‘What If…?’ Season 3 delivers its wildest twist yet: Darcy Lewis marries Howard the Duck, they have an egg-baby, & chaos ensues. Cause’ why not?

howard the duck-darcy lewis-what if season 3

Welcome to What If…?, a show where the Marvel Cinematic Universe throws out its rulebook and lets imagination run wild, in the best way possible. Three seasons in, fans have seen many absurd storylines play out including Agatha living the life of glitz and glamor in Hollywood and The Avengers in 1602. However, nothing could have prepared us for what was to come in season 3.

Seth Green's Howard the Duck and Kat Denning's Darcy Lewis in What If...? Season 3 Episode 4 | Credits: Marvel Studios AnimationSeth Green’s Howard the Duck and Kat Denning’s Darcy Lewis in What If…? Season 3 Episode 4 | Credits: Marvel Studios Animation

Season 3 of What If…? recently released its fourth episode and boy was it a rollercoaster ride! The episode features a love story between Jane Foster’s intern Darcy Lewis and one of the Collector’s specimens, Howard the Duck. No, we really aren’t kidding. No matter how absurd it sounds, it turns out that the fans actually really like the episode and it might be the best thing to come out of season 3 so far.

What If…? Season 3 surprises fans with an absurd storyline

A still from What If… Howard the Duck Got Hitched? | Credits: Marvel Studios AnimationA still from What If… Howard the Duck Got Hitched? | Credits: Marvel Studios Animation

Move aside Wanda and Vision, you’re no longer the only unconventional couple in the MCU! On the blessed day of Christmas, What If…? surprised its fans with a love story between Darcy Lewis (Kat Dennings) and Howard the Duck (Seth Green).

The couple ends up tying the knot and having a baby (egg?) together. Born during the Cosmic Convergence, the baby is supposed to be destined for great things upon its hatching. Needless to say, the entire world wants to get its hands on the half-human half-duck baby.

From Yondu and the Grandmaster to S.H.I.E.L.D. and Thanos, everyone knows what the baby is capable of and they try their best to steal the egg from its parents. The episode sees Darcy and Howard protect their unhatched child from the predators.

In the end, the egg hatches into a human-duck hybrid, Byrdie. The ever-sensible Nick Fury decides that a child should be under the care and love of its parents and ends his pursuit.

Absurd, yes. Heartwarming? Weirdly… yes.

The public’s reaction to What If…?’s most unhinged episode yet

Byrdie in What If… Howard the Duck Got Hitched?Byrdie in What If… Howard the Duck Got Hitched? | Credits: Marvel Studios Animation

Fans of the animated series might have had their doubts when they hit the play button on episode four but as they reached the end credits, they were left pleasantly surprised.

The episode felt like a fever dream to some and while others had no hope for it, they stood corrected in the end. Here’s how some fans reacted to the episode:

So far, What If…? Howard the Duck Got Hitched? is the second-highest-rated episode of the season with a score of 6.4/10 on IMDb. The highest-rated episode, What If…? The Red Guardian Stopped the Winter Soldier?, is not much ahead either and has a score of 6.8/10. Episodes one and two are scored 5.9 and 6.0, respectively.

Well, it goes without saying that the ridiculous storyline and the unlikely romance were a welcome change of pace in the show!

What If…? is available to watch on Disney+.