Screen Test: ‘Marvel Zombies’ Delivers a High-Stakes Feast for Fans
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“Marvel Zombies” Miniseries
Run Time: 35 mins.
Rating: 15+/TV-MA
Genre: Animation, Horror, Action-Adventure, Superheroes
Subtitle Availability: English [CC], Arabic (Modern Standard), Hebrew
Audio Availability: English
Warnings: Contains violence and gore
*SPOILER ALERT! This section contains details from the first episode of “Marvel Zombies.”
What if...Marvel characters became zombies? Marvel Animation Studios just dropped a Spooktober special with the release of a new miniseries that’s giving superhero action some bite.
“Marvel Zombies” is a spin-off of the animated series “What If…?” (2021-2024), set in the alternate timeline introduced in the first season (Episode 5: “What if…Zombies?”), where a mysterious virus has turned the majority of the world’s population into zombies, including the Avengers. The series picks up from where it left off, following a group of survivors on a journey to save the world from superpowered zombies.
Created by Bryan Andrews and Zeb Wells, the series was first announced way back in 2021 and had been revealed to be a spin-off of the “What If…?” series rather than a direct adaptation of the comic book series of the same name. Despite having only four episodes, this miniseries is packed with a star-studded voice cast, with most of the original characters voicing their animated versions, including Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Tessa Thompson, Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Hailee Steinfeld, Wyatt Russell, Randall Park, Iman Vellani, and Dominique Thorne.
The zombie genre has seen its share of highs and lows across film and television, with hits like “The Walking Dead,” “Night of the Living Dead,” and “World War Z” carving out their own space in the dystopian landscape. Now, the MCU takes its turn with a zombie-infested world — a fascinating premise, especially since it’s not just ordinary humans who exist here, but also powerful superheroes and supernatural beings. The thought of their powers twisted in zombie form instantly raises the stakes, making them even more terrifying adversaries.
Still, as with any good zombie story, compelling character arcs are key. With “Marvel Zombies” limited to just four episodes, there’s some concern: can the series balance fast-paced action and gory thrills with meaningful character depth? Or will it fall short in the chaos?
For this Screen Test, we dove into episode one to see if it’s worth your while to step into the land of the dead.
Marvel Goes Undead but Alive with Action
The pilot episode gets right into the zombie gore as the first scene shows us a zombie wobbling through a sunlit forest before getting shot by an arrow through its head. The second shot shows us our first team of Marvel heroes, consisting of Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld), Riri Williams/Ironheart (Dominique Thorne), and Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel (Iman Vellani). At first glance, it may seem like a strange trio of young heroes, but it’s a known fact that a zombie apocalypse can bring anyone together — even a banged-up Iron Man suit with a Teddy Bear head controlled by Tony Stark’s AI, F.R.I.D.A.Y.
The four characters were scavenging in a deserted New York City when they saw a Quinjet fly past and crash into the street. Riri finds a single signature on the aircraft, which turned out to be inside the zombie pilot. After losing to a game of rock, paper, scissors, Kamala ends up reaching into the zombie’s gut to retrieve a pocket-sized device. Shortly afterwards, the first OG Avenger makes an entrance. A zombie Hawkeye is currently terrorizing the city and starts shooting at the three women. They survive, with Kate even managing to steal one of his trick arrows.
Back in their base, we discover that the device will become the catalyst for a quest, with it being a transmitter created by SHIELD for a Transgalactic broadcast. Riri explained that it had been shrunk using quantum energy to be able to hide it. She further revealed that it was part of Project Lifeshot, SHIELD’s attempt to save the planet, and that she would need the motherboard to access it. The plan to go to SHIELD’s base in Ohio takes form, and after a short back and forth, they all decide to leave and save the world.
Meanwhile, back in the city, we see zombie Okoye (Kenna Ramsey) with an army of zombies, including Hawkeye, whom she invites to join her queen and become her scion. His eyes then turn red, insinuating mind control.
From the beginning up to this scene, it’s impressive how the show was able to set the stage for the zombie landscape and establish the conflict all under nine minutes. On their way to Ohio, Riri slams on the brakes when they come across a gaping hole in a mountain range. Driving through the valley was uneventful until a storm seemed to be catching up to them. Soon, they are thrown into chaos as lightning begins to strike around them. They discover shortly after getting out of the vehicle that the storm is being caused by two beings fighting: Ikari, the former leader of the Eternals, and Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, who F.R.I.D.A.Y. confirms to be a zombie. From there, even more chaos ensues when the group is suddenly surrounded by zombies.
This action-packed scene gave us a deeper look into the animation, which has been visually stunning from the beginning. There’s something about the design that gives it a nostalgic feel while still looking modern. Character movements were fluid, and the dark atmosphere was balanced with bright colors that come from their supernatural powers, like the glowing eyes, lightning flashes, and bright explosions.
The series’ TV-MA rating meant it didn’t hold back on the violence, and there were a lot of intense and brutal fight sequences, as well as major character deaths throughout this episode alone. When F.R.I.D.A.Y. took Kamala out of the fray and proceeded to return to the zombie horde, saying, “I lost my first owner. I won’t lose another,” it was clear that Marvel intends to not only break zombie bones, but also our hearts — seamlessly weaving tragic emotions into the scenes.
In the second half of the episode, Kamala wakes up from a nightmare where she saw a mysterious long-haired foe with red eyes, which was later revealed to be Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen). She joins forces with Blade (Todd Williams), who has taken over the role of Moon Knight and is an avatar for the Egyptian god, Khonshu. He helps her get to the SHIELD base, a run-down building, with an army of zombies blocking it — currently being mind-controlled by Melina Vostokoff (Kari Wahlgren). Also with her are her adoptive family, Alexei Andreovitch Shostakov/Red Guardian (David Harbour) and Yelena Belova (Florence Pugh). Their meeting quickly escalates to an attack when the zombie horde catches up to them, led by Okoye and a bunch of other superhero zombies, such as Hawkeye, Ghost, and Captain America — well, half of what’s left of him.
The fight sequence is fast-paced and brutal, truly the most entertaining part of the entire episode. It climaxed into a terrible but noble death, however, and when Yelena said, “We will honor her by taking this planet from the dead,” we felt goosebumps! As the group becomes motivated by their losses, it’s clear that there will be a whole lot of hell to pay in the next chapters of this story.
Final Verdict
The pilot episode was an incredible start to the series, providing a balance of action, heart, and zombie fun. The stunning animation made these zombies look as horrific as their live-action counterparts, while the voice acting for each of the characters was phenomenal across the board — not surprising considering most of the original actors reprised their roles for the show.
“Marvel Zombies” delivered an entertaining ride, impressively expanding on the MCU’s zombie-infested world, but it isn’t without its flaws. The character dynamics between Kamala, Riri, and Kate were engaging yet fleeting, leaving little room for meaningful development. With the current pacing, it seems the series will lean heavily on plot, which may limit viewers’ emotional connection to the characters who will play key roles as the story unfolds.
Still, there’s hope that Kamala and the other survivors introduced in the first episode will receive more fleshed-out arcs as they lead the charge to defeat the Queen of the Dead and save humanity from the zombie threat.
We’re giving it 4 BEATS for its fast-paced plot, engaging character dynamics, and for having a good balance of action and heart. We definitely recommend watching this perfectly bite-sized binge this Halloween season.
“Marvel Zombies” is now streaming on Disney+.
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Enjoyed this article? Read more of our Screen Test reviews here.
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