What If...? Spin-Off Series Marvel Zombies Won't Follow The Comics - Here's Why
Marvel's upcoming animated "What If?..." spinoff, "Marvel Zombies," is set to further explore a world in which Earth's Mightiest Heroes are infected with a virus that turns them into flesh-eating monsters. And while plot details on the project are scarce, we now know that comic fans shouldn't expect an adaptation of the story they've read in the comic books that inspired the show.
While speaking to Phaze Zero, "What If...?" director and executive producer Bryan Andrews offered a tease of what we can look forward to from the series, including why the show won;t look to the comics for inspiration. "There's some inspiration from the comic — the fact that they're zombies — but we're not doing the comic, like, in any stretch," Andrews said. "We have our own take on it, and a lot of that stuff has been set up by our talented ['What If...?'] writers early on, so, [we're] just taking that and ... exploring that mythology in that episode a bit more."
Beyond confirming a TV-MA rating for the show, Andrews didn't reveal more in the way of new information. But we now know that "Marvel Zombies" will follow up on the events of "What If..." Season 1, Episode 5, "What If... Zombies!?" rather than its comic book source material.
Why isn't Marvel Zombies adapting the comic?
What started out as a five-issue limited series — written by "The Walking Dead" creator Robert Kirkman with art by "Criminal" co-creator Sean Phillips — proved to be a hit with readers and has since spawned its own mini-universe within Marvel Comics. The original run led to a prequel, four sequel series, and multiple tie-ins and crossovers.
While this leaves "Marvel: Zombies" showrunners with plenty of material from which to draw inspiration, the comic version of this universe is already so dense with lore and obscure characters that it makes sense for the Disney+ series to focus on what they've already established in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Most members of the MCU audience are likely more familiar with "Marvel Zombies" through "What If?..." than the original comics, so it makes sense to stick to the Disney+ take on the storyline. And considering the zombie episode of "What If...?" ended with an undead Thanos sporting a nearly-complete Infinity Gauntlet, there's no telling what new directions the show could take. Comic-accurate or not, "Marvel Zombies" is already set up for an epic new take on the MCU.