Marvel's What If? season 2 is the Disney Plus gift that'll keep on giving this Christmas

A screenshot of The Watcher with his hand outstretched in the poster for Marvel's What If...? season 2

What If...? season 2 will be available to unwrap on Disney Plus in late December. (Image credit: Marvel Studios/Disney Plus)

The second season of Marvel's What If...? TV show finally has a release date – and it's launching in time for Christmas.

In a press release, Disney confirmed What If...? season 2 will officially debut on Disney Plus on Friday, December 22. To celebrate the occasion, Marvel and its parent company also released an official trailer, which teases the return of fan-favorites Strange Supreme, Captain Carter, and The Watcher from the series' first season, as well as the multiversal stories – including an episode with a brand-new Marvel character called Kahhori – we can expect to see in What If...?'s next installment.

We already knew What If...? was set to return to our screens before the end of 2023. Earlier in November, we reported that Loki season 2 wouldn't be the final Marvel TV show of the year as What If...? season 2 was set to arrive in time for Christmas. That's proven to be the case now, so fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) will have some new fun-filled, thrilling, and even thematically dark stories to enjoy during the holiday period.

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Marvel and Disney haven't stopped there with the surprise announcements, either, with the duo revealing the Marvel Phase 5 project will be the first MCU TV series to trial a new release schedule format.

Indeed, instead of making fans wait a whole week for new episodes to drop, new installments in What If...?'s nine-strong sophomore season will drop every single day between December 22 and December 31. Think of it as Marvel and Disney giving you a new present to unwrap in a '12 Days of Christmas' or advent calendar-style manner, and you'll get the gist.

All new episodes of Marvel Studios’ #WhatIf are coming to #DisneyPlus on December 22.Unwrap one episode every day for nine consecutive days as our gift to you! pic.twitter.com/T4qOZ13RNdNovember 15, 2023

What If...? season 2 will be the first of two upcoming Marvel shows whose release formats differ from the weekly episode drop we've become accustomed to. Marvel's Echo, which launches on Disney Plus and Hulu on January 10, 2024, is getting a Netflix-style release, with all five episodes landing on two of the world's best streaming services on release day.

To tide you over until What If...? season 2 launches, Marvel and Disney have delivered an early Christmas gift to you in the form of a seasonal plot synopsis. "Season two of What If…? continues the journey as The Watcher guides viewers through the vast multiverse, introducing brand new and familiar faces throughout the MCU," it reads. "The series questions, revisits, and twists classic Marvel Cinematic moments with an incredible voice cast that includes a host of stars who reprise their iconic roles."

Bryan Andrews (director/executive producer) and A.C Bradley (head writer/executive producer) return to helm the show's second season. Marvel President Kevin Feige is, unsurprisingly, among What If...?'s executive producing team, too.

While you wait for What If...? season 2 to land on Disney Plus, read our What If...? season 1 review and What If...? season 1 interview feature with its cast and crew.

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As TechRadar's senior entertainment reporter, Tom covers all of the latest movies, TV shows, and streaming service news that you need to know about. You'll regularly find him writing about the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, and many other topics of interest.

An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Tom also writes reviews, analytical articles, opinion pieces, and interview-led features on the biggest franchises, actors, directors and other industry leaders. You may see his quotes pop up in the odd official Marvel Studios video, too, such as this Moon Knight TV spot.

Away from work, Tom can be found checking out the latest video games, immersing himself in his favorite sporting pastime of football, reading the many unread books on his shelf, staying fit at the gym, and petting every dog he comes across. Got a scoop, interesting story, or an intriguing angle on the latest news in entertainment? Feel free to drop him a line.