The MCU Just Brought My Favorite Thor Variant & Paid Off 2 Of Phase 4's Most Popular New Characters

Warning! This article contains spoilers for What If…? season 3, episode 6.

What If…?
is singlehandedly responsible for making some of the wildest cameos and variants in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)
, and it just brought back one of the most interesting versions of Thor from the MCU. What If…? is one of my favorite shows from the MCU, with the series finding ways to engage with and expand the MCU beyond any normal realms of storytelling. While it also debuted alongside other Multiverse stories like Loki which explored the TVA, What If…? goes far beyond the Sacred Timeline, and that means that it can do some unique things.

The animated series has seen Marvel heroes become zombies, some powerful heroes becoming villains, and forgotten characters given an opportunity to shine in a brand-new light. And with this more open format, the show lends itself well to creativity. The kind of creativity that only exists in the Void when it comes to the MCU, since the TVA tends to keep things in order within the bounds of the multiverse.

Frog Thor Just Reappeared In The MCU After 3 Years

Throg Makes A Comeback In What If…?

The Void was a concept that was first introduced in Loki season 1, and in that new plane of existence, Loki met several variants of himself. From President Loki, to Kid Loki, to Classic Loki and even an alligator, Loki confronts a range of creative alternate gods of Mischief. And, in one brief scene, the show even shows a version of Thor that is a frog trapped in a jar. This brief scene does see the animated frog hopping around, but that was the end of his on-screen appearance in the MCU.

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Since then, Frog Thor, also known as Throg, has been completely absent from the Multiverse Saga. Even despite the fact that Deadpool & Wolverine also explores the Void and reveals several more variants of other heroes and villains from the history of Marvel movies. But now, What If…? has paid off that early reference with another brief cameo appearance from Throg and Alligator Loki. But, the scene is a still image with narration from the Watcher, which appears to whet the appetite for the audience to see more of this unique variant.

Animals Have A Way Of Going Viral

Throg and Alligator Loki stole the show in Loki, and they both ended up becoming popular and iconic figures despite their relatively small roles. Toys and fan art of the characters circulated online, and discussions about the characters took place across the internet. In some ways, the characters became viral, and it brought attention to the Marvel comic series, which features familiar heroes as animals, including Throg and Alligator Loki.

It may be an unusual way to depict and deliver superheroes, but people love animals, and seeing iconic heroes reimagined tends to get audiences excited. For these reasons and many more, people engaged with and fell for these animal versions as seen in Loki. It’s also something that comic book fans who would have been familiar with the obscure variants would be excited to see play out in live-action, because it appears too ridiculous to actually adapt and include anywhere, but Marvel Studios found a way, and it paid off.

I Really Want To See What If…?’s Wildest Variants In Secret Wars

Avengers: Secret Wars Has The Chance To Bring A Lot Of Variants To The Big Screen

But, if Loki proved anything, it is that these variants can make big impressions for fans. Now, What If…? continues to build on that legacy, and with a brief hint at these heroes again from the MCU, it makes me want to see so much more of the characters. Maybe they are a bad pick to lead a show, or include in a mainline MCU film for the most part, but the Multiverse Saga is setting itself up as a place where absolutely anything is possible. Including getting the animal versions of heroes involved in a major war like Secret Wars.

White Vision activates in WandaVision and What If..._ season 3

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Avengers: Secret Wars is set to be an epic film which will feature the most cameos from the MCU to date. Just like when Avengers: Endgame had Doctor Strange arrive with countless other heroes through magic portals to battle Thanos and save the universe, Secret Wars has the opportunity to grab these heroes from across the Multiverse, and put them all on the battlefield next to the most popular and recognizable heroes from the MCU. And I hope that Marvel’s What If…? tease is exactly that, and it hints at something more to be seen of Throg in the upcoming MCU movies.

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