Marvel Zombies Copied Hollywood’s Biggest Fantasy Movie Series (& Honestly, It’s Perfect) [EXCLUSIVE]

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The new animated series, Marvel Zombies, is based on the popular comic book of the same name and expands on the world first introduced in the What If…? animated anthology. It will throw well-known Marvel heroes and villains into a zombie apocalypse, combining the thrills of superhero action with the scares of horror. While the comic book is a major influence, showrunner Bryan Andrews and Marvel Television head Brad Winderbaum recently told ComicBook that a surprising film inspired the series’ storytelling and overall mood. This creative choice was directly linked to their decision to focus the story around a particular young hero amidst the chaos.

When we were deciding who should lead *Marvel Zombies*, Ms. Marvel (voiced by Iman Vellani) quickly became the obvious choice,” explained Andrews. “The story takes place around the time of *Avengers: Infinity War*, and she’s very young, before her other adventures. That meant she’d be a fresh, innocent, and optimistic character suddenly gaining powers amidst all this death and destruction – a truly awful situation. We felt a young, hopeful character facing that kind of challenge would really fit the genre and create a compelling story: could she survive it? That’s why we decided on her pretty quickly.

Using Ms. Marvel as the central character creates a striking contrast – her hopeful nature is set against the extremely violent backdrop of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The series will show her journey as she tries to survive a zombie apocalypse, battling powerful undead villains like the Scarlet Witch, while familiar heroes like Blade take on new roles, such as becoming the Fist of Khonshu. Ms. Marvel’s story as a young hero facing overwhelming odds is actually quite similar to that of Frodo Baggins from *The Lord of the Rings*, and that’s intentional – the creators of *Marvel Zombies* specifically drew inspiration from that classic story.

How Is Marvel Zombies Compared to The Lord of the Rings?

It might seem strange to compare a huge fantasy saga like *The Lord of the Rings* to a gory superhero zombie show, but the stories actually share a surprising amount in common. Both center around an ordinary, unlikely hero facing a dangerous mission with little chance of success. Like Frodo’s journey to destroy the One Ring, Ms. Marvel’s fight is about surviving a seemingly impossible situation and preventing total destruction.

Andrews described the show as feeling like a grand fantasy story, even though it’s categorized as horror. They envisioned it as an adventure and a quest, drawing inspiration from ‘The Lord of the Rings.’ They often compared one of the characters to Frodo, highlighting her feeling of being unprepared for the journey. Like the Fellowship of the Ring, the group’s size sometimes varied, but they aimed for that same sense of a group on a challenging quest. They wanted the character to embody that feeling of being overwhelmed and unready, much like Frodo at the beginning of his journey.

Marvel Zombies is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on September 24, 2025.

I’m really curious to hear what everyone thinks about taking inspiration from *The Lord of the Rings* for a *Marvel Zombies* story! What are your thoughts? Let’s discuss it over on the ComicBook Forum – come join the conversation!

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2025-09-18 21:57