Debapriya Bhattacharya
A spin-off to the ‘What If…?’ by Marvel Studios Animation, ‘Marvel Zombies’ continues the storyline of the ‘Zombies’ episode. After a disease from the quantum realm triggers a zombie apocalypse on Earth, the majority of the population turns into the undead, including some of the Earth’s mightiest heroes, such as Captain America and Captain Marvel. Thus, the final stand against the apocalypse is made by a small group of young heroes, which includes Kamala Khan AKA Miss Marvel, Kate Bishop, Riri Williams, and Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man, among others. Developed by Bryan Andrews and Zeb Wells, the Disney+ adult animated fantasy series is loosely based on the eponymous Marvel comic series and presents the events of an alternate reality to the main Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline. If the episodes have you hooked, here is a list of shows similar to ‘Marvel Zombies’ that you can consider binging next.
12. Devil May Cry (2025-)
Based on the Capcom video game franchise of the same name, ‘Devil May Cry,’ created by Adi Shankar, centers around Dante, the son of the demon Sparda. Walking the Earth as a mercenary demon hunter, Dante intends to foil the Underworld’s invasion of the Earth, led by the White Rabbit. At the same time, he is being pursued by Dark Realm Command (DARKCOM), a government organization headed by Vice President William Baines and his lieutenant, Mary Ann Arkham. Similar to ‘Marvel Zombies,’ the Earth faces an existential threat in ‘Devil May Cry,’ with Dante forming a final barrier against catastrophe.
11. Teen Titans (2003-2006)
Created by David Slack, Bob Haney, and Bruno Premiani based on the young superhero team in DC Comics, ‘Teen Titans’ chronicles the adventures of Robin, Starfire, Beast Boy, Raven, and Cyborg, as they work without adult supervision out of the Titans Tower on the West Coast. They go up against formidable enemies, such as Deathstroke and H.I.V.E., but it is their battle against Trigon, one of the Old Gods and Raven’s father, that poses a planetary threat. The young heroes boldly facing the dangers on their own is reminiscent of the young leaders in the war against the undead in ‘Marvel Zombies.’
10. Ultimate Spider-Man (2012-2017)
Developed by Todd McFarlane, David Michelinie, and Bill Mantlo, based on the characters in Marvel Comics, ‘Ultimate Spider-Man’ begins with Peter Parker, aka Spider-Man, as a teenager in high school who gets recruited by Shield Director Nick Fury to lead a team of young superheroes, like White Tiger, Power Man, Nova, and Iron Fist. Overcoming the usual teenage drama, the team becomes capable of handling planetary threats independently. However, members of the Avengers occasionally drop by to assist them. Much like ‘Marvel Zombies,’ ‘Ultimate Spider-Man’ is about a group of heroes in a shared universe fighting to keep the Earth safe while forming strong bonds with one another.
9. Invincible (2021)
Adapted by Robert Kirkman, Cory Walker, and Ryan Ottley, based on their comic book series for Image Comics, ‘Invincible’ tells the story of Mark Grayson, the teenage son of the world’s most powerful superhero, Nolan, aka Omni-Man. Soon after his 17th birthday, Mark begins to exhibit signs of developing superpowers. While Nolan appears glad and begins to train Mark, his own dark secret also begins to come to light. As in ‘Marvel Zombies,’ the series presents an existential threat to Earth that overwhelms the numerous superheroes present on the planet. Mark, donning his supersuit and taking on the identity of Invincible, appears to be the only one capable of stopping it. Young and old heroes team up to support Mark in his efforts, much like how the surviving heroes band together in ‘Marvel Zombies.’
8. Justice League Unlimited (2004-2006)
Helmed by Bruce Timm and Jack Kirby, ‘Justice League Unlimited’ is a direct sequel to the ‘Justice League’ animated series and continues the story of the team of DC’s greatest superheroes, featuring an expanded roster of characters from the comic books. Alongside the founding members — Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Martian Manhunter, and Hawkgirl — the League faces threats across the globe, culminating in the heroes and villains working together to prevent the world from falling to the New God, Darkseid. The union of heroes and villains to protect the planet that they call home mirrors the events of ‘Marvel Zombies.’
