"What If... The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?" is the third episode, of Marvel's Disney+ series What If...?. It premiered on August 25, 2021. It was written by Matthew Chauncey and directed by Bryan Andrews. This episode takes place during the events of Iron Man 2, The Incredible Hulk and Thor, and is based on the tie-in comic, Fury's Big Week.
Synopsis[]
Nick Fury struggles to launch The Avengers when the candidates are targeted by a serial killer.
Plot[]
Opening narration[]
- “Humanity, so eager, so willing to face the impossible, yet blind to the bigger picture. Inside one week, three strange and separate stories unfolded. A genius battled his demons, both inside and out... while the world met the monster hiding in the man... and a godly prince fell to earth. I am the Watcher and where humans see chaos, I see the crucible that will transform this collection of individuals into a team of heroes... at least, that's how things played out in one universe... but in this one...”
- ―The Watcher
Monday
May 30th 2010
Nick Fury and Black Widow are on their way to the doughnut shop, where Tony Stark, in his Iron Man armor, is eating a box of doughnuts in the doughnut-shaped sign. Natasha is skeptical of Fury's intention of including Tony in the Avengers due to the latter's eccentric nature, but Fury assures her that many said the same thing when he recruited her, a skilled Russian assassin; she laughs it off, knowing Fury makes good calls.
Fury then calls Tony inside the shop, and the billionaire refuses to join the "top secret boy band". Natasha then gives Tony the injection that would push back the palladium poisoning from his arc reactor. However, things go differently in this moment; Tony convulses in pain, worrying Fury and Natasha as they explain the injection, before he falls out of the booth onto the floor. Natasha checks his pulse, finding Tony doesn't have one and realizes to her horror that he is dead.
Tuesday
May 31st, 2010
Due to S.H.I.E.L.D. protocols, Natasha is arrested on suspicion of causing Tony's death, but Fury secretly tasks her with going off-grid during the prisoner transport headed by Brock Rumlow. Fury is heading to New Mexico, where Phil Coulson has found an object of interest. Natasha follows the order and escapes the transport, much to Rumlow's exasperation.
That night at the makeshift base S.H.I.E.L.D. has set up in the crater around the 0-8-4 (Thor's hammer). Fury notes that the thunderstorm overhead is getting worse; Hawkeye informs him it's due to the hammer's presence as its giving high levels on different energy sources. The alarm goes off, with Fury radios Coulson, whom informs him that someone is knocking out their guards. He sees Thor, describing him as "mid-20s, tall and with really great hair". Fury demands an overhead visual, prompting Hawkeye to get in a survey crane to overlook the crater with the hammer. After battling his way through, Thor smiles at his hammer, while Hawkeye silently readies an arrow; Fury tells him to hold fire in order to observe the connection between the stranger and object. However, just when Thor is about to grab the handle, Hawkeye's arrow pierces his chest, instantly killing him as he falls to the ground.
Fury reprimands Clint for defying his order to hold fire, but the latter defends that his arrow didn't fire. Imprisoned, a distressed Clint wonders what happened, muttering "I don't miss, I don't misfire". Coulson wonders about Thor, whom Fury had examined; the blood tests reveal Thor to be nearly one thousand years old. When Fury and Coulson check on Hawkeye, he's unresponsive; they shake him, only for to discover he's dead as well upon Hawkeye's body turning limp and falling over. Fury puts the base on high alert for a killer. Both Hawkeye and Thor are examined in the morgue. Fury is saddened for Hawkeye's family, doubting that his death was a suicide, while Coulson notices Thor smells like lavender. While Coulson questions how Tony and Thor's murders by high-level S.H.I.E.L.D. agents are connected, Fury connects Tony and Clint's murders to them intended for the Avengers Initiative, and determines that the killer is targeting the candidates.
