It's fair to say that The Walking Dead franchise is considered the reigning champion of the zombie genre on television. From the long-running original series to its first spinoff Fear The Walking Dead to the current sequel spinoffs, the franchise has held that title for many, many years - bringing one of the most popular movie genres - the zombie flick - to the small screen.
There have been highs and lows throughout that legacy as the TWD Universe attempted to tell a long-running story in a way that movies could not. For better or for worse, it succeeded, entertaining fans for 16 years and counting. But it's no longer the only zombie series anymore, as its popularity led to an increase in the genre on TV over the years. Whether that be the bizarrely entertaining Z Nation or the gripping world of video game adaptation The Last of Us, there are plenty of zombie stories to choose from now.
However, a more recent one offered up a very unique tale that thrilled us all last spooky season. It also pushes boundaries in a way that The Walking Dead stopped doing, gifting us with a new comic book adaptation to feature the flesh-hungry creatures. Let me introduce you to: Marvel Zombies.
Marvel Zombies features the most powerful zombies to ever exist
Marvel Zombies premiered on Disney Plus in September 2025 and it quickly blew up for the streaming service, making it an unexpected overperformer. Set in an alternate version of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it reimagines the events of the MCU movies if the world had been overcome by an apocalypse, with the undead running wild on the streets, killing the Avengers first. The big twist, however, is that the dead don't die in the way you'd expect. And no, I'm not just talking about becoming zombies themselves.
What separates Marvel Zombies from the rest of the zombie shows is that the undead maintain a certain level of their former consciousness and intelligence, remembering just enough about who they were and what they can do. Therefore, if a hero has a specific super-power, training or ability, so too does their zombie. Yes, we're talking about super-powered zombies here! And that makes them just about the most terrifying zombies to every grace any screen. A bold statement? Sure. But the terrifying nature of Marvel Zombies backs it up.
Spun out of an episode of the more family-friendly Marvel Animation show What If...?, Marvel Zombies is a rare TV-MA-rated MCU series. That means that it can go into the bloody, graphic nature that all zombie projects are renowned for. And believe me, it makes the most of that rating, as some beloved Marvel heroes and villains are torn to shreds by some truly terrifying creatures of the night. But, again, it's the super powers that are the most terrifying aspect of all.
The main villain of Marvel Zombies is Wanda Maximoff, a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch. Having successfully overcome the zombie virus that coursed through her veins when she succumbed to the monsters, she can now pivot between her undead and dead personas. She also uses her immense powers to command an army of the undead, having them do her bidding in the hopes that she can "remake" the world. And, of course, that involves them using their own super powers to help her do it.
Thor's undead alter-ego can still wield Mjolnir. Hawkeye's can still shoot a bow and arrow. And, perhaps the most frightening of all outside of the Scarlet Witch, is that Captain Marvel is still the golden, glowing warrior powered by the energy of the Tesseract. There is simply no competing with that
Granted, The Walking Dead has changed its walkers over the course of its run. The original series finally toyed with the monsters getting smarter as one of them managed to crawl onto a roof. Although there was never any further exploration of that due to the show's conclusion with the eleventh season finale, the spinoffs have attempted to evolve the creatures further - albeit via manmade means.
Spinoff The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon features enhanced variant walkers that are much stronger, faster, and more unhinged due to being injected with Madame Genet's serum. Meanwhile, fellow spinoff The Walking Dead: Dead City saw more creative-looking walkers, with the massive "Walker King" being a variant comprised of multiple deformed, decayed walkers that had seemingly melted into each other.
The Last of Us created what is arguably the most unhinged zombie in live-action history in the monstrous Bloaters - the fourth, most enveloping stage of the cordyceps infection that simply evolves its host into what is essentially a giant, shielded, walking tree designed to kill and destroy everything in its path.
And yet, Marvel Zombies dares to go where The Walking Dead and any other zombie show never has, gifting these horrendous creatures with super powers and / or abilities, allowing them to think outside the box as they would have when they were alive and destroy their adversaries in creative, unique, and powerful ways - without ever having to catch up to them like a regular walker. That makes these monsters the most terrifying of all zombies.
With that in mind, what are you waiting for?! Watch Marvel Zombies on Disney Plus now!