What if instead of taking hold of Eddie Brock’s mind, the Venom symbiote found a far more high-profile human to possess instead — maybe one that literally holds the power to mold the future of the planet and multiverse? Wonder no more, because that’s exactly the thought pondered by Marvel Comics, and subsequently explored, merging the infamous symbiote with none other than Iron Man.
Tony Stark’s darkest thoughts are about to be brought to light in the latest installment of the What If … ? comic book series, made popular to the masses by the Disney+ animated adaptation, and, yes, this should be one hell of a ride for one of the longest-running Avengers not named Captain America.
Courtesy of Marvel Comics
Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the anthology, the upcoming storylines for What If … ? is pulling no punches whatsoever. It was recently announced The Punisher will don Magik’s Eldritch Armor in his arc, and allowing Venom’s symbiote to consume Iron Man makes for a potent one-two punch, only those aren’t the only punches being thrown by Marvel, not by a long shot.
Iron Man Isn’t the Only Wild ‘What If …?’
Go ahead and toss in Cyclops choosing Madelyne Pryor instead of Jean Grey and Thor like you’ve never seen him before and Marvel promises this to be a hot summer of What If…? one-shots, and the first four will be released as follows:
June 3: What If…? The Uncanny X-Men #1
June 17: What If…? The Mighty Thor #1 (Thor gets the symbiote suit)
July 1: What If…? Secret Wars #1 (The Ultimate Universe survives)
July 15: What If…? Jessica Jones #1 (The spider bites Jessica Jones)
Per Marvel: “Also part of the 50th anniversary celebration are a series of all-new What If…? one-shots! Announced last month, the new one-shots shake the foundations of every corner of the Marvel mythos with startling shifts to iconic storylines, kicking off in June with What If…? Uncanny X-Men #1, where Gerry Duggan and Jan Bazaldua ask What if… Cyclops had stayed with Madelyne Pryor?, and What If…? Thor #1, where Torunn Grønbekk and Sergio Dávila ask What if… Thor Got Spider-Man’s Symbiote Suit?’”
What If Marvel Assembled An Avengers-type Cast of Creators?
Credit: Marvel Comics
What makes it all so much more exciting is the all-star cast of talent collected for the project. As noted, Gerry Duggan and Jan Bazaldua join Torunn Grønbekk and Sergio Dávila, but there’s plenty more on-staff to take What If …? to the next level in 2026.
“The current class of Marvel’s Stormbreakers include Alessandro Cappuccio (Ultimate Wolverine), Netho Diaz (X-Men), Simone Di Meo (X-Men of Apocalypse), Juan Frigeri (Ultimates), Gurihiru (Jeff the Land Shark), Jonas Scharf (Ultimate Endgame), Geoff Shaw (Wade Wilson: Deadpool), and Luciano Vecchio (Uncanny X-Men).
“Chosen for their remarkable art, notable achievements, and boundless imagination when bringing the Marvel mythos to the page, these creators represent the future of comic book artistry and embody the raw talent to shatter the limits of visual storytelling!”
What If … ? debuts on June 3, 2026, with and runs through August 2026.
Release Date
2021 – 2024
Showrunner
Ashley Bradley
Directors
Bryan Andrews
Writers
Ashley Bradley, Matthew Chauncey
