🧟‍♂️ Marvel Zombies (2025) Review 🧟‍♀️

“Marvel Zombies: The Dead Rise, the MCU Finally Gains a Backbone”

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🎥 Let’s start by showing y’all the trailers shall we?

Marvel put out two trailers and a wave of marketing that felt oddly rushed yet massive — eight posters in just three weeks. That’s overkill (pun intended), but it does show how confident Marvel was in pushing this as their big TV-MA “event” series. If you’ve seen those posters, they’re gorgeous, but almost too much too fast. It felt like Marvel saying: “See? Look! It’s gory, it’s serious, it’s different — please believe us!” just look at all these posters.

⚠️ Content Warning
This series goes all-in on the gore. Limbs are ripped apart, bodies are shredded, blood splatters freely, and no character is safe from being torn to pieces. If you’re squeamish or not a fan of graphic violence, be warned — Marvel Zombies pushes the TV-MA rating harder than anything Marvel has released so far.

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🧾 Non-Spoiler Plot Overview

Marvel Zombies picks up the threads left behind in the infamous What If…? episode where Earth’s Mightiest Heroes fell to infection. Now, stretched across four 30+ minute episodes (essentially mini-movies), we follow survivors like Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani), Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), Shang-Chi (Simu Liu), and more as they navigate a world where the undead aren’t just brainless — they’re organized, weaponized, and in some cases, disturbingly intelligent.

This show wastes no time diving into gore, action, and a surprising amount of despair, while still carrying the MCU’s sense of humor. It’s bleak, bloody, and way darker than anything Marvel has put to screen yet.

🎬 Mini-Movie Runtimes

One thing that really elevates Marvel Zombies is how each episode feels more like a short film than a typical animated TV installment. The runtimes make it clear:

Episode 1 – 38 minutes

Episode 2 – 34 minutes

Episode 3 – 33 minutes

Episode 4 – 32 minutes


That’s essentially four mini-movies back-to-back. The extra breathing room allows for cinematic pacing — big action set pieces, quieter character beats, and world-building that doesn’t feel rushed. It’s a step above the average Marvel Disney


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🎭 Character Rundown

Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) – The emotional core of the show. She’s our audience POV, trying to hold onto hope even as the world crumbles.

Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) – Sarcastic, resourceful, and maybe too confident for her own good. Her banter helps cut the tension, but her fate hits hard.

Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne) – Tech genius who salvages an Iron Man armor and retools it into “FRIDAY” — complete with a teddy bear head for comic relief.

Shang-Chi (Simu Liu) – Haunted, tragic, and carrying the scars of Episode 2’s flashbacks. His arc ties into family and sacrifice.

Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh) – Cynical yet brave, with some of the show’s most emotional lines (especially in Episode 2’s climax).

Red Guardian (David Harbour) – Comic relief but also heart. His bond with Yelena is tested brutally.

Moon Knight / Blade Knight (Oscar Isaac + Mahershala Ali blend) – The weirdest hybrid persona in the show. Stoic, brutal, and the kind of character you instantly want a spinoff of.

Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) – Gatekeeper of New Asgard, but caught in Wanda’s web.

Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) – The Queen of the Dead. Her zombie army isn’t just feral — they’re strategic, terrifying, and reflect her twisted grief.

Zombie Thanos (Josh Brolin) – Yes, he’s back. Yes, he’s horrifying. And yes, he still gets to wield the Infinity Stones.

Agent Jimmy Woo (Randall Park) – Pops up in flashbacks, trying to hold order in chaos.

Zemo (Daniel Brühl) – Ever the schemer, and Episode 2 gives him one of the show’s darkest twists.

Rintrah (Adam Hugill) – The green-furred sorcerer adds mystical firepower but meets a grim fate.

Death Dealer (Andy Le) – The silent Ten Rings assassin, given an appropriately gruesome end.


And of course… Scott Lang’s Head (Paul Rudd) – Comic relief turned creepy, still cracking jokes while being a literal head-in-a-jar.

Odd Inclusions and Firsts

One of the weirdest quirks of Marvel Zombies is how it ends up giving us character appearances that feel almost accidental. For example, Blade shows up here as a major player—but according to the director, when they added him back in 2021, it was under the assumption his MCU solo movie would already be out. That film has since been delayed endlessly, so this Elseworlds cartoon now technically marks Blade’s first real on-screen appearance in the MCU. That’s wild, and also kind of ironic, since it’s in a non-canon zombie apocalypse.

