"What If...1872?" is the sixth episode of the third season of the Disney+ streaming television series, What If...? and the twenty-fourth episode of the series overall. The episode was written Matthew Chauncey and Ryan Little, after a story by Bryan Andrews, Matthew Chauncey, and Ryan Little and directed by Stephan Franck and Bryan Andrews. It premiered on December 27, 2024.
Synopsis[]
In a universe where the heroes of the MCU live in the Old West, Shang-Chi and his pistol-packing partner, Kate Bishop, traverse the frontier, saving the innocent from the evils of The Hood.
Cast[]
Main cast[]
- Jeffrey Wright as The Watcher
- Simu Liu as Shang-Chi
- Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop
- Wyatt Russell as John Walker
- Meng'er Zhang as Xialing
- Walton Goggins as Sonny Burch
- Allen Deng as Kwai Jun-Fan
- Jason Isaacs as The Eminence
Guest stars[]
- Terri Douglas as Additional Voices
- Matt Yang King as Additional Voices
- Dave B. Mitchell as Additional Voices
- Andrew Morgado as Additional Voices
- Fred Tatasciore as Additional Voices
- Debra Wilson as Additional Voices
- Matthew Wood as Additional Voices
- Shelby Young as Additional Voices
Notes[]
- This episode is inspired by the Marvel 1872 comic series.
- This episode is similar to "What if... The Avengers Assembled in 1602?", in that it shows a universe with the heroes living in a different time period; however, while that episode was due to a Time Stone anomaly, this universe came into being naturally.
- This marks The Hood's debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ahead of their proper introduction in Ironheart. However, in this case, it's someone else taking on their identity.
- Kwai Jun-Fan is described as having some "iron fists". In the comics, Kwai Jun-Fan is the first person to hold the title of Iron Fist.
- This episode confirms that Alligator Loki is indeed a real variant of Loki Laufeyson, with their version of Thor being Throg.
- One universe shown is of a pirate universe, featuring Crossbones as a pirate.
- One universe shows a variant of Ultron programmed to perform show tunes.
- Shang-Chi is summoned by ringing a bell ten times, likely a pun on the Ten Rings.
- Among the tech on the train are items from Stark Munitions, Hammer Steel, and Cross Manufacturing.
- Sonny Birch's hypnotic watch is suggested to have come from The Red Room.
- Before they ride out, Shang-Chi tells Hawkeye, "The sun's getting real low". This is the phrase that Black Widow uses when she needs to calm Hulk down.
Gallery[]
