Draft:What If... the Emergence Destroyed the Earth?

"**What If... the Emergence Destroyed the Earth?**"
"What If... the Emergence Destroyed the Earth?"
What If...? episode
Episode no.	Season 3; Episode 5
Directed by	Stephan Franck
Story by	Bryan Andrews; Matthew Chauncey; Ryan Little;
Teleplay by	Matthew Chauncey; Ryan Little;
Editing by	Anton Capaldo-Smith
Original release date	December 26, 2024
Running time	32 minutes
Cast
	Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams / Ironheart; Alejandro Saab as Quentin Beck / Mysterio; Emily VanCamp as Sharon Carter / Power Broker; Kenna Ramsey as Okoye; David Chen as Wong; Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie; Michelle Wong as Ying Nan; Jason Isaacs as the Eminence; D. C. Douglas as the Incarnate; Darin De Paul as the Executioner;
Episode chronology
← Previous; "What If... Howard the Duck Got Hitched?"	Next →; "What If... 1872?"
	What If...? season 3
	List of episodes

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"What If... the Emergence Destroyed the Earth?" is the fifth episode of the third season and 23th episode overall of the American animated television series What If...?, based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name. It follows Riri Williams and a group of rebels seeking to end Quentin Beck's totalitarian regime after the Emergence shattered Earth apart. The episode was written by Bryan Andrews, Matthew Chauncey and Ryan Little and directed by Stephan Franck.

Jeffrey Wright narrates the series as the Watcher, with this episode also starring the voices of Dominique Thorne, Alejandro Saab, Emily VanCamp, Kenna Ramsey, David Chen, Tessa Thompson, Michelle Wong, Jason Isaacs, D. C. Douglas, and Darin De Paul.

"What If... the Emergence Destroyed the Earth?" was released on Disney+ on December 26, 2024.

Plot

In an alternate future, the Earth was split apart by the Emergence years before the Eternals could stop it. Quentin Beck has overtaken Stark Industries, creating an army of drones called the Iron Federation to subjugate the survivors.

In the present, Riri Williams is recruited by Wong, Okoye, Valkyrie, and Ying Nan to join their "Alliance". After defeating Beck's lieutenant Vision, Riri uses his components to become a human-synthezoid hybrid. While the Alliance holds off the Federation, Riri infiltrates Beck's base to destroy the nanites powering his illusion. However, her suit fails and she loses the ability to see through Beck's illusions and is lured into a prison cell where Beck explains that he uploaded the nanites into himself, meaning he can control illusions with his mind. The nanites are also killing him, so he intends to merge with Vision to live longer.

Riri breaks free, only to learn that her comrades are dead and everything since Vision's defeat has been an illusion. Not willing to see another universe fail, the Watcher intervenes by encouraging Riri to fight back, so she siphons the nanites off Beck's body, killing him and shuts down the Federation. Riri then projects the Avengers logo into the sky to give the survivors hope, inspiring them into undoing Beck's empire.

Elsewhere, three other Watchers (the Eminence, the Incarnate and the Executioner) are displeased by the Watcher's continued interference, and agree to continue watching him.

Production

Development

TBD

Casting

Jeffrey Wright narrates the episode as the Watcher,^[1] with Marvel planning to have other characters in the series voiced by the actors who portrayed them in the MCU films.^[2]^[3] The episodes stars Dominique Thorne, Alejandro Saab, Emily VanCamp, Kenna Ramsey, David Chen, Tessa Thompson, Michelle Wong, Jason Isaacs, D. C. Douglas, and Darin De Paul.

Animation

Reception

Notes

References

External links

"What If... the Emergence Destroyed the Earth?" at IMDb

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