What If... The Red Guardian Stopped the Winter Soldier?

The entire episode has a very weird dialogue and feels like it was written by someone who only knows about soviet russia through internet jokes. With inserting random foods into sentences as if that is how anyone talks or the constant meaningless communist-capitalist slogans that serve no purpose other than attempting to be a joke, this episode really falls flat. It is another big step in the show's continuous decline after a good first season. It's becoming increasingly harder to keep watching it and giving each episode the benefit of the doubt that it will suddenly be, well, good. The show really lost its tracks and this episode really displays it.

Marvel's "What If...?" has consistently excelled at pairing unexpected characters, creating fresh dynamics that reframe the MCU's familiar events. The third episode of its third season, "What If... the Red Guardian Stopped the Winter Soldier?," is a prime example of this potential, imagining an alternate timeline where the boistured Red Guardian clashes with and ultimately teams up with the brooding Winter Soldier. The pairing feels natural given their shared histories as super-soldiers burdened by the ideologies of their respective natures. And it makes a very fun buddy romp that feels like a ride, although it isn't without the occasional shortcomings, especially with its tonal inconsistencies.

The episode opens with the Winter Soldier's infamous mission to eliminate Howard Stark, but Red Guardian's unexpected interference leads to an explosive confrontation. Watching the relationship between these two flawed characters develop is one of the episode's highlights. Red Guardian's bombastic humor contrasts sharply with Bucky's stoic demeanor, and their journey from enemies to reluctant allies feels both genuine and earned. The episode does a great job of highlighting their similarities even as their differences lead to moments of humor and tension. However, the episode often struggles to balance its tone. The comedic elements, primarily driven by Red Guardian's larger-than-life personality, are entertaining but sometimes excessive. Moments of silly humor, while in line with the character, occasionally disrupt the pacing and dilute the impact of the more serious moments. Thankfully, Bucky's gravitas helps ground the episode, and his introspective moments offer a poignant counterbalance to the antics of his Soviet counterpart. While the episode is enjoyable, it doesn't fully embrace the boundless creative potential of the "What If...?" premise. The storyline feels more like a plausible side plot within the MCU rather than a bold reimagining. It's a solid concept, but it doesn't push the boundaries of the "endless possibilities" the series promises to explore. The ending, while fun, leaves a lot to be desired in terms of coherence. The choices made by the characters and the events of the episode should have had significant repercussions on the MCU timeline, but by the conclusion, the broader universe seems oddly unchanged. This inconsistency makes the episode feel disconnected from the rest of the show's premise and somewhat diminishes its impact.

"What If... the Red Guardian Stopped the Winter Soldier?" is a mixed bag. The dynamic between Red Guardian and Winter Soldier is compelling, and their character arcs are handled with care, but the uneven tone, missed potential, and confusing ending hold it back from being a standout entry in the series.

I liked this episode. I think it is the best of the 3 I've seen so far. I really liked the chemistry between the Winter Soldier and the Red Guardian, and I also liked the SHIELD scientist. But I want to know how the premise changed the timeline. What happened with Tony if his parents survived the attack? Will he still become Ironman? How would the world would have changed if Howard Stark kept working for more time? Just like his son, Howard was a genius. He could have changed the 90's. Well, watch this episode, it has serious moments and it was fun too. I think you will enjoy it. Give it a try.

Ok. I want to see this episode be made into a live-action feature-length movie.

Bucky Barnes is like Jackie Chan, whereas the Red Guardian spits out dialogues like Chris Tucker.

David Harbour is fantastic and I want to see more of him in future MCU projects.

His voice acting is genuinely funny, and the episode itself is charming and heartwarming.

I was kind of expecting bloopers during the end-credits, but I guess that's too much to ask :D

I love buddy cop movies and it's about time that MCU seriously considers this to be the base of a buddy-superhero movie.

Kevin Feige, are you reading this?

I really hope so.

After a couple of wilder flights of fancy, "What If" presents an episode that reverts back to the format a little bit, remixing a key plot point from the MCU and extrapolating what might have happened.

The Winter's Soldier (Sebastian Stan) is joined on his mission to recover the super soldier serum from Howard Stark, by Alexei Shostakov - the Red Guardian (David Harbour). Disillusioned a little by his countries failures to live up to the communist dream, Shostakov stops Barnes from finishing the Starks off. Their failure to complete the mission causes extraction to be pulled, so they head across the States to find a Russian informant nicknamed "The Rook" who might be able to assist them. They're pursued by S. H. I. E. L. D scientific advisor Bill Foster (Laurence Fishburne) and a committed US Ranger Morales (America Ferrera).

I've enjoyed all three episodes of the series so far and this is another funny story, though a little more straightforward than the previous two. I couldn't help and watch this one and think that I would have loved this one as a live action movie - though admittedly the de-aging work might have made it prohibitively expensive, hopefully we might get to see some of this tone in "Thunderbolts". All three stars reprise their roles from the MCU with only Obadiah Stane, who appears later on, being played by Kiff VandenHeuvel rather than Jeff Bridges. The interesting role is that of Ranger Morales, and why such a small (though fun) role should be played by American Ferrera - I wonder if there are / were plans for the role to reappear.

I'm yet to see anything that looks like it might coalesce into a season story this time, we're yet to see Doctor Strange in any guise or anyone who can cross these multiverses.

Good episode though.