What If... Agatha Went to Hollywood?

Cinema has always been a portal of wonder, an art form that sells not just stories, but dreams, ambition, and the glitz of glamour to audiences worldwide. From the golden glow of Old Hollywood to the vibrant energy of Bollywood, the silver screen unites countless cultures under the shared magic of storytelling. "What If...?", Season 3, Episode 2: "What If... Agatha Went to Hollywood?" is a testament to this global love of cinema, blending Marvel's vast mythos with a heartfelt homage to the Golden Age of Hollywood and the extravagance of world cinema, as well as its ability to change the lives of virtually everyone.

The episode brilliantly captures the charm of 1940s Hollywood, from the romanticized aesthetics of film sets to the larger-than-life personas of its stars. Howard Stark, the charismatic tycoon-turned-director, takes center stage in a role that feels as fitting as it is fresh, embodying the fast-talking, cigar-chomping spirit of classic auteurs. But the real star of the show is Agatha Harkness, whose mysterious allure perfectly complements the glitzy, black-and-white world of Stark Pictures' big productions. The story doesn't stop at paying tribute to just one cinematic tradition. The inclusion of Kingo, the Eternal-turned-Bollywood superstar, elevates the episode to an international level. A stunning musical number midway through, complete with dazzling costumes and synchronized choreography, feels like a love letter to Bollywood's larger-than-life storytelling. The sequence seamlessly intertwines with the plot, showing just how effectively this episode marries cultural homage with Marvel's superhero drama. Fans of 2021's "Eternals" will rejoice at Kingo's return, as he brings his trademark charm and humor to the proceedings. His presence also reintroduces the looming Celestial threat - a clever way to merge the glitz of Hollywood with the cosmic stakes of the MCU. Kingo's dynamic with Agatha is playful and intriguing; the immortal Eternal and the ancient witch find a common ground in their shared love for theatrics, both on and off-screen. The episode transitions effortlessly between the glamour of old Hollywood sets, the vibrant energy of a Bollywood dance showdown, and the cosmic spectacle of two Celestials locked in a galactic battle. The animators pull out all the stops, crafting sequences that feel both intimate and monumental.

"What If... Agatha Went to Hollywood?" is a love letter to cinema in all its forms, from Hollywood's golden past to the exuberance of Bollywood's present. Whether you're a fan of Marvel, classic cinema, or global storytelling, this episode is a delightful journey into the "what could have been."

When I first watched WandaVision, Kathryn Hahn's Agatha quickly became my favorite character. And I was pegging for Agatha All Along to come out quickly. When it was released, that show didn't disappoint me and I loved it. When I learned that Agatha will appear on What if...? S3 and that it will release around Christmas (almost two months after Agatha finale), I was excited to see her again on screen time.

Now that I finally saw that episode, I loved it. Kathryn Hahn's great voice acting after Doctor Oct in Into the Spider-Verse still continued with animated Agatha. The same thing goes to Kumail Nanjiani too. Her chemistry with Kingo is fun. I'm happy that Eternals/Celestials returned after three years (I know Kingo is the only Eternal appearing but still) as I liked the film Eternals even with its flaws. Also, Cosmic Agatha is so beautiful.

By the way, I love that episode and I hope that Agatha and Eternals will appear on next S3 eps (probably finale)

The second episode of #WhatIf is absolutely amazing-wow.

This new chapter improves on everything from the pilot episode: it's interesting, visually stunning, filled with great characters, and well-written.

The story takes place in Hollywood, where Agatha Harkness seeks the power of the Celestial, weaving an impressive tale with many twists and turns that keep the audience engaged until the very end.

Despite being a short story, the episode delivers a beautiful message about cinema-what it represents and means to the world.

This episode is just great. If the next episodes are like this, I take back what I said about this being the worst season of the show.

8 ✍🏻

I don't think anybody actually asked this, "What If?" question...... I had a hard time watching to the end. Just like the poster before me mentioned, there had to have been 100 better ideas than this one.... This episode came from a marvel movie that performed horribly with a bunch of characters that are already forgotten. Furthermore the few memorable characters that do exist in this episode act nothing like what we have come to expect or how they act from the movies. Who thought this was a good idea? How have they strayed so far from what fans actually enjoy? The What If question should be what if Marvel started making quality content again...I didn't think things could get worse after the first episode but here we are.

What's so fantastic about what if is that we get to see characters interact with each other that normally wouldn't in the mcu timeline. Sometimes they work (Zombies) sometimes they don't (Mech Avengers). Well this episode made it work. Agatha and Kingo's chemistry is absolutely amazing! They perfectly capture each other's vibe and character, making the final confrontation between Kingo and Agatha work. I gotta say this episode's voice acting was absolutely amazing and the animation was so beautiful. So much of an improvement over the mech avengers episode where the character motivations didn't make sense and the character interactions did not work.

Wandavision and Eternals were genuinely some of my favorite MCU projects after Endgame and I'm so glad their characters got a chance to interact!