Then there’s the Eternal cameo, which felt strange considering Disney quietly implied some Phase 4 and 5 characters (like the Eternals) wouldn’t be coming back anytime soon. To see one randomly dropped into a zombie war feels more like a reminder of abandoned toys than a natural fit.

And finally, this show might end up being the only time we see the Young Avengers fully together on-screen. Kamala Khan, Kate Bishop, Riri Williams—this roster is stacked, but Marvel’s plans for a Young Avengers project keep getting shuffled around. So, ironically, the definitive “first team-up” might be here… in a zombie apocalypse spinoff.

🎨 The Animation Continuity

One thing worth pointing out is how seamless the animation feels between What If…? and Marvel Zombies. The show doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel—it sticks with that same cel-shaded, painterly style What If…? introduced. Because of that, it really does feel like a direct continuation instead of a spinoff with a totally different look. The tone might be darker, gorier, and way more brutal, but the visuals stay consistent, giving this whole “zombies corner” of the MCU an anchored identity. When you watch the original What If…? zombie episode and then this, it feels like you’ve gone from the pilot into the full series without missing a beat.

🩸 Wanda and the “Talking Zombies” Twist

Now let’s talk about Zombie Wanda and her lieutenants — especially Okoye. Some fans might think it’s inconsistent that they can talk when zombies in the original What If…? episode were mindless. But here, it actually makes sense. Wanda was already an Omega-level powerhouse in life, and her magic allows her to bend the rules of infection. She isn’t just a zombie; she’s the Queen of the Dead, channeling chaos magic to keep a shred of her intelligence intact and extend that control to her chosen followers. Okoye speaking isn’t a plot hole — it’s a direct reflection of Wanda’s dominance over her “royal guard.” Instead of being brainless husks, they’re extensions of her will, which makes them way scarier. It’s one thing to face a horde of groaning undead, it’s another when the leader can taunt you, manipulate you, and strategize mid-battle.

Basically to summarize it up, Wanda’s army run fast, can speak and retain their powers. While the rest of the zombies that aren’t apart of the gang are brainless shamblers.


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⏳ Pacing / Episode Flow

Each episode is around 32–38 minutes long, and honestly, each feels like its own mini-movie.

Episode 1 is survival-horror and team-building.

Episode 2 is Mad Max by way of the ocean, introducing Zemo and Namor.

Episode 3 takes us to New Asgard, and it’s the most grotesque of the bunch.

Episode 4 throws us into all-out war with Wanda and the Infinity Hulk before ripping the rug out with one of the darkest endings in Marvel history.


The pacing is tight. No filler, no fluff — just escalating horror and tragedy.


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✅ Pros

It was amazing getting to see these characters interact with each other. And work with each other. It’s something we’ve been missing in the last two phases. Because the last two phases have just been focusing on individual stories. It kind of just undermines everything.

Kamala’s interaction with Kate and Williams was phenomenal.

Genuinely terrifying visuals (zombie Cap crawling through vents, Wanda’s illusions, the grotesque “banquet” in New Asgard).

Also, the atmosphere in the show is eerie and gorgeous. The fact that nature has retaken over the cities. The towns being covered in plants and green.

Strong character arcs, especially Kamala’s hopeful heart vs. Wanda’s corrupted grief.

The gore is unflinching — Marvel finally used that TV-MA rating.

References and continuity back to the What If…? episode — making this feel like a true follow-up, not a reboot.

The voice cast (and returning live-action actors lending voices) elevate it.

Heck this show and the what if episode go over and above, I mean, the what?If episode shows us how the virus came to be a k a where it originated from and in episode 2 of this show, it shows us the outbreak.Those two things don’t always happen in the zombie related thing. They didn’t need to do that, but they did.



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❌ Cons

Some logic gaps — who gets infected and who doesn’t feels inconsistent.

A few characters (like Jimmy Woo and Rintrah) deserved more screen time.

The marketing push (8 posters in 3 weeks) gave the impression Marvel wasn’t confident in just letting the show speak for itself.

Continuity Problems ⚡: Okay, this one really bugged me. In Episode 3, we literally watch Thanos disintegrate Stormbreaker with the Power Stone. Gone. Dust. Bye-bye axe. Then Episode 4 rolls around and suddenly Zombie Thor is back swinging Stormbreaker like nothing ever happened. Did the writers forget what they animated one week earlier? That’s not nitpicking, that’s a straight-up continuity hole. If you’re going to make a big dramatic moment out of destroying the most iconic weapon in Thor’s arsenal, maybe… I don’t know… remember it’s destroyed?

