Why You Can Trust CNET 'What If…' Season 2: Release Date and How to Watch From Anywhere
Strap in for more alternate MCU timelines in the multiverse.
There's a festive treat in store for Marvel fans, with nine new mind-bending alternate realities on their way in season 2 of What If...
As with the previous installment of the animated series, S2 is set to explore stories in which events in the Marvel Cinematic Universe played out differently, with this latest run based around MCU's Phase 4 plot lines.
New episodes of What If... season 2 are set to be released daily over the Christmas period, starting from Dec. 22, with episode titles posing such questions as "What If... Iron Man Crashed Into the Grandmaster?", "What If... the Avengers Assembled in 1602?" and the holiday-themed offering "What If... Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?"
Fans can also expect return appearances from Strange Supreme, Captain Carter and The Watcher, as well as the introduction of a brand-new Marvel character called Kahhori. There's also a pretty A-List roll call of voice acting talent on board, with Jude Law, Kurt Russell, Sam Rockwell, Cate Blanchett and Michael Douglas all confirmed for the nine-episode season.
Find out by following our guide on how to watch the What If... season 2 and why a VPN could be a useful tool.
How to watch the What If... season 2 on Disney Plus
All-new episodes of What If... season 2 will be rolling out on a daily basis over the Christmas season on Disney Plus, with the first episode available to stream from Dec. 22, with one episode premiering every day from then on in until Dec. 30.
Release timings haven't been confirmed by Disney Plus, but the streaming service tends to make shows available at 12 a.m. PT, which is 3 a.m. ET, 8 a.m. GMT in the UK and 7 p.m. AEDT in Australia.
All previous season 1 episodes of the show are also available to watch on demand on the service.
Disney Plus' ad-free service costs more in the US, but you can also try out the new ad-free Disney bundle, which launched in September. The service's ad-free tier increased to $140 a year or $14 a month, and there's also an ad-based tier that costs $8 per month (no option to pay annually). Read more on how we tested Disney Plus' ad-supported tier and what to expect with the price hike.
Sign up for a standalone Disney Plus subscription with or without ads, or choose one of its bundle options. Disney packages its streaming services together -- Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN -- at a discount, letting you bundle two or three platforms in a single subscription. There are four bundles available now: Duo Basic, Duo Premium, Trio Basic and Trio Premium.
How to watch What If... season 2 from anywhere using a VPN
Perhaps you're traveling abroad and want to stream Disney Plus while away from home. With a VPN, you're able to virtually change your location on your phone, tablet or laptop to get access to the series from anywhere in the world. There are other good reasons to use a VPN for streaming too.
A VPN is the best way to encrypt your traffic and stop your ISP from throttling your speeds. Using a VPN is also a great idea if you're traveling and find yourself connected to a Wi-Fi network and want to add an extra layer of privacy for your devices and logins. Streaming TV can be a bit smoother with a reliable, quality VPN that's passed our tests and security standards.
You can use a VPN to stream content legally as long as VPNs are allowed in your country and you have a valid subscription to the streaming service you're using. The US and Canada are among the countries where VPNs are legal, but we advise against streaming or downloading content on illegal torrent sites. We recommend ExpressVPN, but you may opt for another provider from our best list, such as Surfshark or NordVPN.
If you're looking for a secure and dependable VPN, our Editors' Choice is ExpressVPN. It's fast, works on multiple devices and provides stable streams. It's normally $13 per month, but you can sign up for ExpressVPN and save 49% -- the equivalent of $6.67 per month -- if you get an annual subscription.
ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Follow the VPN provider's instructions for installation and choose a country where What If... season 2 is streaming on Disney Plus. Before you open the streaming app, make sure you're connected to your VPN using your selected region. If you want to stream the TV show on more than one device, it's possible you'll need to configure each one to ensure you're signed in. Go to settings and check your network connections to verify you're logged in and connected to your VPN account. Now you're ready to open Disney Plus to stream.
If you run into issues with streaming, first make sure your VPN is up and running on its encrypted IP address. Double-check that you've followed installation instructions correctly and you've picked the right geographical area for viewing. If you still encounter connection problems, you may need to reboot your device. Close all apps and windows, restart your device and connect to your VPN first. Note that some streaming services have restrictions on VPN access.