Marvel’s What If...? — How to watch episode 1 now on Disney Plus

Marvel's What If...?
(Image credit: Marvel)

Marvel's What If...? just debuted its first episode today (August 11) on Disney Plus, and it opens up a multitude (or is it a multiverse?) of possibilities for the superheroes and villains whose adventures we've been watching for years. 

Marvel's What If...? episode 1 release date and time

Release time and date: 3 a.m. ET on Wednesday, August 11
Cast: Jeffrey Wright, Chadwick Boseman, Sebastian Stan
Director: Bryan Andrews
Head writer: AC Bradley
Episodes: 9

Speaking of watching, the central thread of the series is a character we've yet to see in the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Uatu the Watcher. Voiced by Jeffrey Wright, Uatu lives on the Blue Area of the moon, where he observes Earth. In the past he's interfered with human matters to save the world, and could appear in the upcoming Marvel Fantastic Four movie, since he's played a part in stopping Galactus.

For now, though, he'll be our tour guide in a series of episodes that tell tales of what could have been. One long-awaited episode will see Marvel heroes become zombies, while another wonders what if Peggy Carter was the one who got the super serum, and not Steve Rogers.

Most notably, Marvel's What If...? will give us Chadwick Boseman's final portrayal of T'Challa, the Black Panther. Except this time T'Challa will also be Star-Lord. Who knows what this means for Peter Quill.

Marvel and Disney have not revealed the subjects of each episode, but we've got a bunch of other good ideas of what we're going to get. For example, the poster for What If...? shows Spider-Man wearing Doctor Strange's billowing cape. Just don't be expecting to hear Tom Holland's voice: his contract is with Sony (not Disney) and so we may hear someone else speak from under the web-slinger's mask.

How to watch Marvel's What If...? on Disney Plus

Marvel's What If...? will jump around realities, but it will stay in the same place when it comes time to hit play: Disney Plus. 

For example, What If...? episode 1 debuts at 3 a.m. ET on Wednesday, August 9, and that should give you a good idea on when the next edition arrives.

Disney Plus
$7.99 at disneyplus.com

Disney Plus gives you access to the entire Disney vault of classics like Frozen, The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast as well as newer hits like The Mandalorian, Hamilton and more. Get the most value with the $13.99 bundle that throws in Hulu and ESPN Plus.

How to watch Marvel's What If...? internationally

Disney Plus is available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mauritius, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, so it's not going to be tough to get access.

Marvel's What If...? episodes schedule

Episodes arrive weekly at 3 a.m. going from the premiere in mid-August to the finale in early October. 

  • Wednesday, Aug. 11: What If...? episode 1 — What If... Captain Carter Were The First Avenger?
  • Wednesday, Aug. 18: What If...? episode 2
  • Wednesday, Aug. 25: What If...? episode 3
  • Wednesday, Sept. 1: What If...? episode 4
  • Wednesday, Sept. 8: What If...? episode 5
  • Wednesday, Sept. 15: What If...? episode 6
  • Wednesday, Sept. 22: What If...? episode 7
  • Wednesday, Sept. 29: What If...? episode 8
  • Wednesday, Oct. 6: What If...? episode 9 (season finale)
Henry T. Casey
Managing Editor (Entertainment, Streaming)

Henry is a managing editor at Tom’s Guide covering streaming media, laptops and all things Apple, reviewing devices and services for the past seven years. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he reviewed software and hardware for TechRadar Pro, and interviewed artists for Patek Philippe International Magazine. He's also covered the wild world of professional wrestling for Cageside Seats, interviewing athletes and other industry veterans.