SPOILERS are ahead for Marvel Zombies, which is streaming in full for those with a Disney+ subscription. You can check out every episode, including its cliffhanger ending right now.
I’m really digging where Marvel Animation is right now. Each of their shows have really brought something new to the table in between all the MCU movies and TV shows coming out. Marvel Zombies is another fun entry into its growing list of titles, especially for how contained all four episodes feel while leaving me wanting more from it. What I want to talk about right now is how the limited series actually gave me a sense of what I want to see from the Avengers moving forward, especially as we look forward to the release of Avengers: Doomsday next year.
Sure, Marvel Zombies is set in the What If…? part of the MCU where anything can happen, but the series also predominantly used heroes from the current Multiverse Saga, and felt like it was giving me a taste of some of the dynamics to come in Doomsday and Secret Wars. In light of that, here are the main takeaways I have from how the series played with its heroes.
Kamala Khan Leading Marvel Zombies Makes Me Feel Like She Deserves Better In Live Action
Going into this, I knew Kamala Khan would be involved, but the more the series progressed, the more I realized that this is actually her story at the core. She is the protagonist at the center of a Marvel project, and I absolutely loved seeing it unfold – especially voiced by live-action actress Iman Vellani.
While The Marvels may have bombed at the box office, I think Ms. Marvel is one of the best things to come out of the MCU in awhile, and yet, the character is currently not part of the Avengers: Doomsday cast that has been announced.
The character essentially has the spirit of Tom Holland’s Spider-Man back in Captain America: Civil War, and it would actually be so fun to see her interact with all the heroes in the MCU. I certainly have hope that she’ll be part of Secret Wars, but her core role in Marvel Zombies really convinced me how important she can and should be to the MCU. Her powers alone came in handy so much throughout the series in ways no other heroes did.
I'd Also Love To See Ironheart And Hawkgirl In The Avengers Lineup
This is a much smaller point than the previous one, but I feel like I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention how much I loved Ms. Marvel teaming up with Dominique Thorne’s Riri Williams and Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop. After their short appearance, I’m all in on them being together as the New Avengers, especially for the rare girl power/female friendship we just haven’t gotten to see much in this franchise. Their appearances really showed me that they've been well set up in other titles, and I also hope to see them all together in Secret Wars, if not Doomsday.
Blade Knight Stealing Every Scene Only Makes Me More Frustrated His Movie Is At A Stand Still
I couldn’t believe I was seeing a version of Blade in Marvel Zombies, but holy heck was it great. I actually thought it was Mahershala Ali voicing the role and the character having his likeness, but the voice acting credits here go to Todd Williams. Blade Knight being in Marvel Zombies was a fun twist, because it allows room for Ali to officially debut his role in live-action (whenever that day comes).
I especially appreciated seeing him in this show because it proved to me how much of a great addition Blade will be to the Avengers and greater MCU once he shows up in live-action, because despite my lack of history with the character, he clicked right into place for me, and I only wanted to see more.
I LOVE Scarlet Witch, But Man Is It Tough To Follow WandaVision
Look, I’m a huge fan of Scarlet Witch. She might be top five when it comes to MCU characters, and was really in on her being the villain here. However, at the same time, her appearance only reminded me of a conclusion I came to when she retutned for Doctor Strange In The Multiverse of Madness. WandaVision was just so good, and I think I might need more time away from the character before she can really make the kind of impact she did in that TV show.
In the case of Marvel Zombies, I realized how quickly her powers can become a cop out for changing the story to say it wasn’t part of reality, and my heart can’t take that kind of deception from her in an Avengers movie right now.
I'm More Excited For Shang-Chi To Come Back Than Ever
I really liked Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings when it came out, but that was back in 2021. Seeing Simu Liu take on the character again (in animated form) affirmed to me the kind of unique heart and humanity he can bring to the Avengers. Seeing him in Marvel Zombies really affirmed his place in the Avengers for me as being a big, upcoming highlight.
Like Kamala Khan, he’s kind of this everyman who came across greatness and has had to try on the shoes, and break in the whole hero thing. He strikes me as one of those heroes that can really ground the more otherworldly elements of the MCU, which is sure to happen in the upcoming Avengers movies.
And, Yelena And Red Guardian Have Quickly Become The Heart Of The MCU For Me
One more thing I gathered from watching Marvel Zombies is how emotionally powerful the characters of Yelena and Red Guardian continue to be in the MCU. After they were the highlight of Thunderbolts* for me, they also really added a lot of depth to this animated series through their relationship, which rippled through the whole team with them in this show. They’ve successfully become really familiar to me, and I’ll be rooting for every move they make in Doomsday.
Of course there are a lot of characters we don’t see in Marvel Zombies set to appear in the 2026 Marvel movie, but what this series did give us gave me a better idea of what heroes on the roster stand out for me thus far, now that they've had a group project of sorts.