Wednesday
June 1st, 2010
Natasha meets wary Betty Ross at Culver University, having her examine the syringe, since she can work off the grid. Betty discovers that something metal was actually injected into Tony; the palladium treatment never got into his system. Fury calls Natasha, revealing Barton's murder. Quiet, angry, and vengeful, Natasha is told the victims were all on the Avengers Initiative. Natasha is tasked with protecting herself and Bruce Banner, the last people on the list. To her luck, Bruce was hiding in a supply closet in the same room as her and Betty. However, Betty's father, General Thaddeus Ross shows up and Bruce gets shot by a sniper (which Ross implies was not authorized), causing him to transform into the Hulk. In the battle, Hulk suddenly begins swelling until he explodes, much to Betty's grief and horror.
Concurrently in New Mexico, Coulson is returning to base with cappuccino for Fury. Suddenly the Bifrost opens nearby, with Loki, the Destroyer, Lady Sif, Warriors Three and the army of Asgard arriving through it. Loki wishes to avenge his brother Thor's death and uses the Casket of Eternal Winter as a demonstration of power. As Fury calls out that this will not change Thor's death, Sif convinces Loki that negotiation is what Odin would choose; Loki then allows until next sunrise for Fury to find the killer of his brother and Fury's allies.
Natasha uses Coulson's S.H.I.E.L.D. log in and finds out, among several people, someone who died in 2008 somehow accessed Project Avenger. She is confronted by the killer, whom she is no match for. Just before she is dragged to her death, Widow leaves Fury a message: "It's hope! It's all about hope!"
Fury gets the message, having become desperate for help since all candidates are gone. Coulson reveals Fury is the last Avenger candidate, but Fury reveals he's not, and goes to get his pager to call his old friend Captain Marvel. Fury calls her their last hope; he then understands Widow's message. Coulson wonders what Fury's plan is, to which he states in a resigned tone to "either make a pact with a god, or a deal with the devil." He drives to Loki's temporary ice fortress, telling the Destroyer keeping guard that he wishes to speak to Loki.
Thursday
June 2nd, 2010
In San Francisco, Fury visits Hope van Dyne's grave. He is met by the killer, who is outraged Fury has the balls to stand there; it's Hope's father Hank Pym, now Yellowjacket. Hank went insane in his grief; his hatred of S.H.I.E.L.D. having worsened since 1989, as his daughter became a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent in this universe and lost her life in a mission. Fury questions why his blaming S.H.I.E.L.D. for Hope's death gave him reason to murder Tony, Clint, Bruce, and Natasha, to which rants he wanted Fury to experience his pain by dismantling the idea he had hoped for: the Avengers Initiative. Hank had used his suit to cause fatal internal damage to Stark and Barton, while entering Banner's body as a sniper and using a growth disk to make his heart overgrow and explode to overcome his healing factor; he also dislodged Hawkeye's fingers from his bowstring to kill Thor.
Fury then asks why he killed Thor, at which Hank laughs that Fury would have decided to recruit him into the Avengers as well. Fury angrily says Hank only killed Thor because he could. Hank then fights him, but Fury easily and impressively outmaneuvers Hank in combat. This surprises Hank who didn't expect that a man in his late 50s could move so well. Hank tries every possible means to kill Fury, but he keeps getting knocked down or missing. Suddenly numerous Furys appear, prompting Hank to fly away; however, he is frozen in ice and falls back down. It is revealed Loki was disguised as Fury from the start, with Fury watching. Loki has Hank apprehended, finding the partnership with S.H.I.E.L.D. enjoyable, he decides to continue their alliance, saying he will stay on Earth.
Friday
June 3rd, 2010
Loki and his Asgardian army go to the United Nations. Loki announces his reign as the new ruler of humanity after managing to make the nations of Earth put aside their petty differences in a single day, to unite them under his command. He makes a speech, saying that they were meant to be ruled, so he came to fulfill their destiny. Meanwhile, Fury and Coulson mourn the five individuals who would have been the Avengers. But hope is not lost--Fury finds Captain America's shield where Steve Rogers is still frozen in the ice, and has called in Captain Marvel who arrives to help him.
