What If…?
Warning : This article contain SPOILERS for What If … ? season 2 episode 3 .
Summary
Marvel’sWhat If … ?season 2 episode 3 is a gay joyfulness , paying homage to definite Christmas movieDie Hard , and making Happy Hogan ( Jon Favreau ) the hero . The animated instalment is easily one of the most funMCUreleases , and perfectly match up to the emotional state of the season . There ’s humour , heart , and a new eccentric of Hulk forthe Marvel timeline : everything you could ever want for Christmas .
But what does it all mean ? And how well does theDie Hardparody actually work ? These questions and more are answered in this full explainer of " What If Happy Hogan Saved Christmas ? " Along the direction there ’s a pinch of a major event in Hulk ’s story afterAvengers : Endgame ’s conclusion , a hint of Armor Wars ' baddie ’s future , and an examination of what really make an Avenger an Avenger .
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What If…?’s Die Hard Parody Explained
" What If Happy Hogan spare Christmas ? " is essentially a modishly observedDie Hardhomage . In place of Alan Rickman ’s Hans Gruber , Justin Hammer plays the invading baddie , and the Avengers Tower stands in for the Nakatomi Plaza . well-chosen , of course , is John McClane and Darcy Lewis ( Kat Dennings ) is his Al Powell ( Reginald VelJohnson ) , as she identify herself in a particularly meta moment .
All the major moments get referenced , from Happy crawl through the vents , to put a villain in the elevator ( though this clip it ’s a fashion model ) , and Gruber ’s iconic decease ( though it ’s countermine by Happy saving Hammer from destruction ) . There are obviously difference - John McClane did n’t use Bruce Banner ’s blood to turn into a Hulk to save the day as Happy does - but it ’s an lovesome and absolutely time pastiche .
The " what if … ? " element - as if it really matters - is what if Justin Hammer took revenge on Iron Man by infiltrating the Avengers towboat and taking over the defense systems including the Iron Legion . Naturally , it just so happens that the Avengers are out on promotional duties and JARVIS is down for repair . at long last , Happy takes down Hammer himself after accidentally being transformed into a Hulk when the original architectural plan to bring up the Tower ’s defense with a backup AI ( uproariously style on Werner Herzog ) fails .
The X - Men are on their way to joining the MCU , but despite having telepaths on the squad , they ’ll have trouble overwhelm one of the Hulk ’s baron .
Tony Stark’s Hulk Cure Explained
As Happy fell from Hammer and the hijacked Iron Legion drones , who are seeking to steal a ampul of Bruce Banner ’s blood to turn Hammer into a Hulk , it ’s revealed that Stark was developing a Hulk cure . Interestingly , it seems Iron Man ’s experiment seek to keep Banner ’s ability to transform into the Hulk , but without the ire progeny .
While it may seem strange that Stark does n’t look to cure Banner outright , that actually fits with what ’s established elsewhere in the MCU . InShe - Hulk , it ’s revealed Iron Man built Hulk ’s lab in Mexico to help him transform into Smart Hulk . It could be that Stark ’s earlier experiments led to the January 6 that Hulk could never be “ cure ” , lead in turn to Banner and Stark hypothetizing that balance was the only therapeutic . And there is some suggestion that Stark actually prise the Hulk too much to lose his influence as one of Earth ’s defenders .
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Cast
What If … ? is an animated anthology serial publication arrange in the Marvel Cinematic Universe which have buff - favorite characters , include Peggy Carter , T’Challa , Doctor Strange , Killmonger , Thor , and more . The new serial , directed by Bryan Andrews with AC Bradley as mind writer , feature signature MCU natural process with a curious twist . The show sees Uatu the Watcher , an all-powerful being that observe the event of multiple universe from afar as they unfold , unable to interfere . However , thing shift when an entity peers beyond the humeral veil , jeopardizing the multiverse .
Why Happy Hogan’s Hulk Is Purple (And Speaks)
The major differences between Happy Hogan ’s Hulk chromosomal mutation and Banner ’s are the color and the fact that he can verbalise . Happy Hulk is purple ( and bald like The Abomination despite both Hulk and She - Hulk having hair ) . Perhaps modified versions of pure Hulk ancestry make more monstrous mutation ?
In the funnies , the most spectacular Purple Hulk was Norman Osborn who used powers taken from Super - Adaptoid to slip Red Hulk ’s powers and transform . His purple coloring is never really addressed . But the other Purple Hulk from the comics suggests the color links to unbelievable evil . InIncredible Hulk # 371Hulk is possessed by Shangar , the Sorceror Supreme of the Dark Dimension ( who became the Dark Entity in the animated adjustment ) . Possessed , Banner became Dark Hulk and sour purple ( at least in the animatedIncredible Hulkseries of 1996 where the coloring material was let on ) .
Super - Adaptoid was an Android create by AIM in Marvel Comics using the Cosmic Cube which had the ability to absorb the powers of any superhero it came into contact with .
What If… ? is an animated anthology series set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe which features fan-favorite characters, including Peggy Carter, T’Challa, Doctor Strange, Killmonger, Thor, and more. The new series, directed by Bryan Andrews with AC Bradley as head writer, features signature MCU action with a curious twist. The show sees Uatu the Watcher, an omnipotent being that observes the events of multiple universes from afar as they unfold, unable to interfere. However, things shift when an entity peers beyond the veil, jeopardizing the multiverse.
Happy ’s Purple Hulk would break the trend of supervillains turning Hulk purple , though he does visibly fight the influence of the Hulk with his own personality . So perhaps purple here does also mean malign , and Happy ’s lawful major power was just being enough of a great guy wire to neutralize it .
What is clear is that whatever Tony Stark did to Bruce Banner ’s blood , it created an early version ofEndgame ’s Smart Hulk , because Happy is still able to talk when he becomes Purple Hulk . Notably , both the original Hulk and Abomination were specify in their power to talk , because neither were able to control their craze : She - Hulk was an exclusion , because her experience as a woman train her to control her rage , so she never lost control entirely . glad explicitly mentions Stark working on a mean value to control Hulk ’s ire issues , suggesting the key to communication is simply not being angry .
InShe - Hulk , Emil Blonsky is able to verbalize commonly as Abomination because he has achieved a United States Department of State of internal balance and peace treaty .
What If…? Sets Up Justin Hammer’s Powerful MCU Return
At one point , Justin Hammer uncover that he ’s gained considerable martial liberal arts skills in prison after the events ofIron Man 2 . In the fellowship of criminals , Hammer learned a issue of martial art disciplines in the prison house cubic yard , suggesting his expect life - action return could see an improved villain all round . Interestingly , that would also make him a lot more like Tony Stark , who is established as a hand - to - hand fight expert in the MCU .
What Marvel’s What If…? Says About The Avengers As An Idea
Seeking mystifying meaning in a cartoon that parodiesDie Hardand have a John McClane Hulk bumbling his way through a commission to carry through his superhero booster might seem pointless , but it ’s utterly there . What If … ?season 2 episode 3 subtly explores what it really think to be an Avenger : it ’s not just about using your superpowers , but about doing your duty in the face of serious hardship .
On top of that , Happy ’s initial error in let Hammer take over Avengers Tower so easily resound the experience of almost every original Avenger . Each had bolshie in their ledger , to borrow Black Widow ’s most far-famed catchphrase , and it was only in atoning for those mistakes that they became Earth ’s Mightiest Heroes . well-chosen effectively realize his Avengers stripes because of his recovery , and not just his newly gained powers .
fresh episodes ofWhat If … ?season 2 freeing every day until December 30 , on Disney+
