Marvel Director Reveals the Truth About That Missing ‘What If’ Season 1 Episode

Marvel Studios just shared some new information about why the missing episode in Season 1 of What If…? got pushed to Season 2.

The installment saw Tony Stark’s Iron Man crash land on Sakaar instead of Thor, leading to his own gladiatorial adventure, and it also featured Gamora sporting the armor of her dead adopted father, Thanos.

Oddly enough, that version of Gamora appeared alongside other heroes in the show’s finale despite not having her own episode released ahead of time like everyone else.

What Happened With Gamora’s Episode?

The Direct attended a Q&A at Marvel Studios earlier in December, during which one of the filmmakers behind What If…? confirmed why Gamora and Iron Man’s big Sakaar episode didn’t make it into Season 1 as originally intended.

So what exactly happened with the lost Season 1 episode? Executive producer Bryan Andrews confirmed it “was one of the causalities of the pandemic” but also teased that the final version of the episode “[is] firing on all cylinders:”

“[The episode] was one of the casualties of the pandemic and with the vendors and stuff is a little difficult for them to really get cooking on it. And so it was better like, ‘Oh, we got to, like, save it because we want it to be right. So it needed to like, just adjust. So luckily, there was one that was super ahead of schedule, like in the later seasons. So, you know, it’s a little switcheroo… But we get it, and it’s insane. And it’s all firing on all cylinders… It’s going to be a lot of fun…”

Gamora’s Take Can Finally Be Told

It’s certainly about time that audiences get to see that lost Gamora episode. However, it’s impossible not to wonder if the story will feel a little misplaced since it was removed from the wider narrative of Season 1.

Interestingly enough, in the same Q&A, AC Bradley seemed to think that an episode in Season 2 got a similar treatment—which was something previously rumored. But the real question is: which story will fans need to wait even longer to see?

In the meantime, the world has plenty of fun new stories to enjoy for these nine new episodes just around the corner. These episodes feature stories such as Nebula becoming a Nova Corps member, Happy Hogan’s wild Christmas, Wenwu’s battle against Hela, the Avengers from the year 1602, and more!

What If…? Season 2 began streaming on Disney+ on December 22. The episode featuring Tony and Gamora is lined up to debut on Christmas Day 2023.