The What If…?
brand is the ultimate cheat code in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
The same goes forWhat If…?
Wanna snap? You can in What If…?Image: Marvel Studios/ILM Immersive
So, how did that come about?
And does the end of the story mean anything going forward?
Hela.Image: Marvel Studios/ILM Immersive
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
- What If…? Hela.Image: Marvel Studios/ILM Immersive
A Marvel Experience makes the player the next hero of the multiverse.
You first get one from Thanos on Titan, with the help of Carol Danvers.
Then, you get one from the Collector with Helas help on Nowhere.
What If…? Hela.Image: Marvel Studios/ILM Immersive
Dave Bushore, director and executive producer at Marvel Studios: The What If…?
For me specifically … that was Wanda and Vision.
To me, that was the jumping-off point because inside of What If…?
The WatcherImage: Marvel Studios/ILM Immersive
you’re free to do whatever you want.
But then it was also, you look at Thanos.
Hes taking an Infinity Stone because hes actually trying to save his planet and save his people.
Making portals with Wong.Image: Marvel Studios/ILM Immersive
series was a real desire to tell an authentic story.
And when we got the first script treatments back, there was a depth to it.
Thats a human condition weve all faced.
A whole new version of Captain America.Image: Marvel Studios/ILM Immersive
It was so fun that we didnt have to dumb it down, so to speak.
But that doesnt mean it cant be a complex and rich story.
We see these themes in the actual series.
Image: Marvel Studios/ILM Immersive
We see this in the MCU all the time.
Were really focused on pushing storytelling and technology forward.
Being able to really detect your hands.
Image: Marvel Studios/ILM Immersive
Wed been thinking about that before it was manifested.
We knew these kind of innovations were coming.
But really that magic of seeing your real-world hands comped even inside of VR?
Its your actual hand.
From a storytelling standpoint that technology allows us to tell this unique story that really fit in the fiction.
So we were really focused on maximizing like, Okay, this is an amazing piece of hardware.
What can we do to really push it at every level?
Our starting point was As many people as possible.
Our hope is that this continues to push the envelope and brings totally new ideas to the forefront.
Hey, now we can do this!
Hey, now we can bring this character in and we can send you over here, right?
And were just at the fledgling stages of having that conversation.
How do we open those Marvel doors to the universe as wide as possible?
Because I think all we did was kick it open.
You have to be there in the story.
Near the end of What If…?
Bushore: Weve always wanted to do the snap moment.
What ILM did in terms of bringing that gesture to life in this moment and Boom!
It feels authentic and it literally feels like Well, Ive seen that.
But Im living it now.
So it was definitely a cognitive effort to say, What do those choices mean?
Destroying the stones or keeping the stones.
Did you just screw up everything?
So what are the rewards?
Marvel doesnt 100% confirm that.
Bushore: Thats the fun of it, right?
We asked if that was the plan.
Fattouh: She is AR.
The idea of actually going through a time door anywhere you wanted.
I would love to explore the whole idea of the TVA more and what Loki is.
We obviously have Easter eggs in the experience [about that].
And then the Guardians of the Multiverse, right?
I mean, who do you get to team up with?
What could that be in the future?
- I mean, those are, yes, of course, huge and incredibly fun possibilities.
An Immersive Story is now out exclusively for Apple Vision Pro.
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