In the aptly-named “Marvel Zombies,” released by Marvel Studios on Sept. 24, heroes fight and flee from armies of undead. The show follows a zombie apocalypse spreading through the Marvel Cinematic Universe, infecting fan-favorite superheroes with a virus that turns them into ghoulish monsters. “Marvel Zombies” expands on the zombie apocalypse trope, introducing new characters and villains as the last surviving heroes struggle for survival.
One of the show’s immediate highlights is the voice actors. Standouts include Iman Vellani returning as Ms. Marvel and David Harbour, reprising his role as the Red Guardian. Despite the limitations of an animated show, they shine with their voice performances: Red Guardian’s battle chant feels realistic and rousing, while Ms. Marvel’s screams of rage and grief sound raw and genuine.
The show’s animation style stays consistent with the one presented in the 2021 series “What If…?”: a cel-shaded homage to early comics. While the animation style stands out in action scenes, with blasts of energy and blood appearing visceral and realistic, it can appear stiff at times. Especially in one-takes, character dimensions can look off, appearing almost like lifeless (pun intended) puppets.
The animation, however, keeps up with the action. One of the best moments is a battle in episode 1, between vampire hunter Blade, voiced by Todd Williams, and a zombified Ava Starr, aka Ghost. Swords clash in the fast-paced action scene, the animation elevating the steady and intense energy of the fight. Across the show, action is used to its limit. Large set pieces and superheroes’ trademark abilities are explored in creative and violent ways. Viewers will be highly entertained, as each moment is filled with bloody excitement.
Marvel Studios made the right decision in rating this show TV-MA. The mature rating allows action and storytelling to shine through in ways it was limited in “What If…?”. Zombies and humans alike are torn to pieces on screen; characters curse and cry in frustration.
Although slightly rushed, the story of Marvel Zombies is deeply heartfelt. Characters like Ms. Marvel, Shang-Chi, Red Guardian and Thor are all written excellently. The effects of the zombie plague on uninfected characters isn’t ignored: Ms. Marvel struggles with deep-seated fear and anxiety, and Thor remains in sullen silence over his failure to prevent the worldwide apocalypse.
In horror television, it’s common to kill off characters. “Marvel Zombies” doesn’t disappoint in this area. Every death is violent, visceral and shocking. Even though most of the main cast consists of returning characters, our love for them only increases through excellent storytelling. Every death has layers of emotional impact, as grief ripples through every character’s personality and choices.
The show was clearly limited by its 4-episode runtime. It’s very understandable that Marvel wants to focus on shorter yet higher-quality content: in the last few years, the massive inundation of superhero content through Marvel’s shows and films have led to a clear drop in quality and ratings. However, “Marvel Zombies” suffers from the limited screentime. The show was highly engaging through its dramatic storytelling, and having a standard 9-episode release wouldn’t have negated that. There were numerous plotlines that could have been expanded on had they not been confined by runtime.
Overall, “Marvel Zombies” is an excellent thrill ride. The characters are well-developed, the action is engaging and the voice performances are phenomenal. However, it’s hard to get invested in such a short-lived show. Despite this, it’s a perfect homage to the zombie genre, while telling its own unique story.
Rating: 4.5 Viking helmets out of 5
