We definitely didn’t see this one coming. Marvel’s latest show, What If...?, may be exploring the multiverse, but it turns out that multiverse might include a certain galaxy far, far away. The show’s second-to-last episode (for What If Season 1, anyway) features a rapid-fire trip through the Marvel multiverse that includes one location Star Wars fans will recognize. But what does it mean?
Warning! Spoilers below for What If Episode 8.
What If’s Star Wars Easter egg, explained
In What If Episode 8, Vision succeeds in wiping out humanity on Earth only to discover an entire multiverse of life to destroy. But first, he’ll have to defeat the Watcher, who finally steps into the action to save the thing he loves to watch. (You’d probably do the same if an evil robot tried to break your TV.)
Unfortunately, it doesn’t go well for the Watcher, and Ultron pummels him throughout the universe in a visually stunning sequence. However, one moment stands out. For a brief second, we see the two characters enter a universe that looks an awful lot like the Star Wars planet of Mustafar (aka, the lava planet where Obi-Wan and Anakin fight in Revenge of the Sith).
See for yourself. Here’s What If:
And here’s Mustafar:
If you zoom in on What If, you can even see what looks a lot like Darth Vader’s distinctive castle, which we see on Mustafar during Rogue One.
Maybe it’s just a coincidence, but these two settings look very similar. And considering the fact that Disney owns both franchises, it’s probably only a matter of time before they’re combined in some way.
It’s also worth noting that both Marvel and Star Wars are currently playing around with concepts like the multiverse and canon. In the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the multiverse is a major plot point thanks to Loki, with upcoming movies like Spider-Man: No Way Home digging directly into those repercussions.
Meanwhile, Star Wars: Visions is taking a more restrained approach. The series is officially non-canon, according to Lucasfilm executives, but the unsaid truth is that Visions could easily inspire the future of Star Wars canon. Depending on which episodes of the anime anthology that includes, it could open up an entire Star Wars multiverse.
Then again, maybe it’s just a meaningless Easter egg.
What If and Visions are both streaming on Disney+.
