Marvel's What If...? Season 2 Reveals Surprising Fate of Guardians of the Galaxy

The second season of Marvel's What If...? began on Friday, showcasing a wide array of alternate premises and timelines for the lore of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The show's Season 2 premiere throws viewers into a surprising neo-noir set within Marvel's cosmic corner — and it reveals some surprising fates for a few of the characters within the fan-favorite roster of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Spoilers for Season 2, Episode 1 of Marvel's What If...?, "What If... Nebula Joined the Nova Corps?" below! Only look if you want to know!  

As the title suggests, the episode sees Nebula (Karen Gillan) working as a Nova Corps officer on the planet Xandar, after she was left without home once Ronan the Accuser killed Thanos. The implication in the opening narration of the episode is that Ronan's attack also led to the death of Gamora, taking Nebula's adopted sister and the future Guardians member off of the board.

In this new world — where Xandar is also sealed by a protective shield, plunging the planet into a gritty Blade Runner-esque noir — a few Guardians appear, but in different contexts. Yondu is established as having some sort of past partnership with Nebula, and the mystery surrounding his death essentially kicks off the entire episode. Groot and Drax can be seen gambling in Howard the Duck's (Seth Green) casino on Xandar, with Groot later joining the ragtag group of characters who help Nebula later on in the episode. Rocket Raccoon, Peter Quill / Star-Lord, Kraglin, Cosmo, and Mantis do not factor into the episode in any way, and it is unclear what their fate is in this alternate universe.

What Is What If...? Season 2 About?

Season 2 of Marvel's What If…?, which premieres episodes daily on Disney+ beginning on December 22nd, continues the journey as The Watcher guides viewers through the vast multiverse, introducing brand new and familiar faces throughout the MCU. The series questions, revisits and twists classic Marvel Cinematic moments with an incredible voice cast that includes a host of stars who reprise their iconic roles.

The series is led by Jeffrey Wright as The Watcher, with returning appearances that include Hayley Atwell as Captain Carter, Benedict Cumberbatch as Doctor Strange, Karen Gillan as Nebula, Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes, Kat Dennings as Darcy Lewis, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner / Hulk, and Cate Blanchett as Hela. Devery Jacobs joins the cast as Kahhouri, a new Native American character created specifically for the show. What If...? Season 2 is directed by Bryan Andrews, and executive produced by Andrews and AC Bradley.

New episodes of Season 2 of Marvel's What If...? will debut daily on Disney+. If you haven't signed up for Disney+ yet, you can try it out here.

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