‘What If…?’ Season 2 Episode 8 Review: Captain Carter Founded the Forerunner

(Note: This article contains spoilers for ‘What If…?’ Season 2 Episode 8).

‘What If…?‘ Season 2, Episode 8, titled “What If… the Avengers Assembled in 1602?” is now streaming on Disney+. Episode 8 is filled with all the Avengers in action. Captain Carter finally has a chance to see Steve Rogers.

Review:

Episode 8 revolves around a Shakespearean tragedy in Earth 1602, continuing the storyline from Episode 5. Captain Carter is transported to 1602 by Wanda Merlin to assist in finding their queen. Merlin discovers that the collapse of the universe is caused by a lost traveler or forerunner fallen from the future. Thor, now the king, orders the search for Carter. Seeking Tony Stark‘s help, she looks for a machine to create a rift in the sky. However, they need the Scepter, currently in Thor’s possession, to identify the forerunner.

Carter locates Steve Rogers, Ant-Man, and Bucky Barnes, seeking their help to steal the Scepter from Thor’s hand. Suddenly, Happy Hogan, serving King Thor, attacks and captures Carter. In prison, she contacts The Watcher, who offers to transport her to another universe, but Carter refuses and breaks out of prison. She discovers Bruce Banner’s prison, and he transforms into the Hulk. Meanwhile, Tony built a machine to locate the Forerunner. Carter, along with Ant-Man, Barnes, Hulk, and Tony, embarks on their mission. Simultaneously, another rift opens, and Merlin attempts to hold it.

Thor, who refuses to give the Scepter, fights Carter, and in the end, she takes it, extracting the Time Stone from the Scepter. The machine works with the help of the Time Stone, and Tony places it. Carter uses it and discovers that Steve Rogers is the Forerunner. Rogers explains that during the battle with Thanos, he hit the Time Stone, causing him to fall into 1602. Carter wouldn’t let him go, but he accepted his fate and left.

In the end, as Carter waits for The Watcher to return her to her universe, Doctor Strange Supreme suddenly appears. He mentions that he has a story to tell, indicating that the final episode will be “What If… Strange Supreme Intervened?“

‘What If…?’ season 2 is now available on Disney+.