‘What If’ Season 2 Episode 3: A Tribute to Die Hard With a New Purple Hulk

Summary

• ‘What If’ season 2, episode 3 pays tribute to the iconic Christmas movie, Die Hard. It refers to several iconic moments from the film.
• The episode introduces a new variant called Purple Hulk in the MCU.

• The episode also explores what it is like to be an Avenger and how it is about being a responsible superhero.

‘What If’ season 2, episode 3 gives a perfect feel of the holiday season as it pays tribute to the classic Christmas movie Die Hard.

The episode is one of the most fun episodes in recent MCU history and gives us many treats for Christmas. We get to see a new kind of Hulk for the Marvel timeline and also experience Happy Hogan as the hero.

The episode titled “What If Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?” has much for us to discuss. However, what stands out is how the episode blends multiple ideas together to make the perfect concoction for the holiday season.

The MCU has stopped serving us exciting content since Endgame, at least if you ask me. So, when the new What If episode dropped and I enjoyed it so much, I definitely had to write about it!

Let’s take a closer look at What If’s beautiful tribute to Die Hard and talk more about our new Hulk.

1. What If Season 2 Episode 3 Die Hard Parody Explained

‘What If’ season 2, episode 3 pays tribute to Die Hard by referencing all the iconic moments and setting up the characters for a similar storyline.

Justin Hammer plays the invading villain, reminiscent of Hans Gruber (Alan Rickman) from the original film. Nakatomi Plaza is represented by the Avengers Tower. Happy Hogan steps into the shoes of John McClane, while Darcy Lewis represents Al Powell.

Most of Die Hard’s iconic moments are referred to in the episode. Happy crawls through the vents and stuffs a mannequin in an elevator, much like putting a villain in a lift in the original film.

We also get a glimpse of Gruber’s iconic death, although Happy saves Hammer from death in the episode. There are certain differences to fit the story wherever necessary.

The ‘what if’ element explored the consequence of Hammer’s vengeance against Iron Man, which involves hacking into the Avengers tower and controlling the defense systems, including the Iron Legion. Coincidentally, the Avengers are absent due to promotional obligations, and JARVIS is undergoing maintenance.

Finally, Happy resolves the issue by defeating Hammer after changing into a Hulk unintentionally.

2. Did Tony Stark Have a Cure for Hulk?

‘What If’ season 2, episode 3 reveals that Tony Stark was developing a cure for Bruce Banner. The cure was not designed to stop Banner from transforming into Hulk but to get rid of the anger issues.

In the episode, Hammer and the hacked Iron Legion drones want to get hold of a vial of Bruce Banner’s blood to transform Hammer into a Hulk. As we see Happy hiding from the gang, Tony Stark’s idea is revealed.

However, this is not the first time we have heard about Stark’s plan to cure Bruce. The MCU series She-Hulk mentions that Stark built Bruce’s lab in Mexico to help him transform into a Smart Hulk.

It seems that Stark and Banner understood that there was no way to cure Bruce completely, but it was possible to bring a balance. Moreover, we all know Iron Man loved and valued Hulk too much to let it go completely.

3. The New Variety of Hulk Explained

The new variant of Hulk introduced in ‘What If’ is purple, bald, and can speak, unlike Bruce Banner’s Hulk. Happy Hogan has a Hulk mutation, leading to the creation of Purple Hulk.

In the Marvel comics, Norman Osborn is a Purple Hulk. Osborn had stolen Red Hulk’s powers with the powers of Super-Adaptoid to transform into a Purple Hulk. However, the comics do not explain his purple color.

In another issue, Shangar (the Sorcerer Supreme of the Dark Dimension) possesses Hulk. As a result, Hulk turns into Dark Hulk and changes his color to purple.

Happy’s version of Purple Hulk changes the pattern of villains transforming into purple Hulks, although he struggles to resist the Hulk’s domination over his own identity. Therefore, purple might signify evilness here, and Happy’s genuine virtue is the only factor that balances it.

4. How ‘What If’ S2E3 Contributes to the MCU

Although it seems like What If season 2, episode 3 doesn’t exactly contribute enough to the story, it actually does. It is much more than just being a parody of Die Hard.

The episode deals with the true essence of being an Avenger. You can’t be an Avenger by just using your superpowers. An Avenger should never let go of their duty during tough times.

Moreover, Happy’s initial blunder in allowing Hammer to seize Avengers Tower effortlessly mirrors the history of nearly every original Avenger. Only by redeeming themselves from those errors did they attain the status of the Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

Happy’s recovery, not just his acquired abilities, qualifies him as an Avenger.

5. About What If…?

What If…? is an American animated anthology series created by A.C. Bradley for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name.

It explores what would happen if major moments from the films of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) occurred differently.

The series is produced by Marvel Studios, their first animated series since becoming their own production company. Bradley serves as head writer of the series, with Bryan Andrews directing.

Jeffrey Wright stars as the Watcher, who narrates the series. By September 2018, Marvel Studios was developing a number of series for Disney+, and one based on the What If…? comic was first reported in March 2019.