What If…? Season 2 Premiere Is Marvel’s Version of Blade Runner

The Season 2 premiere of What If…? has debuted on Disney+, bringing the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Disney+ series to new heights. The animated series showcases alternate universes and premises playing off of the MCU’s canon — and in the first episode of Season 2, that involved a bit of pop culture homage. In particular, the episode puts a twist on one of the most iconic science fiction films of the 20th century — Blade Runner. 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 showcases a world in which Nebula (Karen Gillan) ended up enlisting in Xandar’s Nova Corps, after Ronan the Accuser changed the trajectory of her life by killing Thanos and Gamora. The episode establishes that Ronan then targeted Xandar, forcing the planet to encase itself in a force field, which then plunged it into a neo-noir darkness. It’s within this setting that Nebula investigates the murder of Yondu (Michael Rooker) — and discovers a larger conspiracy within the Nova Corps.

The episode is littered with homages to Ridley Scott’s 1982 classic Blade Runner — a neo-noir set in a dystopian version of Los Angeles, in which Rick Deckard (Harrison Ford) investigates the disappearance of a group of androids. The visuals of the episode, including the look of Xandar and Nebula’s flying car, are clearly inspired by the aesthetic of Blade Runner. The “twist” of the episode — that Nova Prime has actually been working with Ronan to take over Xandar, and manipulated Nebula into setting it in motion because she’s a cyborg — also takes on a bit of Blade Runner‘s moral debate about androids.

Nebula’s internal monologue also narrates the majority of the episode — similar to Deckard’s controversial narration within the theatrical cut of Blade Runner. Although Scott did not want to use the narrative device in the film, it was added to the theatrical cut by studio executives in post-production, in order to convey information that was seen as too confusing for audiences. A decade later, Scott approved the release of a director’s cut of the film, which removes the narration entirely and makes several other changes. (Interestingly, parts of the voiceover were utilized in the 1982 comic adaptation of Blade Runner, which was coincidentally published by Marvel.)

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.

Note: If you purchase one of the awesome, independently chosen products featured here, we may earn a small commission from the retailer. Thank you for your support.