Marvel has a history of slightly altering its established timeline, and the new animated series, *Marvel Zombies*, recently did so again. All four episodes of *Marvel Zombies* were released on September 24, 2025, and continue a story arc that began with the 2021 episode “What If… Zombies?” from season one of *What If…?*. The series reveals that a mission by Spider-Man, Black Panther, and Ant-Man to use the Mind Stone and create a worldwide cure failed, allowing Wanda Maximoff’s zombie rampage to continue for five years.
The zombie outbreak in the *Marvel Zombies* universe began when Hank Pym rescued Janet van Dyne from the Quantum Realm in 2018, unknowingly bringing back a Quantum Virus that quickly spread and ended civilization. This creates a timeline issue because the series includes heroes like Kamala Khan, Kate Bishop, Riri Williams, and John Walker, who didn’t gain their powers until after *Ant-Man and the Wasp*. However, featuring these characters in *Marvel Zombies* actually addresses another problem within the broader Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Why Marvel Zombies’ Confused Timeline is Actually a Good Thing
A common complaint about the Marvel Cinematic Universe lately is that several promising new heroes haven’t been featured much after their first appearances. While the animated series *Marvel Zombies* doesn’t quite fit into the main MCU timeline, it *did* give these heroes some much-needed screen time and development – more than they’ve received in the live-action movies and shows. Because of this, it’s easy to overlook the timeline issues and appreciate seeing these characters finally take a leading role.
Kamala Khan, played by Iman Vellani, has grown since we first met her in *Ms. Marvel*, and it was fun to see Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Wyatt Russell as US Agent, and Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost back in *Thunderbolts*. However, some heroes from *Marvel Zombies* haven’t appeared in the main MCU since their first appearances. This includes Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi, Awkwafina’s Katy, and Moon Knight – portrayed by Oscar Isaac as Marc Spector in *Moon Knight*, but by Todd Williams as Eric Brooks, Blade, in *Marvel Zombies*.
Several of these characters are likely to appear in future live-action Marvel Cinematic Universe films directed by the Russo brothers, specifically *Avengers: Doomsday* and *Avengers: Secret Wars*. In the meantime, the animated series *Marvel Zombies* offered a good opportunity to explore their stories further. This helps us overlook any timeline inconsistencies within the animated show, and because it’s part of the Multiverse Saga, the creators had freedom to build a unique and alternate zombie universe.
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2025-09-25 15:11