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When does Marvel Zombies take place, and where does it fit on the MCU timeline? You’d think that would be a pretty straightforward question to answer, but Disney‘s new animated series completely flips the book on what we know about Marvel’s cinematic universe, vilifies otherwise heroic characters, and brings them back from the dead, literally. But despite the spin-off being based on a comic book series that turned our favorite heroes into brain-eating monsters, the new show actually does relate to other MCU projects.
Set in an apocalyptic alternate universe where many of Earth’s mightiest have been infected by a Zombie Plague, the four-part series follows a desperate group of survivors who take on the super-powered undead in order to try to save the world. The series features zombified versions of MCU heroes and villains such as Captain America, Hawkeye, and Thanos.
The series features original MCU cast members voicing animated versions of their own characters, such as Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Florence Pugh (Yelana Belova), and more. So, you may be thinking, if original actors are reprising their roles, surely Marvel Zombies is canon. Well, that’s where it gets a little tricky. Below, we’ll answer that and more by confirming Marvel Zombies’ (rough) place on the Marvel timeline.
When does Marvel Zombies take place on the Marvel timeline?
Firstly, it’s important to note that Marvel Zombies take place outside of the sacred timeline. So, anything that goes down in the show won’t affect future MCU projects. Don’t worry, heroes won’t be showing up in Avengers: Doomsday as crazed flesh-eating zombies, however fun that may be to see. However, despite Marvel Zombies being its own separate entity, the show does actually follow on from another Marvel series.
Marvel Zombies takes place about five years after What If…? season 1, and is more or less a sequel to episode 5 titled What If… Zombies?. Because What If…?’s zombie episode was set in 2018, just after the events of Avengers: Infinity War, this means that Marvel Zombies takes place roughly in 2023. What If…Zombies? follows the surviving Marvel heroes as they search for a cure after many Marvel heroes became infected by a zombie plague. In fact, some events from the episode directly impact the new series.
Warning, the next section of this article contains spoilers for Marvel Zombies, so make sure you are all caught up before reading on.
In What…If?, we learned that zombie infection was brought over from the Quantum Realm by Janet van Dyne. However, Marvel Zombies shows us what happens right after this as the infection breaks out in San Francisco. Another What If…Zombies? thread that Marvel Zombies ties up nicely is the fact that the episode ends on a cliffhanger with zombie Thanos in Wakanda, ready to fight the heroes. Marvel Zombies actually shows that fight, with T’Challa eventually taking down zombie Thanos.
In terms of characters, Marvel Zombies contains quite a few returning faces from What If…?, such as Scott Lang’s floating head, as well as a zombie version of Okoye after she was killed in What If…?. Marvel Zombies’ main villain, a zombified Wanda Maximoff, became a baddie after she escaped Vision, who was keeping her alive using the Mind Stone in What If…?.
It is not clear at this point whether Marvel Zombies will spur a second season, or if the events of the zombie spin-off will affect future What If…? installments. But one thing is for certain: we don’t think the new show will cause any ripples in Marvel Phase 6.
Marvel Zombies is out now on Disney Plus. For more on Marvel Zombies, read our exclusive interview with creators Brad Winderbaum and Bryan Andrews, and keep up with upcoming Marvel movies and shows heading your way.