Marvel Zombies Review: The MCU’s Epic Monster Mash

Halloween arrived early this year, and I’m not complaining. Marvel Zombies is finally available to stream on Disney+, and if you’re like me, you’ve already devoured it. It’s a frenetic, entertaining, and action-packed Marvel series filled to the brim with Easter eggs galore.

Think of this series as an homage to all things Marvel Cinematic Universe, to this intricately constructed franchise and the colorful cast of characters that inhabit it.

Reader, beware: Marvel Zombies spoilers ahead.

---

Homework (Somewhat) Required

Let me preface this by saying that you don’t necessarily need to have watched everything in the MCU thus far. However, it would certainly help, in this case, to have a rudimentary grasp of the characters and their respective films/TV shows.

Kamala Khan is, without question, the main protagonist in Marvel Zombies. You should do yourself a favor and watch Ms. Marvel if you haven’t. Not only is it a solid introduction to the titular character, but it’s an absolutely adorable series.

Riri Williams and Kate Bishop pop up in the first and fourth episodes, each of them making their debuts in Ironheart and Hawkeye, respectively. (Side note: I dig the nod to Riri’s love of Star Trek by naming the armored tank she drives the U.S.S. Uhura.)

Shang-Chi and Katy Chen, Kamala’s comrades from the second episode to the end, hail from Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Yelena Belova, Alexei Shostakov, and Melina Vostokoff were introduced to MCU fans via Black Widow. The series deftly balances a ton of characters, weaving their stories together into a fascinating narrative tapestry.

Old Villains & New Mash-Ups

Of course, Wanda Maximoff, AKA the Queen of the Dead, is the main antagonist. Marvel Zombies cleverly incorporates references to WandaVision and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, from Wanda’s objective to reverse the Wakanda event by slapping on a magical band-aid (in the form of that dream world in the finale) to characters like Jimmy Woo and Sara Wolfe appearing.

Blade also plays a pivotal role in the series, but here, he’s mashed up with Moon Knight. It’s a delightful amalgam of two comic book characters, and if you watched 2022’s Moon Knight, you’ll recognize the voice of Khonshu.

Spider-Man and Scott Lang (or, rather, the head of Scott Lang) return after their last animated appearance in the What If…? episode, “What If… Zombies?!” This outing from season 1 of the series serves as the launchpad for Marvel Zombies, so if anything, this one is required viewing.

All this to say, the show boasts a cornucopia of Easter eggs for avid MCU fans. Admittedly, it might take a couple of watches to find them all. It’s quite impressive how many nods and references the writers managed to cram into four fast-paced episodes.

---

Fun Character Dynamics and Intriguing Pairings

Marvel Zombies’ forte is easily all the interesting character dynamics and unexpected pairings. Kamala, Riri, and Kate give off hardcore Young Avengers vibes at the beginning of the series. Their camaraderie is also reminiscent of the early days of the MCU – it’s lighthearted and chock full of witty banter.

Jimmy Woo and Death Dealer are another unexpected grouping. It plays into your stereotypical “odd couple” trope, but for comedic purposes, it works. Shang-Chi and Kamala are also a ton of fun together.

However, my favorite is, hands down, Kamala and Alexei. After Yelena sacrifices herself by going down with the Raft, Kamala helps Alexei move through his grief. They boast a sweet father-daughter dynamic. Also, I hope we get more of Kamala and Peter Parker in the live-action MCU. These two are essentially golden retrievers in human form, and I love the idea of amplifying that tenfold by having them interact with each other.

It’s a blast watching characters you never thought would even be in the same room either joining forces to save the world from the zombie plague or battling it out. Zombie Captain Marvel versus Ikaris (shoutout to Eternals; it gets an unfair bad rap) is such a cool fight sequence. Thor fighting Wanda is also entertaining to watch. And Alexei gets to square off against a Zombie Steve Rogers – a dream fight in the making for our Red Guardian!

