How to watch What if…? online: stream the new Disney Plus Original series now

A promotional image for Marvel's What If...? on Disney Plus

(Image credit: Marvel Studios)

The creation of the multiverse at the conclusion of Loki provided the perfect segue for Marvel Studio’s first animated series, What If…? Created by A.C. Bradley (Trollhunters: Tales of Arcadia), this new anthology show alters pivotal moments from the acclaimed Infinity Saga to explore thrilling alternative realities. Below we detail how to watch What If…? now with a Disney Plus subscription.

Disney Plus deals: see all today's best prices here

How to watch What If…? online

Premiere date: Wednesday, August 11 at 12am midnight PT / 3am ET / 8am BST.

New episodes: released weekly until October 6.

Cast: Jeffrey Wright, Hayley Atwell, Chris Hemsworth, Tilda Swinton, Mark Ruffalo, Tom Hiddleston, Chadwick Boseman, Natalie Portman.

Creator: Ashley. C. Bradley.

Watch now: stream What If…? on Disney Plus from just $7.99/£7.99/AU$11.99 a month

Each episode is the stuff of heady fanboy speculation. Imagine that Peggy Carter took the Super Soldier Serum instead of Steve Rodgers? What if Loki wielded Mjolnir, Thor’s hammer? And – an example of multiple films converging – what would the MCU look like if T’Challa became Star Lord and joined the Guardians of the Galaxy?

These are delightful hypotheticals to entertain the Marvel Massive. Plus, every instalment is inspired by a different genre. Expect a tragic love story starring Doctor Strange, a political thriller, and an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery. But the fresh take that has us the most psyched? A horror-themed episode in which Captain America and Iron Man are brain-munching zombies!

Jeffrey Wright narrates the series as omnipotent being The Watcher, while dozens of A-listers return to voice their superhero surrogates, among them Michael B. Jordan, Paul Bettany, Chris Hemsworth, Samuel L. Jackson, Tilda Swinton, and the late, great Chadwick Boseman.

Offering up an infinite space for divergent storytelling, exploding with A-list talent and stunningly animated, What If…? might be Marvel Studio’s best TV show yet. Read on to find out how to watch What If…? online with Disney Plus.

How to watch What If...? online and stream the new show on Disney Plus now

Prepare for an exhilarating ride through the multiverse with Marvel Studio's What If...?, which debuts exclusively on Disney Plus Wednesday, August 11. A new episode drops each week at 12am PT / 3am ET / 8am BST / 5pm AEST up until October 6 2021.

As Disney Plus has now rolled out in North America, Europe and parts of Asia and Latin America, watching What If...? using the service is easier than ever. If you’re located in a country that does have access to Disney Plus, you just need to head to the Disney Plus website and sign up for the service to watch.

In addition to being the exclusive home of What If...?, Disney Plus gives you access to Disney and Pixar's huge back catalog, plus Fox and National Geographic content, and of course the entire MCU canon. A Disney Plus subscription also provides access to everything Star Wars - including The Mandalorian - all for just $7.99/£7.99/AU$11.99 a month.

How to save money on Disney+

Disney Plus is already cheaper than competing streaming services like Netflix but you can save even more when you sign up for an annual subscription which gives you 15% off the monthly price. Obviously you have to splash the cash at the start, but with so much content to get stuck in to we very much doubt you'll run out of things to watch before the 12 months are up. You're looking at $79.99/£79.90/AU$119.99 for the year.

Or if your interests are farther reaching (and you're in the US), then we'd seriously suggest looking at the fantastic value bundle package. It adds Hulu and ESPN+ to your subscription price. The Hulu element opens up a world of Hulu Originals such as The Great, Upload, Love Victor and Helstrom. While ESPN+ brings tonnes of exclusive live sport, highlights and documentaries. The combined bundle costs just $13.99 a month.

What else should I know about Disney+?

What If...? is just the latest in a string of highly-anticipated releases exclusive to the platform, including Loki, Monsters at Work, Soul, Mulan, Hamilton, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and much more.

The streaming service has apps for iOS and Android (of course), and is available to watch online via the likes of Amazon Fire TV Stick, PS4, Xbox One and Roku streaming devices.

In addition, now that Disney has set the precedent of releasing movies like its live-action Mulan remake on the service instead of in theaters through its Disney Plus Premier Access program, expect the company to keep bringing more blockbuster films that were originally intended to be shown on the big screen to Disney Plus in 2021. It's currently an excellent way to watch Jungle Cruise online, starring Emily Blunt and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.

Finally, there's Star on Disney Plus that most global markets get to enjoy and sees the amount of content available through Disney Plus more than double, with a particular eye to shows grown-ups are going to enjoy.

It's available in the UK, most of Europe, and other select markets like Australia and New Zealand - but not in the US, where the media giant's Hulu service already has very similar ground covered.

Read more:

Head to our Disney Plus guide for all the information you need
Make sure you get the best value with our Disney Plus price guide
More Disney Plus exclusives: how to watch Soul online

Daniel Pateman is a freelance writer, producing articles across the cultural spectrum for magazines like Aesthetica, Photomonitor, The Brooklyn Rail and This is Tomorrow. He also provides text-writing services to individual curators and artists worldwide, and has had work published internationally. His favourite film genre is horror (bring on Scream 5!) and he never tires of listening to Absolute 80s on the radio.