Throughout its first four episodes, What If...? has showcased familiar MCU heroes and villains in alternate scenarios. For example, Hayley Atwell's Peggy Carter carried the Star-Spangled mantle as Captain Carter while Doctor Strange took a dark turn after trying to reverse an absolute point in time.
Before its release, many felt that one of the highly-anticipated episodes of the animated series was the Marvel Zombies-inspired installment. Created by Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead), Marvel Zombies is a five-issue limited series set in an alternate universe where the Marvel heroes become infected with an unknown virus, thus turning them into flesh-eating zombies.
What If...? will be given the prime opportunity to unveil this storyline in animated form alongside the inclusion of a well-beloved MCU character. Marketing for the series has confirmed that the story will be set during Avengers: Infinity War while official merchandise established the fact that Peter Parker will be given the responsibility to become a zombie hunter.
Now, a brand-new look at the apocalyptic episode has been revealed alongside the confirmation of its release date.
Marvel Zombies Set To Take Center Stage in What If...?
Disney released two new posters for the upcoming fifth episode of What If...?, showcasing a fresh look at the zombified versions of Captain America and Hawkeye.
The posters' release essentially confirmed that the show's Marvel Zombies-inspired episode will air this Wednesday, September 8, 2021.
Which Other Avengers Will Be Zombified What If...?
The two new posters unveiled the full-blown design of the zombified versions of Captain America and Hawkeye. Both heroes appear to be wearing their respective costumes from 2016's Captain America: Civil War, potentially hinting that this is a timeline where the Avengers set aside their differences to face this unknown virus.
Aside from Steve and Clint, another confirmed member of the undead is Iron Man. Considering that T'Challa and Natasha Romanoff can be seen alongside the trio in one of the promos, it's reasonable to assume that both of them will be part of the walking dead community as well.
Clearly, the mission to eradicate the virus didn't go well, as evidenced by the fact that most of the team ended up being infected. It will be interesting to find out what caused the virus to spread in the first place, but one running theory suggests that Janet Van Dyne's return from the Quantum Realm could be the culprit.
In comparison, Marvel Zombies: Resurrection # 3 revealed that the true origin of the virus was a combination of Galactus' powers and the Broods' physiology that was dubbed as "The Hunger Cosmic." Given that the MCU has yet to introduce Galactus and the Broods, it makes narrative sense for Marvel Studios to use the Quantum Realm as the main source of the virus, considering that the dimension is familiar to fans.
Still, it remains to be seen if the upcoming What If...? episode will confirm if the Quantum Realm is indeed the real source of the infection. Given that the dimension is a gateway to various points in time, it's possible that more intelligent zombies from an alternate timeline found a way to infect Janet, thus making it spread to this specific universe that will soon be featured in the episode.
The first four episodes of What If...? are now streaming on Disney+.