And then my last complaint, the infinity hulk problem, not going to say anymore. But to keep bringing the review, but what I will say is this it?It introduces a new element. I know it’s on a new element. It’s the thing that comics, but it’s new in this and it just kind of overpowers everything, but nothing at the same time.




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💭 Final Thoughts

This isn’t just Marvel doing zombies for fun — it’s Marvel testing the waters for how far they can push into true horror. It’s bleak, messy, gory, and occasionally heartbreaking. At the same time, it balances in just enough humor so it never feels like torture porn.

And yes — this absolutely stands as the spiritual successor to the What If…? zombie episode. That original 2021 short was the spark, and this series is the wildfire.

Plz go watch this show, its worth ur time. Plz go support this show so then we can get a sequel.


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⭐ Rating

10/10 🧟‍♂️🔥
Marvel Zombies is the rare spinoff that outgrows its parent, delivering on horror, heart, and hopelessness.


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🚨 Spoiler Warning

From here on out, we’re talking full spoilers. Proceed if you dare…


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🩸 Spoilers

Alright y’all, buckle up, because this ain’t your average Marvel spinoff. Each episode basically plays like its own mini-movie, and Marvel does not hold back on the gore, despair, and insanity.


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Episode 1: We open with Kamala Khan, Kate Bishop, and Riri Williams scavenging New York like it’s the end of The Last of Us. Riri salvages Tony’s armor (with a teddy bear head slapped on it because, why not), Kate’s cracking wise like it’s just another Tuesday, and Kamala is desperately trying to hold everyone together. Then boom: Hawkeye shows up. Except, surprise — he’s one of the first zombies, serving as Wanda’s puppet.

From here it’s chaos. Zombie Okoye shows up as Wanda’s right-hand general, leading a talking zombie army with glowing red eyes. Kate tries to fight Carol Danvers, who’s also zombified, but ends up blasted into confetti by one of her beams (yeah, they gave her a gag death). Riri gets bitten, injects herself with an experimental serum, and Friday the robot sacrifices itself to save her. Kamala ends up stranded, and just when you think she’s done for, Blade Moon Knight (Blade Knight?) swoops in like the grim reaper with a cape. After Kamala wakes to Moon Knight at a campfire, he tells her that he and Khonshu will help guide her to Ohio, where the strange beacon is transmitting. He admits he only wanted to drink and party, but Khonshu pushed him into the mission.

When they arrive, they’re met by Melina Vostokoff (Red Guardian’s wife), who uses leftover Red Room tech (like in Black Widow) to control and “tame” a horde of zombies, creating a makeshift barricade around their base. Inside, Kamala learns the device they’ve been carrying is a S.H.I.E.L.D. transmitter designed to reach the Nova Corps—but to work, it needs to be launched into space. Problem: no rocket.

Before they can plan further, Okoye, now a commander of Wanda’s red-eyed zombie army, attacks with overwhelming numbers. Red Guardian, Yelena, and the Black Widow agents defend the walls while Melina holds the tech line. The zombies adapt, hurling themselves onto rooftops, where half-torso Zombie Captain America crawls through vents and duels Red Guardian. Red Guardian ultimately crushes him—quipping a song about the fight, only for Melina to roll her eyes. Strangely, Zombie Cap bites him during the struggle, yet Red Guardian doesn’t turn.

On the side note, I do like that continuity that Okeye is now a zombie since she got yoinked away by Zombie Scarlett Witch at the end of The Marvel What If Zombie Episode, ans that Cap is now half a torso since Bucky cut him in half aith his own shield in that episode as well.

Anyays, rhe horde escalates with Zombie Ghost, who phases through the defenses and massacres the Widow agents. The group retreats into the bunker as Melina stays behind, locking them out to buy time. She tries to turn Okoye’s horde against her using the Red Room tech, but Okoye overpowers the signal and drives a spear through her, killing her instantly.

Outside, Blade senses Zombie Ghost’s every move mid-battle and slices her apart, buying the survivors a narrow escape as the base self-destructs. Now fugitives again, the team realizes their only hope is still in the stars. Blade calmly tells them: “I know where to find a rocket.”



