When an episode is titled, “What if Tony Stark Crashed into the Grandmaster,” one can imagine the unpredictable nature of what is to unfold.
Voiced by Jeff Goldblum, the whimsical Grandmaster toys with his new friend and the technology he brings. This What If…? branch splinters at the conclusion of the Battle of New York, in the first Avengers movie where instead of crashing back on Earth, the portal closes and Stark winds up on Sakaar. Thanks to narration by Jeffery Wright’s Watcher, we learn this is more of an alternative origin story for one Daughter of Thanos, as Gamora arrives on Sakaar at the behest of her father. Apparently Thanos did not take too kindly to Iron Man single handedly destroying the invading fleet while the Avengers defeat the Chitauri on Earth.
We get a VIP view of the arena featuring some demolition-derby style racing. Imagine combining Mario Kart and F-Zero but racers adding an impossibly unlimited arsenal, along with death traps littered all over the track. I’d play that on Switch.
The episode is a fun romp through a tale of what might have been sees the lovable Korg joining the main story once more, as well as Valkyrie, voiced by Tessa Thompson. The key points to this episode link back to season one, where Tony Stark gets the curious armor he wore at the end of What If…? (and was also a heavily featured item in the What If…? Lego series at the time), but more importantly how Gamorra wields the Blade of Thanos as part of the Guardians of the Multiverse, who assembled in the final episode of the first season.
Can’t wait to see how these strings are all pulled together.
