What If season 2 reactions say the Marvel show is a lot of fun – with a great holiday episode

What If...? season 2
(Image credit: Disney/Marvel)

What If…? is returning to our screens very soon with season 2, meaning we can expect to see a whole host of new scenarios featuring our favorite Marvel heroes. 

Two episodes have screened to critics, and the good news is reactions have been very positive so far – with the animation and the holiday episode being highly praised. 

"The first two episodes of #WhatIf #WhatIfSeason2 are beautifully done. The stories were exciting & intriguing. It also brought in characters we don't get to see [much] in the live-action like Happy & other characters from Guardians! Animation is fantastic," says journalist Laura Sirikul.

"The real highlight of both episodes of What If that were shown is the animation. It's stunning, better than the first season. It captures action, emotion, and a whole range of emotion. Can't wait for more of What If," says That Hashtag Show's Hunter Bolding

"Just watched two episodes of #WhatIf season 2 & they were so much fun! Loved the holiday episode which referenced so many great Christmas movies! Plus a Nebula / Nova Corp one with tons of amazing surprise characters! Lots of laughs & great animation! Can't wait to see the rest!" says Mama's Geeky's Tessa Smith

"Just saw the first two episodes of #WhatIf Season 2, and it's definitely gotten more comfortable taking advantage of what the premise of the show can achieve – which is a good thing. Both installments featured fun surprises and some unexpected characters," says The Direct's Russ Milheim

Variety's Jazz Tangcay says: "Just screened the first two episodes of #WhatIf season 2. @MarvelStudios animation is awe-inspiring. The holiday special is filled with nods to the season and holiday films. Look out for the Die Hard homage. And there's @Laura_Karpman's score. She is having the best year." 

"Watched 2 episodes of the second season of #WhatIf and it is even stronger than the first! The animation is even smoother and the genre play continues to be fantastic! Nebula has a great arc and Happy Hogan is front and center in an episode perfect for the holiday season!" says Screen Rant's Caitlin Tyrrell

Critic Wendy Lee Szany says: "Just screened the first 2 eps of #WhatIf. Extremely entertaining and intriguing! First ep kicks it off with a dark thriller that follows Nebula and what if she joined the Nova Corp. 2nd ep has a more of a holiday theme that I won't spoil. Just know it's a fun one. #DisneyPlus" 

What If…? season 1 introduced us to the likes of Captain Carter and Strange Supreme, so we're expecting more multiverse-shaking revelations in the follow-up. We'll just have to wait and see to find out exactly what might be going down, though. 

What If…? season 2 begins on Disney Plus this December 22, with each of the nine episodes dropping daily after that. For more, check out our guide to all the upcoming Marvel movies and TV shows to fill out your watchlist. 

Molly Edwards
Senior Entertainment Writer

I'm a Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.