From Ghost Rider, Thanosverine & Sorcerer Hulk to Deadpool: Every Multiverse Character Hidden In What If…?’s Ending

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Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for What If…? Season 3, episode 8Marvel reveals nineteen new MCU characters from alternate universes in What If…? season 3 episode 8. Throughout three seasons, What If…? offered a rather brief glimpse at some of the countless timelines in the Marvel multiverse. From Infinity Ultron in What If…? season 1 to Kahhori in What If…? season 2 to Howard the Duck’s baby Byrdie and the Celestial-powered Agatha Harkness in What If…? season 3, some of the MCU’s most powerful characters made their debut in Marvel Studios’ first anthology series.

What If…? season 3 episode 8 sees the Watchers’ attempt to punish Uatu intercepted by Captain Carter, Storm, Kahhori, and Byrdie. Thanks to the heroes’ oath to become Watchers themselves, Uatu is saved, and the other Watches agree to let his intervention go unpunished. As Uatu reflects on the infinite possibilities in the Marvel multiverse, the What If…? season 3 finale’s closing montage reveals a few characters who inhabit some of the alternate timelines the MCU still hasn’t explored yet.

1

Six-Armed Spider-Man

A mutated Spider-Man with eight limbs. In the comics, Peter Parker ingests a special serum in an attempt to remove his powers, but it backfires and causes the opposite effect, giving him four extra arms. Curiously, a 1992 issue of What If…? follows a Spider-Man variant who couldn’t get rid of his extra limbs by any means. On the bright side, this unlucky variant is able to save Gwen Stacy from the Green Goblin.

2

Samurai Ghost Rider / Ghost Ronin

The Samurai Of Vengeance Might Be Among The Most Powerful Ghost Riders

Samurai Ghost Rider a.k.a. Ghost Ronin in Marvel Comics

An Edo-period samurai possessed by the Spirit of Vengeance. In What If…? season 3 episode 8’s ending, the Ghost Ronin wears a classic samurai armor, wields a flaming katana, and rides a black horse. In the comics, Ghost Ronin is the moniker adopted by Marvel’s adaptation of the real-life warrior Miyamoto Musashi, renowned for his swordsmanship. Carrying Zarathos inside of him, Ghost Ronin helps the time-traveling Avengers fight Mephisto in Edo Japan.

3

Punisher Ironheart

Riri Williams Wields High-Tech Weapons As An Alternate-Universe Punisher

A Riri Williams variant who uses her tech knowledge to become the Punisher instead of Ironheart. The first fully original character in What If…? season 3 episode 8’s ending montage, Riri Williams wields several weapons and sports Frank Castle’s iconic skull-shaped Punisher emblem on her shirt. Whereas Frank Castle usually carries a few regular weapons like handguns and machine guns, Punisher Riri wields laser-based gatting guns, cannons, and a machine akin to a grappling hook.

4

Witch Gamora

Gamora Resembles Frankenstein’s Monster And Rides A Broom

Gamora with a polaroid in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

An undead Gamora variant with traditional witch elements. This version of Gamora sports shiny black eyes and a tattered white dress while riding a broom. Agatha All Along confirmed that broom-riding is an actual practice in the MCU, though witches like Agatha consider it to be an annoying and stereotypical tradition. Gamora’s witch appearance hints at her knowledge of sorcery, which might be possible in space given the existence of Krugarr — a magic-wielding member of Stakar Ogord’s Ravager team, introduced in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

5

Moon Knight Blade

Moon Knight Blade Makes His Debut In What If…? Before Marvel Zombies

Blade Moon Knight's eyes shine in Marvel Zombies

A Blade variant who gets chosen by Khonshu to be his avatar. What If…?‘s Moon Knight Blade wears a white costume and a black half-mask, and he sports glowing white eyes. Moon Knight Blade will make his official MCU debut in the 2025 Disney+ show Marvel Zombies, where he will hunt zombified Marvel characters instead of vampires. This Blade’s cameo at the end of What If…? season 3 means that three different Blade variants have been introduced before Mahershala Ali’s live-action character appears in the MCU’s long-delayed Blade movie.

