What If…?  is the latest Marvel Studios project to arrive on our small screens on Disney +.

The animated anthology series, created by Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia writer A.C. Bradley and Marvel vet Bryan Andrews flips the script on the MCU as following the creation of the multiverse in Loki’s first season finale, What If…? reimagines famous events from the films in unexpected ways.

With each episode centred around different characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, What If…? has truly told each of the stories within different genres beginning with Captain Carter set in WWII, then a space heist with T’Challa’s Star-Lord, and last week an Avengers murder mystery with a shocking twist. 

Episode four takes my favourite Bleecker Street sorcerer, Dr. Stephen Strange and sees his origin retold and reshaped in this alternate universe. The Watcher is carefully keeping an eye on Strange as although a tiny bit different, Doctor Strange’s origin story from the 2016 movie is still here. The Nexus point aka The What If…? moment is that Christine and strange never parted ways. So this means instead of Strange going to his award ceremony alone on that tragic night, Christine was with him and unfortunately now in that car crash. 

This episode does a brilliant job of showing us the circumstances that would end up making Dr. Stephen Strange a much darker sorcerer in this alternate timeline. It truly was an emotional rollercoaster and definitely gives us hints on what we can hopefully expect In The Multiverse of Madness. 

This episode is the most human one yet. The lessons episode four tell is that love can truly break more than just your heart , it can shatter your mind. Its a relentless heartbreaking story of love, grief and shows a fine line between devotion and delusion. 

“We have watched how one moment, one choice, can ripple across space and time, giving birth to new stories, heroes, whole universes. But what if it’s the wrong choice? What if the best of intentions has very strange consequences?”

The watcher

What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?

Synopsis

A grief-stricken Doctor Strange uses the Eye of Agamotto in a dangerous effort to change the past.

Review

The core of this what If…? episode takes place after the events of Doctor Strange with Stephen using the Eye of Agamotto in a desperate attempt to save the love of his life, Christine. He becomes consumed with finding a spell that can bring her back to life. 

A montage then occurs as Strange uses the time stone by changing realities and to save Christine. Unfortunately no matter how many times he goes through the loop, Christine dies no matter what he does, this is truly heartbreaking.

This episode also features the returned MCU actors who lend their voices to their titular character. 

Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong and Tilda Swinton. The latter as the Ancient One who warns Strange about the laws of time travel and establishing that moments like these must happen and cannot be changed. So if Stephen did save Christine he would never find the mystic arts, never defeat Dormamu and ultimately Strange would never become the Sorcerer Supreme. 

Strange however refuses to give up and instead finds a way to defeat the laws of the universe.

Without spoiling any more, this episode perfectly represents the type of stories What If…? should continue with. It adds tons of depth and dimension to the character which ultimately is talking plenty of risks. We realise how far the manipulation of time can go, It shows just like Wanda that Stephen is so powerful that he too can alter the reality around him. Both Wanda and Strange have done this in order to safe the life of or preserve a love one. 

Episode 4 is definitely my favourite of the series so far.