CAPTAIN CARTER WERE THE FIRST AVENGER
With the events of Loki, there is now a whole new world to explore. What...If? is a way of diving into this world, the multiverse is fully in play and there are so many avenues to explore. This animated series begins with the question What if...Captain Carter were the first avenger? Although this is a near identical story, the impressive animated action in this first episode only excites for what is to come in this unexplored universe.
Written by Elliot Lines
One little change in a story can disrupt a whole timeline. Proving it here, Peggy Carter stays in the room for when Steve Rogers is meant to become Captain America, causing a chain reaction of events that changes who becomes the first Avenger.
The Episode itself has an instantly enjoyable animation style. You want the cominc book to come right off the page and that isn't always an easy feat to achive. Spider-man Into The Spider Verse completed it perfectly, where this may not be quite up to that level it certainly feels "comic booky" so to say. The moments in which the episode excels is in its action, some of these scenes are outstanding, scenes you can almost picture in the live action world, or even wish to witness in the MCU for real.
There is a use of montages to accelerate the story. This worked well just due to the fact we've kind of seen these events before, but they showcase the character immensly. There is one scene where Captain Carter is jumping throught the air from plane to plane, only to land on "The Hydra Stomper" (an Iron Man like machine, piloted by Steve Rogers), to then fly away. This was a massive standout and an exhibit of what this animation style could achieve.
However, there are some complaints about the voice acting, which at times felt almost robotic. Whether this is because the change for some of these actors from acting to voice work was a step to far or maybe because they couldn't work in the studio, it just felt clunky. There were also moments in the script that felt to "on the nose", especially when it came to sexism. Where it may of been a thing back then, this could've been incorporated with a less in your face manner. However, it does show the journey Captain Carter would've had to go through to become the First Avenger.
Peggy Carter as the First Avenger is a great concept, a world in which she is now the symbol of hope is showcased with fantastic animation and some outstanding action scenes. The voice work leaves a little to be desired but overall the start to this What..If? series creates intrigue for more.