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Episode 2: Flashback time. Five years earlier, we see Shang-Chi and Katy (yep, Awkwafina’s back) running through a crumbling New York. Helicopters, chaos, giant bugs, giant zombies — it’s like World War Z meets Ant-Man on steroids.

Speaking of world war z, we do get a shot of the zombies falling off of a rooftop onto the pavement.

Wenwu (Shang’s dad) swoops in, tries to save him, but Shang gets bitten. So Wenwu uses the Ten Rings to stop the infection from spreading and sacrifices himself to the horde.

Fast forward — Mad Max time. Our survivors are in spiky cars, fighting Skrulls in leather. They bring cattle to Zemo’s little fortress, which should immediately scream “bad idea” to anyone who’s seen a single horror film. Surprise, Zemo hates superheroes (shocker), and he’s hiding something. The group gets taken to the Raft, which is now an underwater city. Cool set piece? Yes. Safe? Hell no.

Also, weather going underwater.I love this eerie shot of this carcass of a whale.That’s down to its bones being eaten by atlantean zombies, that shot is horrifying.

Some of y’all think everything is a okay and Zemo is the protector, nah think again.

Turns out Zemo’s been feeding survivors to zombie Namor and his Atlantean horde just to keep his little community alive. This kind of goes back to humans are kind of shit head in the apocalypse. It’s been an ongoing thing in every zombie video, including the walking dead.Like the Governor.

When the truth drops, all hell breaks loose. Namor goes full zombie god-mode, ripping people apart, while Red Guardian and Yelena desperately try to hold the line. Yelena sacrifices herself in a brutal, emotional moment, leaving Alexei screaming. Zemo and his people make a run for it, but Namor’s too powerful. John Walker (U.S. Agent) gets literally cut in half just like Cap before him. The episode ends with the survivors barely escaping, knowing they can’t trust anyone.

As chaos erupts inside the Raft, the team scrambles for survival. Zemo’s betrayal leaves them trapped, but Yelena manages to break free and fights her way to the control panels. Over the comms, she tells the others she’ll unlock the doors—but she won’t be able to make it back in time. It’s a deliberate sacrifice.

Her father, Red Guardian, screams through the chaos, refusing to accept it: “Don’t you leave me! Don’t you dare use my words against me!” But Yelena steels herself, insisting this is her choice, a heroic desertion to give them a chance. She unlocks the escape route, sealing her own fate.

The survivors have no time to grieve. With Namor rampaging and Zemo’s schemes collapsing, the group sets their sights on one final hope: New Asgard, where the last remaining rocket capable of reaching space is hidden.


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Episode 3: Doesn’t waste time, it kicks off with the long-teased Zombie Thanos showdown. We see Spider-Man, Scott Lang’s floating head, and T’Challa struggling in Wakanda as Thanos—already half-rotted—starts piecing together how to use the Infinity Stones. What makes this sequence chilling is how aware Thanos is becoming; he isn’t just a mindless zombie, he’s learning. Despite their best efforts, nothing works. Rocket arrives only to be instantly disintegrated, Thor charges in with Stormbreaker but makes the same fatal mistake as Infinity War—he misses the head—and gets half his face melted for his trouble. For a moment, it feels like the end of the road. But T’Challa delivers one last Wakandan sacrifice, tackling Thanos into the reactor core and detonating both of them. The show chooses not to have T’Challa speak on screen (out of respect for Chadwick Boseman), instead only letting us hear his rallying cry through narration: “Wakanda Forever.” The explosion that follows doesn’t end the fight—it sets the stage for the nightmare escalation that fuels the rest of the series.

If you ask me, this was a better send off to T’Challa aka Black Panther, then, the pathetic way in Black Panther Wakanda Forever, i mean, oh, he died from an illness that he couldn’t cure like.Really, that’s what you came up with. You didn’t give him a heroic death.You just went for well.That’s just how Chadwick Boseman died so eh.

Feast in New Asgard
Oh, this one is nasty. Our gang makes it to New Asgard, and Valkyrie is there, drinking and pretending everything is fine. Thor’s moping in a corner, scarred, missing an eye, broken down like he’s aged 50 years. But hey, at least there’s food on the tables, right? Wrong. So wrong.

It also valkyrie says they’ve gotten food from queen of sacovio which zemo, who’s from there, perks up and says there is no queen of sacovia, uh oh.

Enter Wanda Maximoff, looking alive and human again, claiming she “cured herself” and that she needs help to rebuild the world. Except — curtains pull back, and guess what? All that food? Yeah, it’s human meat. Zombies feeding survivors parts of other survivors. It’s one of the most grotesque reveals Marvel has ever done.

