physiology and battle skills in the fight against Peter Quill and Ego. The episode is bound to show off her teamwork as she works with the other Avengers and will hopefully give more insight into her character that was missed out on in Captain Marvel. Depending on her fate at the end of the episode, the series might even be used as a set-up to include Mar-Vell in future MCU projects.
How Mar-Vell Could Return In The Live-Action MCU
There are plenty of ways MCU characters can come back from the dead. This rings especially true with the current Multiverse Saga as a deceased character can simply return to the big screen from another timeline. Knowing that Avengers: Secret Wars will be the culmination of the saga, the Avengers will likely need all the help they can get. Though What If…? features alternate scenarios, the series has shown to bleed into the live-action MCU before, such as the variant of Captain Carter in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. If Mar-Vell is well received in What If…? season 2, perhaps a variant of her can find its way back into the MCU.
Although Wendy Lawson was an integral part of Captain Marvel, she wasn’t used to her full potential. Her death meant that the film would be her sole MCU appearance, but What If…? season 2 is already changing that. Mar-Vell is confirmed to be part of the 80s Avengers in one episode, and it will be a deeper look at the hero that will hopefully bring her character to its true potential. Depending on her ultimate fate in What If…?, Mar-Vell could even return to the live-action MCU in one way or another.