6

The Thanosverine

Thanos Gets Wolverine’s Adamantium Claws In An Alternate Universe

A mash-up of Josh Brolin’s Mad Titan with Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine. The existence of a Wolverine Thanos suggests that a version of Weapon X took place on Titan, possibly before the planet collapsed. It’s also possible that this Thanos wasn’t only born with a mutation that made him purple, but also with an extra mutation that gave him bone claws, which presumably were later covered in Adamantium from a Celestial.

7

Kingo Iron Man

Kingo Becomes The Invincible Iron Man Instead Of Tony Stark

Kingo in What If Season 3 Episode 2 smiling

Kumail Nanjiani’s Kingo wears an Iron Man suit in an alternate universe. What If…? season 3 episode 2 features a Kingo variant who works as an actor, similarly to his Earth-616 counterpart. However, this Kingo stars in a classic Hollywood movie made by Howard Stark. If What If…?‘s Hollywood Howard Stark variant suddenly chooses to adopt his main variant’s profession, he could create an Iron Man armor for Kingo. Thus, Kingo could become Iron Man before Tony Stark is even born.

8

Wasp Ms. Marvel

Kamala Khan And Janet Van Dyne’s Quantum Powers Combine

Either Wasp enhanced with Kamala Khan’s energy powers or Kamala Khan wearing the size-shifting Wasp suit. Wasp and Ms. Marvel’s powers may be more closely intertwined than they seem, as Kamala Khan’s bangles seem to have ties to the multiverse, and Janet van Dyne acquired quantum powers during her time in the Quantum Realm. Janet also befriended Kang the Conqueror, who may have wanted to obtain Ms. Marvel’s bangles and Shang-Chi’s Ten Rings before his death.

9

Sorcerer Maestro Hulk

Hulk’s Evil Alter Ego Maestro Becomes Sorcerer Supreme Before Benedict Cumberbatch’s Doctor Strange

Maestro as a bearded Hulk in Marvel Comics

Hulk’s older self performs magical spells and wears the Cloak of Levitation. Maestro is Hulk’s older, evil, and extremely powerful persona from a future timeline. What If…? season 3 episode 8’s ending montage takes Maestro one step further and makes him a sorcerer. Knowing What If…?’s wild takes on Marvel characters, the sorcerer Maestro variant might not only be a magic-wielding Hulk, but a full-fledged Sorcerer Supreme.

10

Scarlet Wizard Howard The Duck

Howard The Duck Wields Chaos Magic As A Scarlet Witch Variant

Howard the Duck playing cards in Knowhere in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

A mash-up of Hank Green’s Howard the Duck and Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch. Whereas Howard the Duck fathered one of the most powerful beings in his universe in What If…? season 3 episode 4, the Howard the Duck variant seen at the end of What If…? season 3 episode 8 somehow obtained a powerful source of power all by himself. Somehow, this Howard wields Wanda Maximoff’s Chaos magic and wears an outfit similar to the Scarlet Witch’s, which might earn him the name of “Scarlet Wizard”.

11

Demon Hawkeye

What If…? Casually Drops A Demon Dinosaur Clint Barton

Hawkeye from the prime Marvel Comics reality of Earth-616 standing up and holding his bow

A Dino-Hawkeye wearing his classic purple costume. Not to be confused with Moon Girl’s best friend Devil Dinosaur, a demonic dinosaur-like Hawkeye prepares to shoot an arrow from his bow in What If…? season 3 episode 8’s closing montage. Jeremy Renner’s Clint Barton has never worn his classic comic-accurate costume in the MCU, but the suit made a cameo in Hawkeye episode 3.

12

Dazzler Silver Surfer

The MCU Drops A Nod To A Classic What If…? Issue

Dazzler as Galactus’ Herald, equipped with the Silver Surfer’s surfboard and the Power Cosmic. Herald Dazzler might seem like an odd mash-up at first, but Alison Blaire a.k.a. Dazzler actually became Galactus’ Herald in the comics. In 1982’s What If…? #33, Galactus provides Dazzler with the Power Cosmic, and Dazzler convinces Galactus to consume planets devoid of sentient beings. Dazzler is one of the few Marvel characters who managed to mellow down the Devourer of Worlds.

