After three seasons of Marvel’s What If…? (2021-24) series, the studio has come out with their newest project, a sequel: Marvel Zombies (2025). While it’s a great show the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has produced, it’s pretty lackluster.
Marvel Zombies is a sequel to one of What If…?’s episodes where the MCU had been exposed to a zombie plague — killing off many of the beloved characters, such as the Avengers. The story begins with Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfield), and Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) leading a resistance against the plague. The show gets dark and bloody quick as fans are met with swift deaths from their favorite characters.
Condensed into four half-hour episodes, the narrative is essentially straightforward, and impossible to get lost with. The show continues the theme of What If…? by giving us elements that we don’t normally see in the MCU; such as The Raft being used as a safe haven, Blade as Khonshu’s Avatar, and the godly battle between Ikaris and Zombie Captain Marvel.
Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) takes her lead — once again — as the lead antagonist who is predominantly known as ‘Queen of the Dead’. Wanda will always be a compelling villain who has a compelling story; although, using her as a villain who is looking for power is lazy writing on Marvel’s part.
Wanda’s last appearance was in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, where she was the lead antagonist. As a grieving mother and widow, the MCU has plenty of potential to curate her character into something other than a villain and is wasting it.
Along with the lazy writing, the finale is extremely abrupt. The ending teases a second season, or at least leaves the audience on a cliffhanger wondering what Kamala is going to do next.
The animation and the art style of the show are pretty similar to how What If…? is throughout its run; so if you liked the animation of that, then this is a good show for you to watch.
In a grand scheme of things, Marvel Zombies isn’t a terrible show. It’s hard to separate it from its predecessor, What If…?, but in isolation it’s a fun watch. Although it might not be what happens in our main universe, it gives us more insight into our newer, and different characters like the main trio: Kamala, Kate, and Riri.
If you’re a fan who isn’t too worried about every show connecting to one another, Marvel Zombies is a good show when isolated, but if you try to connect and compare it to What If…? — which it was meant to be — you will most likely be disappointed, unfortunately.
