What If...?: What if… Iron Man Crashed Into the Grandmaster?

December 25, 2023 7:27 PM - Season 2, Episode 4

Here we have the 'missing' episode from season 1 that was the source of the Gamora we met in What If…The Watcher Broke His Oath?

After his gambit to destroy the Chitauri Fleet during the battle of New York strands him on the planet of Sakaar, Tony Stark’s efforts to overthrow The Grandmaster lead to a ceremonial, grand prix-turned-demolition-derby—a death match that could land Tony on the Sakaarian throne.

At the end of Avengers, Iron Man just misses the portal back to New York after delivering his payload to the Chitauri flagship. Apparently, all off-course galactic tunnels lead to Sakaar and Tony fetches up there. He runs into Valkyrie and Korg and, shortly after that, a peeved Gamora turns up, sent by Thanos to extract vengeance for Tony's stunt. They arrange a race as proxy for the various conflicts, ending with the Grandmaster a puddle of goo, Val as King of Sakaar and Gamora admitting that Thanos has not exactly earned his Universe's Best Dad mug. The story ends before we hit the scene we glimpsed of the Infinity Muncher alpha test but it's not hard to see how that would have followed.

posted by Karmakaze (9 comments total)

This reminded me very much of a similar episode of The Bad Batch, but, I guess if you’re going to have a space opera version of a chariot race/demolition derby, certain similarities are nigh-unavoidable. It certainly would result in a very different history for the MCU going forward.
posted by Halloween Jack at 9:17 PM on December 25, 2023

It might just be my ears - but I was surprised that Tessa Thompson was voicing Valkyrie because it really didn't sound like her and I thought it was a different actress - in the same way that Tony Stark and various other characters have been voiced by sound-alikes in other What If's.

Jeff Goldblum (Grand Master) and Rachel House (Topaz) seemed to be having all the fun though.
posted by Faintdreams at 3:51 AM on December 26, 2023 [1 favorite]

This season of What If is turning out to be pretty fun, and I’m here for it. It’s that the episodes leave me feeling delighted and wanting more!
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 8:24 AM on December 26, 2023

I need a recording of the Grandmaster going "Alert! Alert!" for notifications.
posted by cheshyre at 9:40 AM on December 26, 2023 [4 favorites]

The death farm where they give you a bed and a stone.... "Definitely no one dies. They've got bunnies..."

Chinchillas!

"Thank you for indulging me guys, I've always wanted to walk very....slowly."

"ONE DRINK THAT DOESN'T TASTE LIKE A THEME PARK URINAL!"
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:03 PM on December 29, 2023 [2 favorites]

It might just be my ears - but I was surprised that Tessa Thompson was voicing Valkyrie because it really didn't sound like her and I thought it was a different actress - in the same way that Tony Stark and various other characters have been voiced by sound-alikes in other What If's.

She sounded posher or more mid-Atlantic!
posted by ellieBOA at 11:26 AM on January 1

I would not be mad if this turned out to be stealth advertising for an upcoming Mario Kart-style racing game where you compete in various bonkers Marvel locales.
posted by Parasite Unseen at 12:53 PM on January 4 [1 favorite]

Are there any video games where you can design your own crazy vehicles to race in?
posted by rebent at 9:12 AM on January 13

There's an extra mid-credits bit.
posted by Pronoiac at 7:13 PM on January 14