Marvel Animation is back for blood.
Continuing the story first told in season one of What If…?, Marvel Zombies picks up where these characters left off after battling Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen). Now, the series follows Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) as she and her friends discover a way to potentially end the madness and save the world. However, standing in their way are the myriad of noxious zombie hoards—many of whom are their friends—and Wanda Maximoff’s looming threat, the zombie leader who will stop at nothing to end life as they know it.
Over the last year, Marvel Animation has been on a genuine hot streak. Whether it’s their successful revival of X-Men ’97, the charming Friendly Neighbourhood Spider-Man or the stunning visuals of Eyes of Wakanda, Marvel has continuously delivered some incredible content for its streaming service. Admittedly, this series doesn’t quite have the originality or pop of those titles, leaning on the same style of animation their already established What If…? world. However, it does have exactly what viewers will be looking for from a show called Marvel Zombies.
(Center): Zombie Okoye (voiced by Kenna Ramsey) in Marvel Television’s MARVEL ZOMBIES exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Television. © 2025 MARVEL.
Violence. Lots and lots of violence.
Although the series maintains Marvel’s signature playful tone, Zombies lets it go for the jugular visually (and literally). Every episode allows itself the freedom to make good use of the series MA rating. Severed spines, crushed craniums and buckets of blood provide a visual feast of murderous mayhem. This stylistic choice fully embraces the tone that fans have been demanding, especially from Marvel Animation. (Yet, ironically somehow, because the series is animated, it rarely feels that over-the-top.)
Underneath the carnage, this mashup of the undead still keeps its soul, thanks largely in part due to some delightful work from Vellani. Part of the reason that these What If…? scenarios work so well has been the inclusion of (many of) the Avengers themselves as the voice cast of their animated selves. In doing so, the series maintains a more ‘official’ feel, even if its unrelated to the grander narrative. As such, Vellani brings that same youthful enthusiasm to Kamala Khan that has made her a fan favourite in recent years. However, her character never loses sight of the severity of what’s at stake.
(L-R): Alexei Shostakov/ Red Guardian (voiced by David Harbour), Yelena Belova (voiced by Florence Pugh), Kamala Khan (voiced by Iman Vellani) and Blade Knight (voiced by Todd Williams) in Marvel Television’s MARVEL ZOMBIES exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Television. © 2025 MARVEL.
In fact, there’s a lot more riding on her shoulders now.
As the newer (and, often, younger) characters begin to step forward into the Avengers roles, so too does their responsibilities grow. Here, Kamala, Riri Williams and Kate Bishop—the youngest current Marvel heroes—find themselves front and centre for the battle for humanity. Backed by a supporting cast of further newcomers like Shang Chi, Valkyrie and Blade (!), Marvel is giving us the opportunity to get to know some of their next wave of main-eventers, even if it’s during a What If…? scenario. However, this new team doesn’t feel quite ready to lead the next wave of superhero fandom. And they are all in way over their heads.
Or are they? After all, each of these newer characters are given moments where they shine. Shang Chi finds a new way to make use of his rings in a zombie apocalypse. Stepping into the role of Khonshu’s avatar, Blade becomes a stabilizing force for the team. Even Black Panther makes a crucial statement in his brief appearance (sans the late Chadwick Boseman, of course).
(L-R) Katy Chen (voiced by Awkwafina) and Shang-Chi (vocied by Simu Liu) in Marvel Television’s MARVEL ZOMBIES exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Television. © 2025 MARVEL.
But, yet again, it’s Khan’s journey that carries the most weight. Completely overwhelmed by the pressure put upon her shoulders, this series pushes her closer towards Avengers stardom than her journey in The Marvels once did. She’s allowed to break down but still pick herself up. Now, she’s ready to become the hero that Marvel has been teasing.
Now, she’s not going to quit fighting.
And that’s honestly the spirit embedded within these Zombies. This is a world of overwhelming odds against them. From the endless stream of super zombie hoards to the unlimited power of their Zombie Queen, these Avengers are outmatched on every level. Yet they’re still going to keep up the fight. Khan and the crew know that the fate of humanity is at stake and they accept the challenge, even if they don’t think they have a chance. (But that’s really the fun of the Marvel world, isn’t it?)
Wanda Maximoff/ The Red Queen (voiced by Elizabeth Olsen) in Marvel Television’s MARVEL ZOMBIES exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Marvel Television. © 2025 MARVEL.
In the end, Marvel Zombies isn’t a masterpiece of storytelling. And, frankly, the series feels like exactly what it is: a side quest from the larger cinematic universe. Yet one can’t deny that it’s a lot of fun. Fans looking for their (new) favourite heroes to try to save the collapse of society against the zombie plague should not be disappointed and, if the finale is any indication, there are still more stories of the undead to tell in the future.
Marvel: Zombies is available on Disney+ now.
