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Plenty of characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe have gone through transformative journeys, whether it be Rocket Raccoon's story of self-acceptance in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy or Iron Man's entire arc from the original 2008 film all the way to Avengers: Endgame. What If…?'s seventh episode sees a notable villain undergo a similar transformative journey in an arc that, like other episodes in season two, suffers from feeling somewhat derivative and uninspired.
*Warning: This article contains spoilers for What If…? Season 2, Episode 7*
Recap
The Watcher opens this episode recounting how after centuries of conquest, Odin banished his daughter Hela to Hel after it became clear her thirst for conquest could not be contained. It then jumps back to the moment of her banishment to show Mjolnir being destroyed, Hela's crown being taken from her and enchanted to only be worn by one who “knows mercy,” and Odin subsequently exiling her to Midgard much like he did to Thor in the 2011's Thor.
Hela awakens shortly after arriving in medieval China, where she is confronted by Xu Wenwu and his army who have located her crown. She fails in her attempt to reclaim it and is ultimately taken prisoner by Wenwu in the hope that he can convince her to join his army. This, however, fails and Hela is forced to flee from Wenwu's fortress after a failed attempt to steal the Ten Rings.
A Hundun creature offers to take Hela to the only place she will be safe from Wenwu, which turns out to be the hidden realm of Ta Lo. There Hela is introduced to Jiayi, the leader of Ta Lo's people, who agrees to train Hela in the hope they can discover what the Goddess of Death's true desires are beyond vengeance and conquest.
While Hela begins her training, Heimdall loses sight of her and informs Odin of her activities. It is here he learns of the Ten Rings and wrongly deduces Wenwu killed his daughter, prompting Odin to prepare his forces to attack Wenwu's fortress to avenge Hela and claim the powerful artifacts.
Hela's training, meanwhile, starts off slow as she appears to brush off most of the lessons Jiayi is attempting to teach her. However, the pair ultimately make a breakthrough when Hela admits her true desire is freedom from the control she's lived in most of her life and the ability to forge a path of her own making. It yields results in her training as Hela is finally able to properly perform Ta Lo's powerful martial arts techniques when Odin's forces arrive and attack Wenwu.
Hela decides to aid Wenwu in the fight against her father, resulting in a heated back and forth as the pair attempt to subdue Odin. He is beaten by Hela, in the end, who chooses to spare her father and is once again worthy of her crown. Odin, in turn, marvels at the change and growth in his daughter, prompting him to submit Asgard's throne to her.
In the aftermath, Hela unites the armies of Asgard with Wenru's forces and sets out on a quest to ensure freedom across the Nine Realms and beyond.
Review
Like the rest of What If…?'s second season, the episode is fun mishmash of elements from across the MCU that result in Hela's drastic transformation. The spotlight on Shang-Chi's section of the MCU, in particular, is a welcome addition as there has been little seen from it since 2021's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
The return of Hela also means the return of Cate Blanchett, who last portrayed the character in 2017's Thor: Ragnarok. While she does chew the scenery in some scenes, it still fits with her previous performance as the Goddess of Death who didn't hesitate to throw a barb or one-liner at Thor in the 2017 film.
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The biggest issue with the episode is, like a few of season two's episodes, is the narrative feels derivative and like it is “playing the hits” from the MCU's screen history. It is, at its core, a rehash of 2011's Thor with Hela in the role of the titular hero with some Shang-Chi dressing on top of it. It doesn't mean the episode is bad, but it doesn't do anything of note to standout against some of the season's better episodes, such as Nebula's space-noir romp or the introduction of Kahhori.
And then there's the ending.
Ending Explained
The ending shot of the episode sees the Bifrost opening on Gamora's home planet while it is right in the middle of Thanos' invasion. As the Mad Titan is introducing himself to a young Gamora, Hela and Wenwu's forces charge down to the planet to put an end to Thanos' ambitions once and for all.
This implies that, as a result of her character journey, Hela has gone from a conqueror to protector and has managed to bring out the same in Wenwu, preventing him from becoming the powerful crime and terror figure he is in the main MCU timeline. It does little more than this and doesn't appear to set the groundwork for something to come in one of the final two episodes of the season.
Should you stream What If…? season 2 episode 7?
Episode seven is another from season two that audiences don't need to rush to watch.
It is reflective of how back-and-forth season two has been, with some episodes highlighting What If…? at its best and while others feel, for lack of a better term, uninspired. Every episode delivers a fun viewing experience, to be sure, but Hela's outing stands alongside The Avengers circa-1988 and the return of the Hydra Stomper as episodes that won't stick around in viewers' memories.
What If…? season two is available to stream on Disney+.
