When Marvel first announced ‘What If…?‘ In 2021, most of us thought of it as a supplementary experiment to the main MCU feast, a chance perhaps to remix familiar stories without the burden of continuity after ‘Avengers: Endgame.’ But then came Episode 5 of “What If… Zombies?!” which hit us like a sledgehammer. What was expected to be a genre diversion quickly transformed into one of the most suspenseful and imaginative visions Marvel had ever put on screen. For twenty-odd minutes, we weren’t smiling at multiversal cleverness, because we were staring into a world where Earth’s Mightiest Heroes weren’t saviors anymore; they were the monsters with undeniable powers. And honestly? We never recovered from that cliffhanger.
The episode painted a brutal picture of a quantum virus, which was spreading like wildfire and turning the Avengers into flesh-hungry predators. Iron Man falls in the opening minutes. Doctor Strange follows. Hawkeye, Falcon, and Wanda Maximoff. One by one, all were consumed, as they all turned into brain-eating zombies, and they weren’t shambling walkers either, because even after being infected, they preserved their powers. This unveils that zombie Scarlet Witch could still warp reality, zombie Falcon could still swoop from the skies, zombie Iron Man could still blast with his repulsors, and maybe that is the most horrifying twist, as we witnessed humanity’s greatest defense had become its greatest threat.
The ‘What If…?’ Episode With Unresolved Nightmare That Demanded a Resurrection
The fans were left watching Peter Parker, T’Challa, and a wisecracking Scott Lang’s floating head (yes, floating head) make a desperate dash to Wakanda with the Mind Stone, hoping for a cure. It was a moment of hope in an ocean of despair, only to witness Marvel pull the rug out in the final seconds. Zombie Thanos, with his Infinity Gauntlet nearly complete, was waiting in Wakanda. No resolution. No closure. Just dread and a cliffhanger for all of us to understand what fate has in store for humanity. And that’s why we have been clamoring for more ever since.
The genius of that single What If…? episode was how unapologetically dark it went. It reminded us that beneath the Marvel polish of quips and triumphs, there is a fertile ground for horror. The MCU is built on the promise that heroes save us, but here, they couldn’t even save themselves. For once, we were forced to sit with that. No neat bow. No Avengers rallying cry. Just Peter Parker whispering that we have to keep smiling in a world that’s already lost.
Now, Marvel chose to resurrect that nightmare properly with Marvel Zombies, which is a dedicated four-part event that is set to be released on 24th September. And honestly, it feels like the natural next step. Because one episode wasn’t enough. The anthology gave us a glimpse; now we are ready for the full reckoning.
This spinoff isn’t just a commercial extension, though let’s be real, Marvel rarely misses a chance for one; it’s fan service in the most rewarding sense. By listening to what resonated with us, by giving oxygen to the darker corners of the multiverse. We have always wondered, what happens to the world when its protectors become its predators? How do ordinary survivors scrape by when the apocalypse has wings, claws, and magic blasts? And maybe the most haunting question of all: can there be redemption for heroes who’ve lost their flesh but not their power?
From Zombie Thanos to Young Survivors: Marvel’s Boldest Foray Into Horror Since 2021
A four-part structure means we will finally get to know and stop imagining scenarios where we predict the results of the zombie variation, as we will see society unravel, watch survivors adapt, and explore how far humanity will bend before it shatters. And let’s be honest, because this is Marvel’s chance to cut loose. Animation means no limits, no budgets, no actor fatigue, no PG-13 restraint holding back the gore. They can go all in with dark spectacle while still weaving in emotional gravity. Because we are not just here for shock value. We are here for stories, for meaning, and for the uncomfortable truths that the mainline MCU often sidesteps.
We can imagine the possibilities already. Maybe we will follow a band of young heroes, which may include figures like Kate Bishop, Kamala Khan, and Shang-Chi, who are trying to find their place in a world where their mentors are now the monsters. Maybe we will see the other side of that cliffhanger, Zombie Thanos wielding the Infinity Gauntlet in ways even darker than his living self. Maybe, just maybe, we will find slivers of hope in unlikely places. Because that’s what keeps us watching. Not just the carnage, but the question of whether light can survive in so much darkness.
At its core, Marvel Zombies isn’t about watching Captain America decay or Wanda tear through survivors. It’s about us, the fans, confronting a “what if” that cuts deeper than any multiversal swap. What if our heroes fail us? What if they become the nightmare we fear most? What if, in the end, we are truly on our own?
That’s why this spinoff matters. That’s why it deserves to exist. Because in a franchise that often plays it safe, this is Marvel taking a risk, leaning into horror, and giving us a story by the fans, for the fans. A resurrection we have been waiting for since 2021, which is going to be bloody, brutal, and, dare we say, alive.
