Every MCU Recast In Marvel Zombies (& All 18 Who Return)

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The animated series *Marvel Zombies* brings back 18 actors from previous Marvel Cinematic Universe projects, but seven characters have new voice actors. All four episodes of *Marvel Zombies* were released on September 24, 2025, and continue the storyline from the *What If…?* episode “What If… Zombies?” in season 1. That episode showed Janet van Dyne returning from the Quantum Realm in 2018 with a virus that turned Earth into a zombie-filled world, killing millions, including many prominent Avengers.

Five years after the initial zombie outbreak – similar to the time jump in *Avengers: Endgame* – *Marvel Zombies* centers on different groups of survivors searching for a cure. They must also battle the powerful, zombified Wanda Maximoff, now known as the Queen of the Dead. The series brought back many popular characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with actors reprising their previous live-action roles. However, seven characters were played by different actors in *Marvel Zombies*. See the complete list of returning stars below.

Iman Vellani plays Kamala Khan, also known as Ms. Marvel. She’s a teenager from Jersey City who takes charge of finding a cure for the zombie virus. You might recognize Vellani from her role in *The Marvels* (2023).

Dominique Thorne plays Riri Williams, also known as Ironheart. She’s a highly intelligent student from MIT who built her own suit of armor using technology from the late Iron Man. Thorne most recently appeared in the series *Ironheart* (2025).

Hailee Steinfeld plays Kate Bishop, Hawkeye’s apprentice. She recently appeared in the films *The Marvels* (2023) and season 3 of the *What If…?* series (2024).

Kerry Condon voices FRIDAY, the artificial intelligence that runs Iron Man’s suit. You might recognize Condon from her role in the 2019 film *Avengers: Endgame*.

Florence Pugh plays Yelena Belova, a trained assassin who was part of the Black Widow program and considers Red Guardian a father figure. She was most recently seen in *Thunderbolts* (scheduled for release in 2025).

Okay, let’s talk about David Harbour as Red Guardian! He plays Alexei Shostakov, basically a Russian version of Captain America, and a really interesting father figure to Yelena Belova. I just saw he was recently in *Thunderbolts* – that came out in 2025, if you’re keeping track.

Simu Liu plays Xu Shang-Chi, a skilled martial artist who uses the Ten Rings to stop an infection from spreading through his arm. He most recently appeared in the movie *Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings* (2021) and season 3 of the *What If…?* animated series (2024).

Awkwafina plays Katy Chen, Shang-Chi’s close friend and a skilled fighter who uses the Ten Rings. She was last seen in the 2021 film, *Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings*.

Randall Park plays Jimmy Woo, a former FBI agent. He most recently appeared in the 2023 film *Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania*.

Wyatt Russell plays John Walker, also known as the US Agent. He’s a former Army Rangers captain who gained superpowers. Russell most recently appeared in the 2025 film *Thunderbolts*.

Paul Rudd reprises his role as Scott Lang, Ant-Man. He’s shown as a floating head, using Doctor Strange’s magical cloak to move through the air. Rudd previously appeared in the animated series *What If…?* and most recently in the 2023 film *Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania*.

I was so impressed with Adam Hugill’s portrayal of Rintrah! He really brought this powerful, minotaur-like sorcerer to life as one of the guardians of Kamar-Taj. It was great to see him in *Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness* back in 2022, and I hope we see more of his character soon.

Daniel Swain is a Master of the Mystic Arts responsible for guarding the Sanctum Santorum in London. He was last seen in the 2022 film *Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness*.

Sheila Atim plays Sara, a skilled magic user dedicated to defending Kamar-Taj. You might recognize Atim from her role in the 2022 film *Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness*.

Let’s talk Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie. She absolutely shines as the last of a powerful, all-female Asgardian fighting force, now tasked with protecting the new Asgard. I’ve recently seen her in both *The Marvels* (2023) and season 3 of *What If…?* (2024), and she continues to bring a fantastic strength and vulnerability to the role.

Zenobia Shroff plays Muneeba Khan, Kamala Khan’s mother, and provides a voice cameo. She was also recently in *The Marvels* (2023).

F. Murray Abraham plays Khonshu, the Egyptian Moon God. He chooses Blade to be his representative after Marc Spector dies. Abraham was most recently seen in *Moon Knight* (2022).

