Strange Supreme returned in the season 2 finale for Marvel’s What If…?, and according to executive producer AC Bradley, they never really considered giving the hero-turned-villain his own redemption arc. In a new interview, the producer explained that while there’s always a temptation to redeem an “evil” version of a hero we all love, Strange Supreme works better as a tragic character, more Hamlet or Richard III than Anakin Skywalker. That certainly differentiates him from the “main” MCU Strange, and also helps to show off just how good some of the other characters are, especially Peggy Carter.
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Captain Carter — a version of Peggy who got the super soldier serum instead of Steve Rogers — showed up again this season, in spite of having died in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. She ended up being, essentially, the season’s primary lead, and it was pitting her against Strange Supreme that drove a lot of the creative decisions.
“When we were talking about bringing back Peggy, there was also about Strange Supreme and where would his story go?” Bradley told IGN. “I was very adamant that we wouldn’t redeem him because he’s made his choices. And he’s a tragic character; the Shakespearean definition of tragedy is that they never learn to make a different choice. They repeat the same mistake over and over again, which is what I wanted for Strange Supreme.”
The idea, also, is to give Captain Carter — a character who is fundamentally good — a foil. The two are so fundamentally different, that having them both carry over from the first season and have big roles here helps create some continuity and gives Carter a challenge worthy of her heroism.
“She’ll always make the choice, even if it’s at her own expense, which is why she’s the hero,” Bradley explained. “And why she is the one who had to go up against Strange Supreme.”
Season 2 of Marvel’s What If…?, which began premiering 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 Kahhori, 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.
You can watch the first two seasons of What If…? on Disney+ now.
