The undead are coming, and Marvel Zombies spares no hero from the deadly bite. Watch the final battle for humanity in this four-episode gore fest for comic book and superhero fans.
Check out our High Five review of Marvel Zombies. Spoilers ahead.
A Refreshing Take on the Genre
Zombie apocalypse films are not new, but Marvel Zombies amps it to the highest level with superpowered undead dominating the Earth. Since the zombie virus was introduced in What If season one episode five, the Avengers have succumbed to it and turned the world into a living nightmare. At the heart of it all, the Queen of the Dead holds dominion and ensnares the minds of the undead for her own interest.
Marvel Zombies sees Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel, Riri Williams / Ironheart, and Kate Bishop looking for a way to cure the human race or die trying. Ultimately, each step of the way, a set of heroes like Blade Knight, Yelena Belova, and Red Guardian, even the morally grey Zeemo, “helps” Kamala out in hopes of saving the undead and honoring those they’ve lost with every breath they take.
Epic Visuals Befitting Avenger Battles
Epic zombie battles | Photos from Marvel
Marvel is known for their amazing visuals when it comes to fight scenes. Now, add the grotesque visuals of decaying bodies paired with their powers, and you get an overpowered horde going after the flesh of the remaining living humans. Every thrust of a punch, slash of a sword, and bolt of light powers, was beautifully drawn, while contrasted with the sick and desolate world.
The usage of colors makes every scene pop, making each scene visually stunning and memorable.
Death Is Not The Great Equalizer
Wanda in disguise and as a zombie | Photos from Marvel
Even in death, the strongest beings on the planet are not to be messed with. Wanda Maximoff, the Queen of the Dead, defied the status quo of death and even trained herself to think despite becoming a zombie with no thoughts. She even raises scions—general-like zombies that act as her weapons of war.
Undead Thanos | Photo from Marvel
Wanda was not the only overpowered zombie, since Thanos also turned into one. At some point, as a mindless zombie, he started to learn how to wield the gauntlet, and a dire sacrifice had to be made to stop him. Either way, in this world, death is not the end of suffering—and in some ways, is just the beginning. This raises the stakes higher and makes the story and its consequences feel more real.
MCU Continuity
From left to right: Shaun (Shang-Chi), Valkyrie, Katy, Kamala Khan, and Blade Knight | Photo from Marvel
Each of the speaking characters you see in Marvel Zombies is voiced by their real-life counterparts in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s such a fun continuity touch since it adds that layer of accuracy and believability, despite the series happening on a different timeline. Imani Vellan, Dominique Thorne and Hailee Steinfeld all reprise their roles, this time as the voices of Kamala, Riri and Kate respectively.
Aside from the main trio, other actors from the Marvel movies lend their voices to the characters, including Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda / Scarlet Witch, Paul Rudd as Scott Lang / Ant-Man, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, Simu Liu, as Shang-Chi, Awkwafina as Katy, and Randall as Jimmy Woo. All of them make up a star-studded lineup, bringing back memories from past Marvel productions.
A Cliffhanger for the Ages
Kamala Khan at the end of Marvel Zombies | Photo from Marvel
Without revealing too many spoilers, the series ends with an incredibly huge cliffhanger. After a gruelling battle to protect the Cypher—a being who is in control of the raging power of Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet—Kamala joined hands with Wanda just as she was able to touch the Cypher and gain their power. Everything seemed to be back to normal, until a familiar sequence happens with a character telling Kamala that they have hacked the signal. Does this premise sound familiar?
All in all, the show was a fun watch, which is only held back by the short episode length that limits the potential of the story and characters. As of writing this review, there have been no updates about the series being renewed for season 2.
Horror fans and Marvel fans alike will definitely find the four-episode event enjoyable, as it serves up a unique zombie apocalypse that, while fantastical, had a heart. SEA Wave gives Marvel Zombies a 3.5 out of 5 waves.
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