[Editor's note: The following contains spoilers for Marvel's What If...?, Season 1, Episode 8, "What If... Ultron Won?"]
It may have originally been billed as an anthology series of stand-alone episodes, but with What If...? Episode 8, the series has taken on a new level of narrative cohesion. Up until now, each episode has focused on a different MCU alternate reality being observed by the all-knowing The Watcher (Jeffrey Wright). But not only does "What If... Ultron Won?" actually pick up where things left off with the dramatic surprise ending of Episode 7, but it flipped the script on the Watcher, who became the observed for once.
The Watcher's confrontation with Ultron, in a reality where the A.I. created by Tony Stark was able to take over the artificial body originally created for him, was game-changing. But another interesting aspect of this episode was just how little, percentage-wise, of the voice cast consisted of regular MCU actors.
To be clear, there was a fair amount of representation from the more established cast. Here are the on-screen alumni who returned again to voice their animated counterparts:
Jeremy Renner - Clint Barton / Hawkeye
Benedict Cumberbatch - Doctor Strange / Strange Supreme
Toby Jones - Arnim Zola
None of these actors were making their first appearances in the series with this episode: Toby Jones previously played Zola (in a more human form) during Episode 1, "What If... Captain Carter Were the First Avenger?", while Jeremy Renner debuted as animated Hawkeye in Episode 3, "What If... The World Lost Its Mightiest Heroes?"
Also, Benedict Cumberbatch, of course, was the center of Episode 4, "What If... Doctor Strange Lost His Heart Instead of His Hands?", with his appearance at the end of Episode 8 concealed from the main credits to maintain the surprise there. (Note that he's billed by IMDB as "Doctor Strange / Strange Supreme," which means that the Strange we meet in this episode is very likely the same Doctor Strange who went power-mad in that previous installment (but might be the force the Watcher needs to save the multiverse in the season finale).
In addition to those established figures, though, What If...?'s regular cast of replacements returned in fine form (for the first time outnumbering the MCU cast who reappeared):
Lake Bell - Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow
Ross Marquand - Ultron / Sub-Ultron Sentries
Josh Keaton - Steve Rogers / Captain America
Mick Wingert - Tony Stark / Iron Man
Alexandra Daniels - Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel
All of these actors have previously appeared in What If...? prior to now: Lake Bell established her take on the role originated by Scarlett Johansson in Episode 3, while Josh Keaton first debuted as Steve Rogers in Episode 1. Mick Wingert and Alexandra Daniels have also settled nicely into their roles as Tony Stark and Carol Danvers, with Daniels in particular getting plenty to do during the previous episode, "What If... Thor Were an Only Child?" (Meanwhile, Tony Stark once again totally died! Weird theme of What If...?)
Ross Marquand, meanwhile, had previously appeared in What If...? as Red Skull in Episode 1. This wasn't his first time playing Ultron, though, thanks to the 2019 game Avengers: Damage Control. We'll probably see more of him next week as well, as how all this all comes together is revealed at last.
New episodes of What If...? premiere Wednesdays on Disney+.