WARNING: The following contains spoilers for What If...? Season 1, Episode 9, "What If... The Watcher Broke His Oath?," streaming now on Disney+.
One of the most exciting things about Marvel Studios' animated series, What If...?, is how it offers a chance for fans to witness characters interact in unique and unlikely ways. For example, villains like Ultron and Thanos get to meet, albeit briefly, and show what could happen when two of the universe's deadliest beings interact. However, the show also introduces fans to one of the best friendships in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that never actually happened between Peggy Carter and Natasha Romanoff.
What If...?'s season finale opens with Captain Carter, now living in 2014, embarking on her version of the Lemurian Star mission from Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Before Peggy jumps out of the quinjet, she and Nat engage in the same "got any plans Saturday night?" conversation from the film. But rather than Steve's blunt humor, Peggy banters with Natasha for a bit longer. The scene even ends with her making a jab at Peggy's unresolved feelings for Steve.
While brief, the moment between them shows how much closer they are than Steve and Natasha were at that time. In The Winter Soldier, Steve was dealing with trust issues surrounding S.H.I.E.L.D. and anyone affiliated with it, to the point that he couldn't even trust his allies. But Peggy was apparently able to understand that Natasha was a friend she could trust quickly. Plus, the fact that Natasha could openly talk about Steve without Peggy feeling negative about it shows that the two are best friends.
When Peggy is taken to the reality where Ultron wins, that same friendship helps the Guardians of the Multiverse in a big way. When that universe's Natasha confronts the same people she thought were dead, she is hostile, pointing her gun at them in case it's a trick. But thanks to their friendship, Peggy's able to talk Natasha down and almost instantly earn her trust. She reveals that she knows about Natasha's Red Room family, something the prime Natasha never told any of her fellow Avengers. Peggy also says that she is one of three people Natasha trusts in her reality, proving that she and Peggy are nearly inseparable as allies.
This multiversal partnership ultimately plays a part in saving all realities, as both Peggy and Natasha use their shields to trip up Ultron during their second attempt to get the Infinity Stones from him. However, once Ultron uses his full power to wear down their magical shielding, it's up to Natasha and Peggy to formulate an immediate plan that will defeat Ultron once and for all. With Peggy using her strength to lift his visor, Natasha fires an arrow containing the last copy of Arnim Zola's consciousness into Ultron. As a result, they save the multiverse as a team and as best friends.
When Peggy is returned to her own timeline, she hugs her Natasha and reminds her that they're still best friends. The entire What If...? episode offers a friendship that the prime MCU timeline was never lucky enough to have. Fortunately, with a second season confirmed and Captain Carter's story continuing as well, this may not be the end of Marvel's newest dynamic duo.
To Peggy and Natasha banter as best friends, Episode 9 of What If...? is now on Disney +.
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