---

Grisly Visuals and Stunning Colors

Parents, keep your kiddos away from this one. While yes, it’s animated in the same style as What If…?, Marvel pulls no punches regarding the blood and gore. It’s zombies, after all. There are horror/zombie movie homages incorporated into the visuals. In terms of more modern media, I could see inspiration taken from The Walking Dead, The Last of Us, and even Mad Max: Fury Road (which isn’t a zombie film, I know). Zombies and heroes alike are torn to shreds here. It’s like The Boys but in animated form.

Some of my favorite shots include Wanda, our Queen of the Dead. For example, in episode 4, we see Wanda and her scion horde slowly floating through the mist toward Bruce Banner, who’s in Hulk form and acting as a prison of sorts for all the energies of the Infinity Stones. Visually, it looks like a painting. There’s also a slow-motion shot of Blade Knight with his sword, and we see Khonshu’s reflection in said sword. Pretty sweet.

The color palette is surprisingly vivid considering it’s a dystopian zombie series. I love the shots of Hulk as he’s struggling to store the Infinity Stones. He looks like a grumpy rainbow.

---

Innovative Ideas

Animation is a great medium for exploring innovative ideas, especially those that are challenging to implement in a live-action format. Marvel Zombies lets loose in this regard, experimenting with different ideas to tell this action-packed story. It all starts with what’s essentially an explosion of the Infinity Stones in the Golden City’s Vibranium core, significantly worsening the zombie plague initiated in What If…? episode 5.

What transpires from there is a creative swing for the fences that, to me, is pretty successful. Kamala comes into her own as a hero, even getting the blessing from Thor as a bona fide Avenger. We travel across the globe, from New York City to the Raft to New Asgard to Kamar-Taj.

The zombie lore itself is intriguing, too. These zombies move rather quickly. They’re not slow by any stretch. Additionally, they can swim. They react to Pym Particles, with our heroes battling “zombie bugs,” as Katy calls them, and zombie giants in equal measure. Marvel’s version of the undead even wields weapons. Some are merely “regular,” while others have red, glowing eyes – scions of the Queen of the Dead. All the above make them more formidable and difficult to defeat.

In the end, Kamala chooses to link up with Wanda to save the world. However, Wanda’s interpretation of being the hero means turning the planet into the same dreamscape as seen in WandaVision’s Westview. History repeats itself (well, this is a different universe, but still).

---

How Could This Story Move Forward?

Kamala realizes that her seemingly healed world is too good to be true when Wanda’s dreamscape glitches, much like it does in WandaVision. Riri tries desperately to contact Kamala, claiming she’s broken through the “matrix,” as it were. Thankfully, Riri managed to avoid her seemingly inevitable fate in episode 1 (remember the golden TV rule: no body, no death).

So, where could the story go from here? Since this is technically a sequel to the “What If… Zombies?!” episode, we could see a threequel down the line – a final installment to tie up the narrative. Riri is a genius. Perhaps the miniature transmitter still has a role to play, if not for contacting the Nova Corps, but for bringing in other intergalactic allies. I’d love to see Kamala and Riri try to reverse Wanda’s dreamscape and truly save Earth by eradicating the Queen of the Dead and her zombie horde.

Maybe this could lead to something – a spin-off or the like – in live action. Since this is an alternate universe, the possibilities are endless. We can kill off and revive characters who aren’t alive on Earth-616.

Regardless, this cliffhanger is begging to be resolved. Do your thing, Marvel!

---

What did you love most about Marvel Zombies? Join the conversation with other Marvel fans over at Sideshow Social Network or in side.show/geekgroup, and don’t forget to Let Your Geek Sideshow!

Stir up the spirits and face the monsters within … Spooktacular has been unleashed once again!

Put the EEK! in geek during Sideshow’s Spooktacular 2025, a celebration with ghastly giveaways, deathly deals, eerie exclusive perks, and more. Join us from October 23 – October 31 by visiting side.show/spooktacular and don’t forget — sleep is for the weak!