Closing narration[]
- “I believe that in this universe, as in every other, hope never dies, as long as someone keeps their good eye on the bigger picture.”
- ―The Watcher
Cast[]
Main Cast[]
- Jeffrey Wright as The Watcher
- Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
- Lake Bell as Natasha Romanoff/Black Widow
- Mick Wingert as Tony Stark/Iron Man
- Clark Gregg as Agent Coulson
- Frank Grillo as Brock Rumlow
- Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton/Hawkeye
- Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner/Hulk
- Tom Hiddleston as Loki
- Jaimie Alexander as Lady Sif
Guest Starring[]
- Michael Douglas as Hank Pym/Yellow Jacket
- Stephanie Panisello as Betty Ross
- Mike McGill as General Ross
- Alexandra Daniels as Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel
- Terri Douglas as Additional Voices
- Elisa Gabrielli as Additional Voices
- Piotr Michael as Additional Voices
- David Michie as Additional Voices
- Arthur Ortiz as Additional Voices
- Shane Sweet as Additional Voices
- Matthew Wood as Additional Voices
- Shelby Young as Additional Voices
Uncredited[]
- Unknown Actor as Jack Rollins
Trivia[]
- This is the first episode which does not show the point where the timeline diverges (that being Hope Van Dyne choosing to join S.H.I.E.L.D, rather than Pym Technologies).
- When Captain Marvel arrives, she asks Fury, "Where's the fight?". This is the same question that Bucky asks T'Challa when presented with a new arm in Avengers: Infinity War.
- This episode, similar to the Avengers prequel comic Fury's Big Week, shows the events of Iron Man 2, The Incredible Hulk, & Thor all took place within the span of the same week.
- It is mentioned that in this universe, Agent Hope Van Dyne was killed during a mission near Odesa. In Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Natasha mentions encountering and being injured by the Winter Soldier there, meaning Hope was killed by the Winter Soldier.
- Fury is considered an Avengers candidate, while in the main universe Coulson was considered an Avenger by Fury; hence, the Avengers are not just the two Captains.
- Coulson's password is "#SteveSteveSteveIHeartSteve0704". This ties in to Coulson's adoration for Steve Rogers. The 0704 part of the password is in reference to Steve's birthday, which is the fourth of July.
- Hank Pym being driven to madness and sporting the Yellowjacket armor is reminiscent of his fate in the comics, where such a thing had happened to him.
- Bruce Banner's design is somewhat meant to reflect a transition between Edward Norton and Mark Ruffalo as the episode takes place during the events of The Incredible Hulk, where the former portrayed the character.
- There are subtle hints that Fury is actually Loki when confronting Pym:
- Fury is relaxed when bringing up Tony, Clint, Bruce, and Natasha's deaths, showing anger at Thor’s, whom he barely knows. He also calls Tony by his full name and Thor his royal title.
- Though Hank believes he was playing dumb, Fury seems surprised Hope’s mother, Janet van Dyne, was also a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.
- When they fight, Fury immediately shows superhuman strength, reflexes and speed, and makes a dramatic landing.
- At Hank's proclaim that he never cared about Hope, Fury openly admits he cares little about her and the Avenger candidates.
- Fury's demeanor becomes more playful as gains the upper hand and mocks Hank's ability as a killer.
- Hank Pym says "You took everything from me", which is the exact same thing Wanda told an alternate Thanos in Avengers: Endgame, during the final battle.
Gallery[]
Promotional Images[]
.jpg "Nick Fury promo poster (What If).jpg (621 KB)")
.png "The Watcher's Report (Avengers Initiative).png (1.24 MB)")
Screenshots[]
External Links[]
What If... The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes? on IMDb- What If... The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes? on Wikipedia
