Here’s What ‘What if…?’ Writer Regrets About Doctor Strange Episode

A.C. Bradley, executive producer and What If…? writer regrets one detail in the fourth episode of the series, ‘What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart

By Mabel Judith Andrady
September 14,2021
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A.C. Bradley, executive producer and What If…? writer regrets one detail in the fourth episode of the series, ‘What If… Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?” In this Disney+ animated anthology series, Uatu the Watcher (Jeffrey Wright) narrates alternate versions of major events in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which is based on the comic series of the same name. As an example, in episode 4, Dr. Stephen Strange’s (Benedict Cumberbatch) fatal car accident didn’t strip him of his ability to manipulate objects with his hands. Sadly, he was robbed off of his genuine love, leaving him desperate to find it back again.

What happens in the original plot?

According to the plot, Strange journeys to Kamar-Taj after the death of his girlfriend, Christine Palmer (played by Rachel McAdams), and encounters The Ancient One, becomes a Master of the Mystic Arts and, eventually, deals with Dormammu to rescue the Earth. The Sorcerer Supreme, on the other hand, uses the Eye of Agamotto/Time Stone to revisit Christine’s death in an attempt to prevent her from dying again.

What If..? Doctor Strange

Odd adopts a darker course when this “Absolute Point” in time is shown to be irreversible. One of the finest episodes of What If…?, the episode has been praised by reviewers as well as fans alike

‘What if…?’ writer regrets using wrong titles

As part of a conversation with The GOAT Movie Podcast, Bradley comes clean. The showrunner talked about the one thing ‘What If…?’ writer regrets about in the Doctor Strange segment. The series’ chief writer talked about the challenges of producing an animated show that also happens to take place in a (kind of) interconnected cinematic universe.

“When you’re writing animation, you’re writing so far into the future that you can’t think four years down the line. That Doctor Strange episode, I wrote in February of 2019. I think I should’ve called it a Nexus Point instead of an Absolute Point. The Loki scripts weren’t even written yet, so that animatic locked before Loki even finished their scripts because you’re always writing about two years ahead of animation. It’s kind of intense and insane.”

A lot of what people believed they understood about the MCU was shattered by Loki. Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) killed He Who Remains and liberated the Multiverse in the season 1 finale, thereby making What If…storylines ?’s canonical entries in the MCU in addition to establishing specific terms.

Fans love MCU despite its inconsistencies 

Doctor Strange in What If...?
Doctor Strange in What If…?

Many fans have argued online over what an “Absolute Point” is, therefore Christine’s death in episode 4 should’ve been labeled as “Nexus Event” to avoid misunderstanding. Inconsistencies haven’t stopped viewers from enjoying the show, though. On Twitter, Doctor Strange co-writer C. Robert Cargill lauded episode 4, calling it a career-high point to witness the What If…? version of his film.

Marvel Studios has done a commendable job of maintaining a sense of continuity. It’s common for showrunners, directors, and writers of different projects to not speak to one other, but there are “in the know” individuals at the studio that supervise everything. When it comes to the live-action projects, Bradley has worked ahead of schedule, which will need to be addressed if What If…? is going to stay on track and prevent tiny blunders.

Another season of the program has already been announced, and additional Marvel animated projects are in the pipeline. To make things even more fascinating, Marvel Studios’ head of animation has hinted that crossovers between animated and live-action MCU titles will occur.