Marvel has gone into the multiverse in a big way. In this episode we take a look at the biggest expression of that to date with What If. We discuss the series as the MCU’s first animation project. We discuss the What If concept and talk about which episodes worked for us. We also debate why this series had such a mixed response from the public and what we want to see from it moving forward. We also talk about what this series could mean for the future of Marvel going forward.
This episode does not contain a five-minute controversy.
This week Mark, Kelley, and Wil join the cast.
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Loki was one of the most anticipated of the initial Marvel series announced for Disney+. Many had wondered how Marvel would handle the Loki variant that escaped during Avengers: Endgame. The series would eventually be incredibly important, setting up concepts that would be developed further in What If…, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. In this episode we discuss the Loki series. We talk about the characters, how they’re developed, and how they’re portrayed. We discuss Loki in the context of the MCU and multiversal variants. We also get into a discussion of the multiverse, how the MCU has portrayed it, and what this could mean for the future. Hang around for the outtakes as Alli goes into detail about her feelings for Avengers: Endgame. 
Falcon and the Winter Soldier was the second of the MCU series released on Disney+. The series had the expected amount of action and intrigue, but surprised viewers with its hard hitting look at race relations in this country over a span of decades. It also expounded upon the effects of the Sakovia Accords and the Blip on the MCU at large. It took returning characters and gave them surprise twists as well as giving us some new characters, including the new Captain America, John Walker. In this episode we talk about the series and delve into the characters and storyline. We also discuss the ramifications of the events of the series and how we think it’ll influence the MCU going forward. 
Eighty years ago a man named Martin Goodman founded Timely Comics, and the world would never be the same. We discuss the history of Marvel, starting with its founding in 1939 as Timely Comics. We discuss the name changes to Atlas and eventually Marvel. We talk about the major characters of the golden, silver, and bronze ages. We discuss our theories of what differentiates Marvel from its competition. We also talk about favorite characters in each era. 
In 2008 Marvel released the movie, Iron Man, and the world would never be the same again. Now with their 22nd film, Marvel brings many of the story threads that they’ve been building for eleven years to a conclusion while leaving the door open for so many more stories. In this episode, we talk about Avengers: Endgame. We talk about the characters, discuss the plot, ponder time travel and parallel worlds, and opine on just where the MCU will go from here. Along the way, we discuss epic battles, characters we were delighted to see again, endpoints, the MVP that no one noticed, and the significance of a finger. 
Avengers: Infinity War was a unique event in the history of cinema. Never before had 18 movies and multiple franchises culminated in a single movie combining all of the franchises and giving payoff for the various stories. In this episode from the archives we do a deep dive into the storyline. We talk about the ways that all of the existing characters are handled. We talk about the epic scale of the crossover, and we discuss breakout hit character Thanos. 
Last year was the year of time travel shows. Most of them were canceled, but one series, Timeless, turned back the clocks and changed its destiny. In this episode we take a look back at Timeless season one to discuss it’s premise, characters, cast, and why we felt that this show is worthy of going on. We also talk about what we think didn’t work and how we’d like to see the show continue. 
This week we interview 
We all know of examples of fandom behaving badly, and in this episode we delve into the question of whether or not fandom is “broken”. It’s a complicated issue as we examine the interaction between fans and creators and how fans relate to other fans. We talk about how things can go South, how to know if you’re the problem, and give some tips on how to avoid things escalating. We define a “broken fandom” and we each give our own opinions on whether or not it’s broken. 
We finally start our summer movie podcasts! Grab your walkman and moonwalk over to your parents’ place, because The 42cast delves into the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. This time we’re talking about the series as a stand alone film, part of the MCU, and as a comic adaptation. How does it measure up? Is it a good idea for them to double down? Who’s your favorite character. All this and more are answered in this episode.