Cue massacre. Zemo gets his heart ripped out Mortal Kombat–style. Death Dealer (the Mandarin’s silent assassin) gets folded in half like a paperclip. The whole hall erupts into carnage. Our heroes scramble for the escape ship, while Thor finally wakes up and calls down lightning, trying to hold Wanda off. His final words to Kamala: “You’re the Avengers now.” And then he collides with Wanda in a giant explosion that wipes New Asgard off the map.

The survivors finally break atmosphere, convinced the Nova Corps is their salvation. For a fleeting moment, it feels like the nightmare is over—help has arrived. But that hope shatters instantly. Instead of open arms, they find an iron wall: Nova ships woven together into a massive barricade encircling Earth like a prison.

Then comes the voice over comms—cold, clinical, unshakable: “This planet has been quarantined. No ship is permitted to leave. You have ten seconds to comply before disintegration.”

The truth sinks in fast and merciless: there was never a rescue. Nova didn’t come to save humanity—they came to contain it. To the survivors, it’s worse than a death sentence. They’re not just fighting zombies anymore; the universe itself has written Earth off as a lost cause.

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Episode 4: Okay, deep breath. This one is wild.

After the heroes are teleported away while crash landing through the sky. Thanks to their ship being blown up, they are saved by
The other wizards they are told about what has happened and um.

Remember Hulk? Turns out Banner survived long enough to absorb the Infinity Stones, making him this unstable conduit of power. He’s basically the last weapon humanity has left, and Wanda wants his juice. Put it this way they say, if he dies the world dies. He’s basically a walking nuke.

So what do we get? A final battle straight out of hell. Hulk throws armies of zombies aside like rag dolls, Wanda summons ships run by zombies to crash into him, and she even drops an entire ocean prison on top of him. The heroes rally: Spider-Man webbing heads off, Kamala slicing zombies in half, Valkyrie exploding Giant Wasp from the inside. Blade Knight cuts Hank Pym in half (poetic justice since Pym started this whole virus in What If…?). It’s cathartic, it’s bloody, it’s everything a Marvel Zombies fight should be.

But Wanda doesn’t quit. She tempts Kamala, whispering promises: “Take my hand, we can bring them back, we can rebuild everything.” And Kamala — being the hopeful heart — takes it. Big mistake.

Reality shatters. Kamala wakes up in her bedroom, her mom calling her downstairs, Riri and Kate waiting to hang out like nothing ever happened. Sunshine, bubble tea, happy times. Except… she keeps catching flashes. People flicker into zombies.

And the sky being crimson red and dark, but then it just cuts back to broad daylight and everyone alive. And normal, which if you ask me, this is the worst fate ever, In my opinion.

Riri across the street screams at her, “Don’t trust it! Wake up!” And then Wanda’s face fills the screen in one final jump scare.

The reveal? Kamala’s trapped in one of Wanda’s hex bubbles. The world outside is still rotting, and she’s living in a lie. Roll credits.

Jesus christ talk about a way to end a show like this, in the most bleakest way possible.

Also, this is like a warped version mirroring.That wandavision show.


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🧟 Why It Works

This show doesn’t just throw gore for shock value. It’s about hopelessness, manipulation, and the idea that survival isn’t always a win. Sometimes the only ending is losing slower. And Marvel actually had the guts to stick that landing.

What i really like is that each episode ends on a bleak note.

🧩 Closing Reflection – Which Fate is Worse?

The finale leaves us with a haunting dilemma: which is truly worse—living in a nightmare, or living in a lie?

On the surface, Kamala’s bubble looks like a blessing. The world is bright again, her friends are alive, and everything feels safe. But it’s a prison made of illusions. Those cracks she sees—flashes of zombies, skies turning blood-red—are proof that the comfort is false. That’s its own kind of horror, being trapped in a dream that you can’t wake up from.

The apocalypse, for all its brutality, at least has honesty. You know the rules: survive or die. Painful, yes. But real.

By forcing Kamala into her “happy ending,” Wanda takes away the one thing the apocalypse still allowed: choice. And that makes this ending far darker than a horde of zombies ever could.

I also will close off on saying this. I wish and I really hope we get a second season. Because the way the season ends, the story isn’t done yet. And even the developers said they want to make a second season, but only if it gets enough views. So please go out there and support this show. It’s really worth it.