Marvel Zombies Season 1 Ending Explained: What Happened To The World?
By Dan Bibby
September 27th, 2025
Warning! Spoilers ahead for Marvel Zombies!
Originally billed as a miniseries, Marvel Zombies made me think I was going to get a stonewall conclusion to the animated saga that began with What If...? season 1's undead episode. So, you can imagine my surprise when Zombies' fourth and seemingly final episode ended on a massive cliffhanger.
The show's inaugural run had some great moments and was way more violent than I expected. The debut of a new Blade was one of Marvel Zombies' highlights, and the character made in Mahershala Ali's image made some amazing contributions. While I loved episode 4, I was left unfulfilled by its final seconds - but I think that was the point.
The show's inaugural run had some great moments and was way more violent than I expected. The debut of a new Blade was one of Marvel Zombies' highlights, and the character made in Mahershala Ali's image made some amazing contributions. While I loved episode 4, I was left unfulfilled by its final seconds - but I think that was the point.
Kamala Was Almost Definitely Deceived By Wanda At The End Of Marvel Zombies Season 1
Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) ends Marvel Zombies with all of her allies either dead, believed dead, or very close to being dead. So, it's understandable that Elizabeth Olsen's undead version of Wanda Maximoff was able to emotionally manipulate her. Suggesting that, together, they can restore the world to what it was, Wanda apparently makes good on her promise.
The finale's last few minutes show Kamala reuniting with Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) and Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), with only Kamala retaining the horrific memories of what she'd been through in the last five years. It initially seems like a wholesome ending, if not predictable, as the three heroes hang out without the burden of saving the world from zombies.
At the last second, the show very strongly implies that Kamala has been tricked by Wanda, and that Vellani's character is simply under the Undead Queen's spell. Catching glimpses of the "real" Riri fending off zombies as she tries to get through to her friend, Kamala looks terrified at the possibility that she isn't as safe as he believes, and that Riri is apparently still alive and needs her help.
I suppose it's possible that Kamala is hallucinating, with the trauma she's experienced serving as an explanation of what she's seeing at the end of season 1. That said, Marvel Zombies isn't a traditional MCU project, as it doesn't tend to focus on optimistic storylines and outcomes.
What I think is far more likely is that the world is still overrun by the undead, and that Wanda is using her newly-gained power boost from the infinity stones to keep Kamala contained to a false reality. The lack of a confirmation either way makes for a compelling final moment, and it could be treated as an intentional loose end or a storyline to be continued.
The finale's last few minutes show Kamala reuniting with Kate Bishop (Hailee Steinfeld) and Riri Williams (Dominique Thorne), with only Kamala retaining the horrific memories of what she'd been through in the last five years. It initially seems like a wholesome ending, if not predictable, as the three heroes hang out without the burden of saving the world from zombies.
At the last second, the show very strongly implies that Kamala has been tricked by Wanda, and that Vellani's character is simply under the Undead Queen's spell. Catching glimpses of the "real" Riri fending off zombies as she tries to get through to her friend, Kamala looks terrified at the possibility that she isn't as safe as he believes, and that Riri is apparently still alive and needs her help.
I suppose it's possible that Kamala is hallucinating, with the trauma she's experienced serving as an explanation of what she's seeing at the end of season 1. That said, Marvel Zombies isn't a traditional MCU project, as it doesn't tend to focus on optimistic storylines and outcomes.
What I think is far more likely is that the world is still overrun by the undead, and that Wanda is using her newly-gained power boost from the infinity stones to keep Kamala contained to a false reality. The lack of a confirmation either way makes for a compelling final moment, and it could be treated as an intentional loose end or a storyline to be continued.
Will There Be A Marvel Zombies Season 2?
The Marvel Zombies universe is a great way to reimagine characters and storylines that have been present in the larger MCU for years, and it allows for a much darker tone than other shows and movies within the franchise. That said, as I write this, season 2 hasn't been confirmed. With Disney scaling back on MCU content to focus on quality control, another run of episodes getting the nod probably depends on how season 1 is received.
At the moment, it has a rating on Rotten Tomatoes of 64%, but fans have given it a far healthier score of 79%. This obviously isn't the only metric that will be considered, but it provides an early insight into Marvel Zombies' performance with critics and fans alike.
Speaking with Comic Book, executive producer Brad Winderbaum has encouraged fans to stream the show on Disney+, suggesting that doing so will increase the likelihood of more episodes in the future. Winderbaum confirmed that the team behind Marvel Zombies is "excited" about the possibility of continuing the show and "ready" to continue the animated saga if called upon.
At the moment, it has a rating on Rotten Tomatoes of 64%, but fans have given it a far healthier score of 79%. This obviously isn't the only metric that will be considered, but it provides an early insight into Marvel Zombies' performance with critics and fans alike.
Speaking with Comic Book, executive producer Brad Winderbaum has encouraged fans to stream the show on Disney+, suggesting that doing so will increase the likelihood of more episodes in the future. Winderbaum confirmed that the team behind Marvel Zombies is "excited" about the possibility of continuing the show and "ready" to continue the animated saga if called upon.
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