One of the MCU's greatest actors returned in And if...? Season 3 and rescued its forgettable debut from six years ago. The MCU has a stellar reputation for its casting decisions, starting strong with Robert Downey Jr.'s Tony Stark and continuing to score wins with each of its main cast. Still, it's not like there are no missteps in the MCU, as the entirety of its star-studded cast is bound to include misfires. Most of them consist of wasted casts, with some of Hollywood's biggest actors playing some forgettable MCU roles.
Fortunately, the MCU has entered an era that can make up for this wasted cast. The multiverse provided the perfect conduit through which characters who had fallen into oblivion could return as variants from alternate universes. These variants can take on a variety of guises, appearing identical to the Earth-616 "originals" or like entirely different species. A who's who of MCU variants from every Marvel franchise has appeared in several Multiverse Saga films and shows, and one of the most recent examples has redeemed one of the MCU's biggest actors.
Walton Goggins is one of the MCU's most wasted actors
Goggins portrayed Sonny Burch in Ant-Man and the Wasp
Walton Goggins is an American actor best known for starring in acclaimed TV shows such as Vice Principlesalthough he has also played supporting roles in blockbusters such as Django Unchained and The Hateful Eight. Walton Goggins recently enjoyed success as The Ghoul/Cooper Howard in Precipitationalthough his decorated career spans decades and has made him one of the most recognizable faces in Hollywood. Despite this, and several awards won, Walton Goggins was cast in the MCU as one of its most forgettable characters: Sonny Burch.
Sonny Burch appears in Ant-Man and the Wasp as an unscrupulous businessman who tries to betray Hank Pym in an attempt to steal his mobile laboratory. A fight breaks out and Burch is captured and subdued by Giant-Man before being arrested. Burch's role may have provided an excuse for Giant-Man's emergence, but his role was particularly minor before being removed from the scene entirely. He did not reprise his role for Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania nor any other live-action MCU film - but And if...? helped redeem his mediocrity.
What if Season 3 brings Walton Goggins back for a superior second try
Sonny Burch returns as secondary villain
Sonny Burch would hardly be a role worthy of Walton Goggins, and small enough that it could be played by several smaller actors. Happily, And if...? Season 3 Episode 6 gave him a much more significant role as a secondary villain. The alternate universe was based on the Old West and starred Shang-Chi and Kate Bishop/Hawkeye as the main heroes seeking to take down the Hood. Upon discovering the "ghost train", It is revealed that Goggins' Sonny Burch is in cahoots with the Hood and has a device that hypnotizes victims.
Goggins plays a particularly sinister role and demonstrates how he should have been given a larger role in the MCU.
Burch is immediately a much more intimidating figure in And if...? as he is quickly able to overwhelm Kate Bishop, almost completely overpowering her before the sound of a bell snaps her out of her stupor. Goggins plays a particularly sinister role and demonstrates how he should have been given a larger role in the MCU. Fortunately, because Burch is still alive in prison, It is still possible that he will reappear in the futureand failing that, another live-action version of Burch could appear in the MCU.
-
- Release date
-
February 14, 2025
-
- Release date
-
July 25, 2025
-
- Release date
-
July 24, 2026