Performance Review: Marvel Zombies

BACKGROUND:

In 2021, Marvel Studios released its first animated series, ostensibly set within the MCU, when What If…? debuted. Showcasing alternate timelines that diverged from the Sacred Timeline of the Infinity Saga, the show was a hit for both critics (89% Certified Fresh at Rotten Tomatoes) and audiences (91% on RT’s popcornmeter). This coincided with a period when Disney was looking to rapidly expand its new content library on the still-new streaming platform Disney+, and in November of that year, during a Disney+ Day event, Marvel Zombies was announced, a spin-off from the fifth episode of that season titled “What If… Zombies?!”

The following year at San Diego Comic-Con, during a Marvel Studios Animation panel, Brad Winderbaum (Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation at Marvel Studios) showcased some concept art for the series and revealed it would be the first Marvel Studios project in development to be rated TV-MA. Developed by Bryan Andrews (who directed the entirety of What If…?’s first season) and Zeb Wells (She-Hulk: Attorney at Law), all four episodes are available to stream right now on Disney+.

OPENING THOUGHTS:

Marvel Zombies is a worthy addition to Marvel’s growing cache of animated fare. While it doesn’t reach the heights of X-Men ‘97 or Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, it will satisfy fans’ desire for new content while waiting for the MCU’s next live-action installment. More importantly, for a saga that has (to this point) not included a full Avengers team-up movie, Zombies tries (and mostly succeeds) in filling that void by bringing together heroes, villains, locations, and ideas from many different Multiverse Saga projects, including Eternals, Shang-chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Black Widow, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Hawkeye, Moon Knight, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Ms. Marvel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

SUPERLATIVES:

The anchor of the show is its voice cast, featuring several actors reprising their live-action MCU roles, many of whom have not been seen on-screen for years. Iman Vellani (Kamala Khan) is the de facto lead of the show, one of the few characters to feature in all four episodes. Vellani is just as magnetic in animation as she is in Ms. Marvel and The Marvels. She is joined by Simu Liu (Shang-chi) and Awkwafina (Katy), last seen in 2021’s Shang-chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. The chemistry between these three carries the show through most of its runtime. The other standouts are Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff and Todd Williams as Blade Knight. In this universe, Wanda has been dubbed the Queen of the Dead by survivors of the plague. Olsen reminds viewers why Wanda is such a beloved character. Williams does a spot-on impersonation of Mahershala Ali (and it helps that the character design is also based on Ali’s likeness). Both performances will have viewers hoping to see those characters in live-action again soon.

The plot is straightforward, but it works as a vehicle for zombie action. A MacGuffin is introduced in the first episode, which drives the narrative through most of the first three episodes before the series throws a curveball to viewers. Fans who are looking for gruesome zombie action and kills will not be disappointed. The show does not hold back in that regard, and every episode has a showcase action sequence. Anyone familiar with What If…? will recognize the animation style, but everything is a little sharper and crisper in this series than it was four years ago.

ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT:

The show is not without flaws. The dialogue at times is clumsy, particularly when trying to insert levity into a series about a zombie apocalypse. The show works best when it veers more towards the horror of the situation our heroes find themselves in. There are a few characters here who are underserved, and one interaction in particular in the opening episode, which had the potential to be epic, ends up being more of a missed opportunity. Another group of characters teased through the first few episodes turns out to be more of a red herring, which may disappoint some viewers.

THE FINAL WORD:

Marvel Zombies lives up to its billing as an “event series”, providing viewers with a two-hour de facto Avengers adventure through a post-apocalyptic world. Mileage may vary from viewer to viewer, as some characters are afforded much bigger roles than others. Overall, Andrews and Wells do a good job building out this universe, and each episode is better than the last. The ending is bold and satisfying. Bring on season 2!

7.5/10

-Greg