13

Skrull Captain America

What If…? Season 3 References Marvel Comics’ Original Secret Invasion Storyline

Skrull posing as Captain America in Marvel Comics' Secret Invasion

Comic-accurate Skrull posing as Captain America. Marvel Comics’ Secret Invasion storyline saw the rise of the shapeshifting Skrulls on Earth, who posed as many famous heroes, including Captain America himself, before revealing their true appearances. The MCU’s Secret Invasion adaptation skipped the Skrulls’ infiltration of the Avengers, but What If…? season 3 episode 9 drops a reference to the Skrull Avengers in the form of Skrull Captain America.

14

Old-Timey Dane Whitman & Sersi

Black Knight And Sersi Are Already A Couple In A What If…? Timeline

Dane Whitman and Sersi watching Arishem return to Earth.

Dane Whitman and Sersi dance in 1920s or 1930s attire. Kit Harington’s Dane Whitman and Gemma Chan’s Sersi developed a deep bond before Arishem arrived to capture Sersi in Eternals. Meanwhile, What If…? season 3 episode 2 introduced a powerful Agatha Harkness who somehow stole the powers of several Eternals. Perhaps the Sersi variant seen at the end of What If? season 3 episode 8 escaped from Agatha Harkness in What If…?‘s season 3’s 1930s timeline and fell in love with Dane Whitman.

15

Armed-To-The-Teeth Deadpool

Deadpool May Have Killed The Marvel Universe In An Alternate MCU Timeline

Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe in Marvel Comics

A Deadpool variant who wields a whole arsenal of weapons. This Deadpool variant looks quite similar to both Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool and the main Wade Wilson from the comics. However, the weapons on this Deadpool’s back suggest that he’s deadlier than usual. It’s possible that the Deadpool at the end of What If…? season 3 episode 8’s ending is the one who stars in the Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe storyline, which takes place in an alternate timeline in the comics.

16

Young Hela

A Child Hela Variant Looks Just As Villainous In What If…? Season 3

Hela meeting Thor and Loki in Thor Ragnarok

Child Hela wearing her MCU Goddess of Death costume. Thor: Ragnarok revealed that Odin had conquered the Nine Realms alongside Hela long before Thor and Loki were born. However, the MCU never showed a young Hela on screen. In What If…? season 3 episode 8, Hela looks almost exactly like Cate Blanchett’s Goddess of Death, only around 12 years old — a similar age to Loki season 1’s Kid Loki.

17

Shang-Chi Star-Lord / Star-Lord Wielding The Ten Rings

What If…? Season 3 Introduces Yet Another Star-Lord Variant With A Twist

Shang-Chi in a fighting stance using the Ten Rings

Either Shang-Chi merging the Ten Rings with Star-Lord’s equipment and mask or Peter Quill wielding the Ten Rings. What If…? season 3 episode 1’s Mecha-Avengers line-up includes a Shang-Chi who adapts a large version of the Ten Rings into his mecha suit. Similarly, this Shang-Chi variant might have used the Ten Rings’ energy to power his Star-Lord technology. Otherwise, this could be a version of Peter Quill who found the Ten Rings in space before they reached Wenwu.

18

Classic Lady Loki

Comic-Accurate Lady Loki Makes A Blink-And-You-Miss-It Cameo In What If…? Season 3

A black-haired female Loki variant wearing her comic-accurate green costume. Loki season 1 introduced a female Loki variant who left her Loki identity behind and adopted the name “Sylvie”. Sophia DiMartino’s Sylvie is a combination of Marvel’s second Enchantress and Loki’s female form. In both the comics and Norse mythology, Loki often shapeshifts back and forth between man and woman. What If…? season 3’s Lady Loki could be a variant of the original Loki who shapeshifted into his female form.

19

White Witch / Amalgam Comics’ Zatanna & Scarlet Witch Mash-Up

Wanda Maximoff’s White Scarlet Witch Costume Might Be A Nod To DC Comics

A Wanda Maximoff variant wearing a white-and-red Scarlet Witch costume. Like every other Marvel character, Scarlet Witch has gone through many costumes in the comics. But besides Wanda’s white costume from the Marvel Rivals video game, her only notable white costume is the White Witch suit. The White Witch’s real name is Wanda Zatara — a mashup of Marvel Comics’ Wanda Maximoff and DC Comics’ Zatanna Zatara, introduced in Marvel and DC’s short-lived joint comic book line Amalgam Comics.