Elizabeth Olsen plays Wanda Maximoff, now a powerful, undead sorceress. Once an Avenger, she uses Chaos Magic and is driven by a warped desire to save the world. Olsen most recently portrayed the character in the 2022 film, *Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness*.

Here are the seven MCU actors who have been recast in Marvel Zombies:

7) Okoye (Kenna Ramsey)

Danai Gurira, known for her role in *The Walking Dead*, originally voiced Okoye, a general in the Dora Milaje from Wakanda, in the first season of *What If…?*. However, for the series *Marvel Zombies*, Kenna Ramsey took over the voice role. Ramsey had previously voiced Okoye in season 3 of *What If…?* and is also known for her work on *My Adventures with Superman* and *Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight*. In *Marvel Zombies*, Okoye was a key leader in the zombie army controlled by the Red Queen, acting as second-in-command and giving orders in place of Maximoff.

6) Eric Brooks’ Blade/Moon Knight (Todd Williams)

Mahershala Ali was cast as Blade, the Daywalker, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe back in 2019, and fans first heard his voice briefly in the movie *Eternals*. However, making the new *Blade* movie has been difficult, which has pushed back Ali’s first full appearance as the vampire hunter. In the meantime, a version of Blade based on Ali’s likeness appeared in the animated series *Marvel Zombies*, with Todd Williams providing the voice. It’s still unknown when we’ll see Ali’s live-action debut as Blade or which version of the character will appear next in the MCU.

5) Melina Vostokoff (Kari Wahlgren)

Kari Wahlgren is a seasoned voice actor in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. She’s brought characters to life in shows like *What If…?, X-Men ’97*, and *Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man*, voicing characters including Carina, Rose Gilberti, May Parker, and Melina Vostokoff. She even revisited the role of Melina in *Marvel Zombies*. In *Marvel Zombies*, Melina is a heroic mother figure to Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova, a departure from the villainous ‘Iron Maiden’ version she played in *What If…?*. While Rachel Weisz portrayed Melina Vostokoff in *Black Widow*, she hasn’t yet returned to the role in live-action.

4) Xu Wenwu (Feodor Chin)

Feodor Chin, who previously voiced Xu Wenwu in the animated series What If…?, reprised the role as the original Mandarin in Marvel Zombies. This version of Wenwu, first portrayed by Tony Leung in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, journeyed to San Francisco during a zombie outbreak, leading his Ten Rings soldiers to find and protect his son, Shang-Chi. When Shang-Chi was bitten, Wenwu surrendered the Ten Rings to save him, mirroring his selfless sacrifice in the live-action Marvel Cinematic Universe.

3) Peter Parker’s Spider-Man (Hudson Thames)

Tom Holland is widely praised for playing Spider-Man in live-action films, but he doesn’t provide the voice for the animated version. That job goes to Hudson Thames, who previously voiced Spider-Man in *What If…?* and *Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man*. The animated Spider-Man played a key role in *What If… Zombies?!* and continued to be important in *Marvel Zombies*, with the series expanding on his mission to Wakanda alongside Ant-Man and Black Panther.

2) Baron Helmut Zemo (Rama Vallury)

Rama Vallury, known for his voice work in *X-Men ’97*, recently reprised his role as Baron Helmut Zemo in *Marvel Zombies*. In the animated series, Zemo leads a floating city built from the Raft prison, using the remaining heroes to try and divert Namor and the zombified inhabitants of Talokan. However, his plan doesn’t succeed. Vallury takes over the role from Daniel Brühl, who previously portrayed Zemo in live-action appearances in *Captain America: Civil War* and *The Falcon and the Winter Soldier*.

1) Thor (Greg Furman)

I’ve been a huge fan of Chris Hemsworth as Thor for as long as the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been around, and I’m really excited to see him again in *Avengers: Doomsday* next year. That’s why I was a little surprised to find out he didn’t voice Thor in *Marvel Zombies*. Greg Furman did a great job, but it was odd not hearing Chris! I know Thor didn’t have much dialogue in that series, and Chris is incredibly busy, but it does make me wonder if this voice change could mean big things are coming for Thor in the MCU. It definitely got me thinking about what the future holds for the character!

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2025-09-24 15:42