Marvel’s “What If…?” premiered in 2021 and its innovative remixes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe status quo became consistent bright spots during an otherwise difficult time for the franchise. While season 1 of the Disney+ animated Marvel multiverse show combined its stylish animation with rushed storytelling, season 2 was a zany, refreshing addition to the MCU, and both seasons wound up receiving very good reviews on the whole.
“What If…?” season 3 started dropping daily episodes on December 22, 2024, and concluded a week later on December 29, and while critics haven’t embraced it quite as lovingly as they did its predecessors, it’s still an entertaining watch … that is, unless you ask Beau DeMayo. The former “X-Men ’97” showrunner took to X, previously known as Twitter, to share his grievances about “What If…?” season 3, and his short review made it clear that he’s not exactly a fan:
“#whatif season 3 yikes just yikes”
In another tweet, DeMayo took more time to elaborate. While by no means an essay, this post highlighted what he perceives as clear issues with the episodes’ writing and basic setup:
“[It] has no substance and feels like fanfic. The dialogue is flat and so obvious, and some of the premises are just weird.”
DeMayo has issues with both Marvel and What If…?
DeMayo’s issues seem to be based on the early parts of “What If…?” season 3. Not only did he post his criticism on December 27 — that is, before the final two episodes dropped — but he also tweeted about his disinterest in finishing the series:
“I’d watch more to give notes on how it could’ve easily been done better but I have some water to watch boil.”
This suggests he hasn’t seen the season beyond episode 6, “What If… 1872,” a 19th century adventure starring Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) and Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld). Of course, at that point, the show has already introduced some pretty wild stuff even by “What If…? standards, from battles between a kaiju-sized Hulk monster (Mark Ruffalo) and giant mechs to a peculiar interspecies marriage between Howard the Duck (Seth Green) and Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) that results in a powerful hybrid daughter called Byrdie (Natasha Lyonne). DeMayo suggested that the third season’s quality issues may have something to do with Matthew Chauncey taking over head writer duties from series creator A.C. Bradley:
“This is also the season where AC Bradley completely stepped back for Chauncey to take over.”
Of course, it’s worth keeping in mind that DeMayo has a very personal bone to pick with the MCU. The drama between the “X-Men ’97” creator and Marvel has gone on since March 2024, when DeMayo was fired shortly before the show premiered. Marvel’s allegations of the creator’s conduct issues and DeMayo’s vocal outcries toward his former employer have made this one of the MCU’s high-profile turmoils behind the scenes. As DeMayo’s “What If…?” comments show, he’s more than willing to criticize the MCU’s products, so expect this particular rift to continue making headlines in the future.
“What If…?” is now streaming on Disney+.