7. Avengers Assemble (2013-2019)
Developed by Joe Casey, Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau, and Steven T. Seagle, ‘Avengers Assemble’ follows Earth’s mightiest heroes on various adventures, adapting storylines from Marvel Comics. The series brings together heroes and villains across the Marvel roster, battling on Earth and beyond. Like the events in ‘Marvel Zombies,’ the story of ‘Avengers Assemble’ can be considered part of the Marvel Animated Universe continuity, which is separate from the one seen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
6. Harley Quinn (2019-)
Created by Justin Halpern, Patrick Schumacker, and Dean Lorey, ‘Harley Quinn’ follows the titular character as she re-invents herself after breaking up with the Joker. She decides to become a villain in her own right in Gotham City. She assembles a crew of misfit supervillains, including her new lover, Poison Ivy, Clayface, Doctor Psycho, King Shark, and Sy Borgman. However, things do not go as easily as planned, with the Batman on their trail and Harley struggling to escape from years of Joker’s influence. Similar to ‘Marvel Zombies,’ the series takes place in a separate continuity from the DCEU and DCU.
5. Young Justice (2010-2022)
Helmed by Greg Weisman, Brandon Vietti, and Geoff Johns, ‘Young Justice’ is set in Earth-16 of the DC Multiverse, where the young sidekicks of the Justice League members decide to form a team of their own. Robin, Kid Flash, Aqualad, Superboy, Miss Martian, and Artemis operate as covert agents for the Justice League, with Speedy occasionally coming to the aid of the team. The young heroes emerge on their own over the course of the episodes, facing world-ending threats together, much like ‘Marvel Zombies.’
4. X-Men ’97 (2024-)
‘X-Men ’97,’ created by Beau DeMayo, continues the story of mutants living among humans on Earth from the 1990s ‘X-Men: The Animated Series.’ It picks up the story a year after the conclusion of the original series, where the leader of the X-Men, Professor Charles Xavier, nearly dies and is taken away by an alien species to heal. In his absence, the X-Men’s former adversary, Magneto, becomes the leader and guides the mutants as they face new and greater challenges in the world. Similar to ‘Marvel Zombies,’ the series is a Marvel Studios Animation production that explores one of the infinite timelines in the Marvel multiverse.
3. Eyes of Wakanda (2025)
Developed by Todd Harris, ‘Eyes of Wakanda’ is an anthology miniseries from Marvel Studios Animation that tells the stories of Wakandan warriors through history. It depicts the wars fought between the various tribes, as well as traces how they transformed the region into the most technologically advanced nation in the world. The events are set within the Sacred timeline of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but explore previously unknown adventures. The events offer a deeper understanding of the origin of Wakandan technology, as depicted in ‘Marvel Zombies.’
2. Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (2025-)
Helmed by Jeff Trammell, ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’ retells the origin story of the superhero in a timeline that bears a close resemblance to, but is not part of, the Earth from the MCU continuity. A high school-going teenager, Peter, gains his powers as a result of Doctor Strange fighting a symbiotic alien. In another significant deviation from the MCU, Norman Osborn, often known as the Green Goblin in many continuities, becomes Peter’s mentor. The series is closely linked to the MCU’s Sacred timeline but gives a fresh variation of characters, much like ‘Marvel Zombies.’
1. What If…? (2021-2024)
Created by AC Bradley for Marvel Studios Animation, ‘What If…?’ is an anthology series that explores alternate timelines to the Sacred timeline, following the establishment of the multiverse in the MCU in the events post-Endgame. The Watcher, a being beyond space and time, acts as a guide in the explorations, which showcase the similarities and differences between each universe and how great dangers may bring them to work together to ensure the continued existence of all branches of the timeline. The events of ‘What If…?’ are directly linked to ‘Marvel Zombies,’ as the latter chronicles the timeline first introduced in season 1 episode 5 of the original show.
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