The animated series *Marvel Zombies* highlighted a fan-favorite hero from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, solidifying their place as one of the MCU’s best recent additions. Picking up the story from episode 5 of *What If…?* season 1, titled “What If… Zombies?!,” the series revisits the alternate reality where a Quantum Virus has turned many famous superheroes into zombies. With the MCU’s main heroes sidelined, other characters got a chance to step into the spotlight, including a Russian counterpart to Captain America.
David Harbour reprised his role as the Red Guardian in *Marvel Zombies*, solidifying his place as a standout addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. His character, Alexei Shostakov, gained superpowers through a Russian super-soldier program and previously worked with General Dreykov and Melina Vostokoff. He serves as a father figure to both Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova, a connection that was further explored in *Marvel Zombies*.
Red Guardian Proved He’s the Best MCU Dad in Marvel Zombies
Throughout his appearances in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Alexei Shostakov has consistently demonstrated his desire to be a good father to both Romanoff and Belova. The film *Black Widow* (2021) showed that the time he, Romanoff, Belova, and Vostokoff spent pretending to be a normal American family actually had a lasting, positive impact on them all, motivating Alexei to become a more involved and caring father. This development continued in *Thunderbolts* (2025), where his relationship with Yelena deepened as they worked together on the New Avengers team, and has even been reflected in storylines within the alternate universe of *Marvel Zombies*.
In the first episode of *Marvel Zombies*, Kate Bishop, Kamala Khan, and Riri Williams encounter Alexei, Melina, and Yelena at a SHIELD base in Ohio. This base isn’t just defended by these three; it’s also home to several Black Widow assassins who immediately fight back when a zombie army, led by a zombified and mind-controlled Okoye, attacks. The scene is particularly touching because the Red Guardian sees all the Black Widow assassins as his daughters, acting as a father figure to them.
One of the most touching moments in the MCU happens in *Marvel Zombies* when Red Guardian refers to the Black Widow assassins as his daughters. This shows that Alexei Shostakov strives to be a good father, not just in his original universe (Earth 616), but in alternate realities as well. Despite his heartbreaking death fighting the Queen of the Dead in *Marvel Zombies*, Alexei shared some genuinely sweet and memorable scenes beforehand.
Marvel Zombies Finally Gave Red Guardian the Battle He’s Been Waiting For
In *Black Widow*, the Red Guardian often boasted about fighting Captain America back in the 1980s. However, this claim doesn’t quite add up, as many noticed Steve Rogers was frozen in ice during that time. While the Red Guardian did team up with Bucky Barnes, as the Winter Soldier, in *Thunderbolts*, he never actually fought Captain America. That changed with the animated series *Marvel Zombies*, which finally brought Shostakov and Rogers face-to-face in battle.
The first season of *What If…?* showed that Captain America quickly turned into a zombie when the apocalypse began. Although Bucky split him in half, he didn’t destroy him completely, and Captain America reappeared in the premiere of *Marvel Zombies* to fight the Red Guardian. After a long wait, their battle finally ended with the Red Guardian defeating Captain America, completing his storyline from the main Marvel Cinematic Universe.
2025 was a breakout year for Alexei Shostakov’s Red Guardian, who joined the New Avengers in *Thunderbolts* and even defeated Captain America in *Marvel Zombies*. David Harbour is set to reprise his role as Red Guardian in *Avengers: Doomsday*, and he’ll have a redesigned costume, as hinted at in the *Thunderbolts* post-credits scene. Red Guardian’s momentum in the MCU suggests he could become an even bigger and more beloved character in the years to come.
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2025-09-28 17:51