Why Marvel's first TV-MA animated series needed a zombie-fighting Spider-Man
In short: Marvel Zombies brings the MCU into a dark, dystopian alternate timeline where a virus has turned Earth's mightiest heroes into the undead. Originally conceived as a feature film, the project shifted to a four-episode miniseries to bypass licensing restrictions and finally bring Spider-Man into the fray.
Set in the same alternate reality introduced in the 2021 What If...? episode What If... Zombies?!, the series picks up five years after the original cliffhanger. While the initial episode was a fan favorite, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and animation head Brad Winderbaum decided to expand the concept into a full series. The transition from a film to a miniseries was driven by specific creative needs, most notably the inclusion of Peter Parker. Because Sony Pictures controls the film and television rights for Spider-Man, Marvel Studios is limited to using the character only in short-form animation, making a miniseries the ideal format to feature him.
The production team, led by showrunner Bryan Andrews and head writer Zeb Wells, utilized the series' TV-MA rating to lean into the visceral nature of the genre. Andrews described the show as a sweeping adventure that balances humor with intense, hardcore violence and emotional stakes. To distinguish the series from the broader MCU, the creators introduced Blade Knight, a unique hybrid character combining Blade and Moon Knight. This pivot allowed the writers to bypass development delays surrounding the live-action Blade film, granting them the creative freedom to establish the character as the avatar of Khonshu.
The series features a massive ensemble cast, with many actors reprising their MCU roles, including Iman Vellani as Kamala Khan, who creators likened to Frodo Baggins for her central role in the narrative. Despite the show's dark tone, the production team maintained the cel-shaded, 2.5D animation style established in What If...?. Following a strong audience response upon its September 2025 release, Marvel Studios confirmed that a second season is currently in production, with hopes to explore additional characters like Bucky Barnes who did not appear in the initial four-episode run.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Marvel Zombies (TV series)
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