REVIEW: What If…? Season 3 Episode 2 — “What If…Agatha Went To Hollywood”

A hard pivot from the mechs Avengers in the last episode of What If…? Season 3, this one takes on old Hollywood. Returning for its third season, Marvel’s What If…? is back to test fans’ creativity with new concepts, new characters, and inspirations from across pop culture. With Stephan Franck as showrunner, What If Season 3 Episode 2 takes the MCU animated anthology to Hollywood by asking, “What If…Agatha Went To Hollywood?”

Taking place in the Golden Age of Hollywood and the rise of the Silver Screen, Agatha Harkness (Kathryn Hahn) is a star. Well, she’s Howard Stark’s star, to be more specific. What If Season 3 Episode 2 opens with a musical number, with Harkness at its center. Loud and golden, Agatha looks her very best. This is also the best animated episode of the season, with the beauty on display only getting more and more vibrantly detailed as the runtime continues.

One of the very few times we’ve seen The Eternals referenced in an MCU property since its release in 2018, Agatha’s shot at stardom isn’t because she’s seeking the adoration of millions. She’s trying to perform a spell to harness the powers of a Celestial resting inside the Earth’s core. With each musical number and special effects brought by her magic, of course, Agatha tries and fails to capture the power she desires.

What If Season 3 Episode 2 puts Agatha in the spotlight and brings back The Eternals’ fan-favorite Kingo. 

To tap into the power of the Celestial, she needs help from the Eternals. Only the help involves her siphoning their power and leaving them to “rest” in a creature prop room. While we don’t see Makari, Athena, or any other Eternals, we do see Kingo (Kumail Nanjiani). The Bollywood star of the group, Kingo, takes center stage, quite literally, in this episode.

Kingo and Agatha have a dance battle with full dance lines backing them and Howard Stark (Dominic Cooper) behind a camera. It’s a fun time with rich music and great animation. While I haven’t always been a fan of the rotoscoped-like animation that prioritizes its subjects’ real-life appearances, it works astoundingly well here.

The animation of the dance sequence and the Hollywood set is the best I’ve seen in three seasons. What If Season 3 Episode 2 feels bigger, brighter, and funnier than anything we’ve seen in the MCU anthology. That makes it one of the best episodes, not just in season 3 but in all of the series.

Agatha going to Hollywood is the best concept in the anthology series. 

This episode also pulls Kingo and Agatha together through a selfish connection. When Agatha refuses to give back Kingo’s power after she absorbs the Celestial, Kingo isn’t terribly worried. Instead, Kingo understands Agatha’s selfishness and offers her the promise of stardom in return.

For those who watched The Eternals, it’s clear that Kingo’s love of himself leads him to abandon his duties. More importantly, his love of being loved and adored by the public allows him to connect to Agatha. This episode is a fantastic return to the MCU for Kumail Nanjiani. It offers humor, beauty, and a love of stardom that makes it stand out against the rest of the eight-episode season.

What If Season 3 Episode 2 isn’t about being heroic or even “winning.” It’s about being a star. That’s exactly what makes the episode something to write home about. Agatha and Kingo are a stellar pair, with Howard Stark and Jarvis adding enough levity and traditional MCU trappings to ground the episode.

What If Season 3 Episode 2 is streaming now on Disney+, with new episodes airing every day until December 29, 2024.