Marvel is ending the year with season 3 ofWhat If…?, and the final chapter of the show has made itself into mandatory viewing forMCUfans who are looking forward to 2025. After some struggles in 2023, 2024’s MCU slate was the first after the studio’s release schedule slowdown went into effect. Just one film and a handful of shows were released, and some huge hits likeX-Men ‘97, Deadpool & Wolverine,andAgatha All Alongwere among them. It made for an all-in-all memorable 2024 for the franchise, building up some much-needed momentum for2025’s MCU projects.
The two MCU films that will be released in the first half of 2025 areCaptain America: Brave New Worldon February 14, andThunderbolts*on May 2. These projects will markthe return of Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson and Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, both of whom haven’t been seen inthe MCU timelinesince 2021’sThe Falcon & The Winter Soldier. There is still quite some time before these projects release, but until then, fans of the duo cancheck out season 3 ofWhat If…?to fill the void.
Sam Wilson Returns To The MCU Before Captain America: Brave New World
The first episode ofWhat If…?season 3 will be released on December 22, and is titled “What If…The Hulk Fought The Mech Avengers?” The show has proven to be the place where Marvel can experiment with more outlandish storylines, including one where Bruce Banner has to fight Marvel’s heroes after his attempt on a cure for the Hulk goes wrong. The episode features Sam Wilson’s Captain America taking on the Hulk in a mech suit, with a selection of other Avengers to assist him.
Though it is an animated project that isn’t part of the main MCU timeline,What If…?will still technically beSam’s first MCU appearance sinceThe Falcon & The Winter Soldierfour years ago. Next year will be a big moment for him as he will not only star in his first-ever solo film but also take over a hero mantle that was made iconic by Steve Rogers. There’s no better way to get fans excited for Mackie’s upcomingCaptain America: Brave New Worldappearance than to end the year with his character stepping up.
Bucky Barnes Teams Up With Red Guardian Before Thunderbolts*
The other half ofFalcon & The Winter Soldier’s leading duo will also be making his MCU return in 2024. Bucky will be featured in the third episode of the season, titled “What If… The Red Guardian Stopped The Winter Soldier?” wherehe will be joined by his fellow Thunderbolts member, Alexei Shostakov. When Red Guardian wants to prove himself to the Red Room superiors, he ends up crossing paths with the Winter Soldier. The two Soviet supersoldiers then form an alliance to escape from America.
Thunderbolts* Cast & Marvel Character Guide
Several MCU characters return for Phase 5’s Thunderbolts, a team of antiheroes and reformed villains attempting to follow in the Avengers' footsteps.
AlthoughWhat If…?depicts an alternate timeline separate from the main MCU, this team-up between Winter Soldier and Red Guardian will be the perfect segue into the pair joining the same team inThunderbolts*.The show will provide fans a taste of the dynamic between Bucky and Alexei, giving them something to look forward to until their live-action counterparts team up next May. Sam and Bucky are far from the first and only heroes to make an appearance inWhat If…?, but season 3 lines up perfectly to build anticipation for their respective 2025 projects.
