Eight years after a strange part of the Stark family’s history was introduced into live-action, Marvel Studios’What If…?has finally made it officially canon to theMCU.What If…?season 3 explored some of the weirdest realities that the Multiverse Saga series ever has, and debuted characters such as the Mech Avengers, Darcy Lewis and Howard the Duck’s hybrid daughter and 1872’s Shang-Chi and Kate Bishop. Oneepisode ofWhat If…?season 3, however, while detailing a cosmic Celestial-sized story, also brought something first seen in theAgent Carterseries into the MCU proper.
Seeing Agatha Harkness assume the power of the Celestials wasn’t the only interesting thing aboutWhat If…?season 3, episode 2, “What If… Agatha Went to Hollywood?” In fact,What If…?might have just brought Marvel Television’sAgent Carterseries one step closer to being made canon to the MCU’s main continuity of Earth-616, similarly to how Netflix’s Defenders Saga was in early 2024. It’s unclear exactly whyAgent Carterhasn’t been made MCU canonyet, butWhat If…?season 3’s new Stark development could finally make this happen.
What If…? Introduced Stark Pictures To The MCU
Howard Stark Filmed Agatha Harkness & Kingo In What If…?
What If…?season 3, episode 2, marked the debut of Stark Pictures in the MCU proper, with Howard Stark being revealed to have established his own film production company during the Golden Age of Hollywood. Hoping to revolutionize Hollywood,Stark filmed Agatha’s attempts to steal the Celestial Tiamut’s power, and eventually captured the witch’s dance-battle with the Eternal Kingo and her evolution into a Celestial on camera. This showed audiences a piece ofTony Stark’s family historythat had never before been seen in the MCU proper.
Throughout his career in the MCU,Howard Stark has always been shown as a man of science, but not at all as a man of entertainment. The MCU’sIron Manfranchise saw him so devoted to his work, he often neglected his son.Captain America: The First Avengersaw Howard as a young man, but still one embroiled in the world of science and development, whileAnt-ManandAvengers: Endgameunderlined how he was a founding member of SHIELD.What If…?season 3 opened new avenues forHoward Stark in the MCU, and this was also seen inAgent Carter.
Stark Pictures Was Previously Seen In Marvel TV’s Agent Carter Series
Agent Carter Season 2 Saw Howard Stark Branch Out Into Film
WhileAgent Carterseason 1was set in New York City, the second season of the Hayley Atwell-led series relocated to Los Angeles, and saw Howard Stark establish Stark Pictures. Back in 1947, Howard Stark founded Stark Pictures to revolutionize the movie industry, and set to work adapting the iconic comicKid Colt, Outlawfor screen.Stark hoped to broaden Hollywood’s horizons by not only capturing visible light on film, but also invisible light, such as infrared and x-rays. Despite his ambition, Stark’s lack of interest in the film business was also palpable.
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Stark ended up employing the help of some of his scantily-clad “production assistants” to help Peggy Carter infiltrate the Arena Club, hoping to investigate the mysterious Council of Nine.The Stark Pictures Studio Lot is later used by Carter, Stark and their team as the site of their rift, allowing them to defeat Whitney Frost. Unfortunately, Stark Pictures’Kid Colt, Outlawadaptation was never realized, and the production company was forgotten after 2016’sAgent Carterseason 2, untilWhat If…?season 3.
Agent Carter Could Easily Be Made MCU Canon
Agent Carter Doesn’t Ruin The MCU’s Continuity At All
The return of Stark Pictures inWhat If…?season 3 could hint at Marvel Studios beginning to tie the events ofAgent Carterinto the MCU’s main continuity. Following the establishment of Disney+ and Marvel Studios starting to create its own MCU-set TV shows,the previous Marvel Television shows were thought to have been removed from MCU canon, with some having veered far away anyway. This changed in January 2024, however, asNetflix’s Defenders Saga was integrated into the MCU’s main timelinealongsideEcho’spremiere, soAgent Cartercould get the same honor.
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Taking place in the wake ofCaptain America: The First Avenger, with season 1 set in 1946 and season 2 set in 1947,Agent Carterslots perfectly into the MCU’s timeline in betweenThe First Avengerand the 1995-setCaptain Marvel.Agent Carterdoesn’t contain anything that ruins the flow of the MCU’s official continuity, and, in fact, includes elements that enhance it. This includesJames D’Arcy’s Edwin Jarvis, who appeared inAvengers: Endgame, the Roxxon Company and the evolution of the Strategic Scientific Reserve into SHIELD.
Why Agent Carter Isn’t MCU Canon
Hayley Atwell Is Soon Returning To The MCU
Currently, the onlyAgent Carterproperty that is considered canon to the MCU is theAgent CarterOne-Shotthat was included in the home media release of 2013’sIron Man 3. This One-Shot inspired the long-form series ofAgent Carter, so it would make sense for this two-season show to be made MCU canon, but this hasn’t yet occurred. Produced byABC StudiosandMarvel Television,Agent Carterwas not specifically developed by Marvel Studios, but neither were Netflix’s Defenders Saga shows, so it’s unclear whyAgent Carterhasn’t repeated their canon shift.
The Defenders Saga becoming canon brings the likes of Charlie Cox’s Daredevil, Vincent D’Onofrio’s Kingpin, Deborah Ann Woll’s Karen Page, Elden Henson’s Foggy Nelson and Jon Bernthal’s Punisher, among many others, back to the MCU.
Marvel Studios could easily foldAgent Carterinto the MCU’s official timeline, and after the events ofWhat If…?season 3, episode 2, and the confirmation thatHayley Atwell is returning inAvengers: Doomsday, this could be on the cards.Atwell has portrayed Peggy Carter in the MCU sinceCaptain America: The First Avenger, though has more-recently become Captain Carter inWhat If…?andDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, so it’s uncertain what the future holds for her, but it would be great to see her come back to the MCU in moreAgent Carteradventures.
What If…?
Cast
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.
