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How Marvel’s ‘What If…?’ Became the Ideal Platform for ILM Immersive’s Interactive Storytelling
Director Dave Bushore and executive producer Shareif Fattouh discuss how they transformed the 'What If...?' animated series into an immersive VR story.
Following in the footsteps of ILM Immersive ’s (formerly ILMxLAB) “Vader Immortal” game and the company’s virtual reality experiences “Star Wars: Secret of the Empire” and “Avengers: Damage Control,” “ What If …? Led with trademark cantankerousness by Doctor Strange’s sorcerer counterpart Wong, a “What If…?” participant learns how to repeat the movements of the characters to open portals and utilize the power of the Infinity Stones. In the wake of ILMxLAB re-branding as ILM Immersive, many of the company’s previous interactive experiences effectively disappeared; though projects like “Avengers: Damage Control” were well-attended at Void locations and otherwise critically acclaimed, their complexity prevented them from being transferred (or translated) to consumer consoles such as the Oculus headsets used for “Vader Immortal.” Bushore and Fattouh suggest that “What If…?” not only offers participants with a multifaceted — and potentially update-able — experience that rewards multiple viewings, but just scratches at the surface of what they hope to do within the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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