Spoiler Free Review: Marvel Zombies (Disney+)
Disney Plus has finally rolled out its take on Marvel Zombies. A short animated series running just a handful of episodes and unfortunately, it’s a swing and a miss. That’s especially disappointing considering how highly praised the What If…? “ Zombies” episode was. Fans who expected this spin-off to expand on that momentum will find themselves let down by what feels like a watered-down continuation.
From the start, the show feels like it’s built around Marvel’s “tier three” characters, mostly ones introduced after Avengers: Endgame. Instead of the iconic core Avengers, we get Shang-Chi, Ms. Marvel, Ironheart, and others that Marvel has been trying to push since Phase 4. It makes sense in context after hearing Elizabeth Olsen recorded her audio tracks for Wanda during the COVID years (2020–21), right at the peak of Disney’s “out with the old, in with the new” era. The problem is, like Wanda the Magic isn’t there.
The tone is another issue. Marvel Zombies is neither scary nor funny. The zombies don’t deliver much in the way of genuine horror, and nearly every joke lands with a thud. Zeb Wells, who’s been mostly miss in comics, doesn’t do much better here. Most of the time you find yourself rooting for the zombies, just so something interesting will happen.
That’s not to say there weren’t any cool ideas. The mash-up character “Moonblade” (Moon Knight + Blade) was a creative highlight. Zombie Abomination looked visually striking, and the finale had a few decent moments. Spider-Man remains the one character you actually want to root for.
But then there are the baffling creative choices. The show pushes the Thunderbolts setup but in an awkward, forced way. The main villain, who has control over zombie heroes, chooses Okoye from Black Panther as her herald. Out of all the zombie heroes available — including Zombie Cap — they went with Okoye. It feels like another check-the-box decision.
Ms. Marvel, unfortunately, is again left holding the bag. Despite Iman Vellani being likable off-screen, the character simply hasn’t landed in the MCU. With Ms. Marvel, The Marvels, and now Marvel Zombies, she’s on track for a rare three-for-three streak of flops, a shocking contrast to Marvel’s near-flawless run in the early days.
In the end, Marvel Zombies is an uninspired entry into Marvel’s ever-expanding content library. It had potential from the original “what if” and the comics it’s based on were wild, violent, and unpredictable, but this Disneyfied version plays it safe, dull, and continues to push characters no one is interested in seeing in the Marvel Universe or atleast as main leads.
Final Score: 2 out of 5
A few fun visuals can’t save it from being a joyless, agenda-driven filler series.
All images © Marvel Studios / Disney. Used under fair use for the purpose of critique, commentary, and review.