‘What If…?’ Episode 7 Is Full of Marvel Easter Eggs
Thanks to a tiny change in his early life, fans saw a completely different side to Thor in What If…? Episode 7. This event created a divergent universe, hence the premise of the animated Marvel Disney+ series. The change in Thor’s personality allowed the writers of What If…? to have fun and include a plethora of hidden Easter eggs in the show’s latest installment.
‘What If…?’ Episode 7 recap
In What If…? Episode 7, ” What If… Thor Were an Only Child?,” Odin returned Loki to the Frost Giants when he was a baby. So, unlike in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor and Loki did not grow up as brothers. Once Thor is older, it’s clear that Loki was the one who turned the God of Thunder into a responsible, rule-following Asgardian. Without Loki, Thor became a party-loving man child without a care in the world.
Thor travels to Earth to throw the biggest party in the universe, and he invites aliens and beings from across the galaxy. His presence alerts Jane Foster and Darcy Lewis, who then inform S.H.I.E.L.D. of Thor’s arrival. S.H.I.E.L.D., led by Maria Hill, contacts Captain Marvel to help stop Thor’s party because of the destruction it is causing. Unfortunately, Captain Marvel cannot stop Thor’s antics because she cannot use her full power without killing millions of people. Jane then contacts Thor’s mother, Frigga.
Thor, knowing his mother is coming to Earth, cleans up his mess. After Thor asks Jane out on a date, an army of drones arrives on Earth, led by Ultron in Vision’s body, wielding the Infinity Gauntlet with all of the stones.
Some of the Easter eggs we found in episode 7
First of all, many characters from the MCU appear in episode 7, even though some of them don’t have speaking parts. The background characters include Valkyrie, Drax, Surtur, Nebula, Skurge, the Grandmaster, Topaz, Mantis, Rocket, Sovereign members, Korg, Miek, Skrulls, and Yondu.
In one of the opening scenes, the Infinity Gauntlet is seen in Odin’s trophy room with all of the stones. Unlike in the MCU, this one appears to be the real gauntlet. Later on, when Thor is drinking a beer, he mentions that the drink never runs out, which might be referring to his scene with Doctor Strange in Thor: Ragnarok. Also, it’s hard to ignore Rocket’s involvement in the scene where Thor, Jane, and others are passed out in a hotel room the morning following a big party. Bradley Cooper voices Rocket in the films, and Cooper was also in The Hangover films. There is also a fun scene where Captain Marvel nearly gets hit by Mjolnir, a callout to a similar scene in Avengers: Endgame.
What If…? writer AC Bradley discussed the fun in writing episode 7 with Entertainment Weekly. She said, “It should be Easter egg heaven. I hope people have fun with the one this week because it’s not as bombastic world-ending as other episodes. The mandate for me when I was writing it was, I just want to have fun, I just want to be silly. It’s a lot sillier than anything you’d see in the MCU. It should be an episode to watch with a beer.”
What’s in store for the remainder of ‘What If…?’ Season 1?
What If…? Episode 7 is definitely a fun half-hour, but the ending could hold real consequences for the MCU. Many of What If…?‘s episodes end in cliffhangers with the promise that the anthological stories will continue somehow before the series ends. The final two episodes are still a mystery, but the mid-season trailer gives fans a taste of what’s to come.
We have yet to see Strange Supreme return after his stint in episode 4, but it seems that he and Thor share a scene in one of the final two episodes. Also, in the trailer, Captain Carter is seen fighting alongside the Avengers.
If we had to predict what the final two episodes of What If…? will look like, we would say that episode 8 will be similar to the ones before it. A whole new story and universe will be introduced. Then, in the finale, the individual stories of the season will come together to form an epic, jam-packed final outing. And, perhaps, the Ultron Vision we saw at the end of episode 7 will be the villain at the center of it all.
What If…? airs Wednesdays on Disney+.
