Marvel Studios gave three minor characters from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness major and unexpected roles in the MCU's newest Phase 6 project. What If...? Episode 5 showcased a grim reality in the MCU where a zombie virus took over the entire planet, with the early moments of the installment confirming that the likes of Doctor Strange and Wong had already become zombies. The upcoming Marvel Zombies four-episode crossover event will continue that story, meaning that it will provide an answer as to what happened to the different Sanctums all over Earth, as well as the remaining sorcerers in Kamar-Taj.
Marvel Zombies Episode 3 opened with a flashback sequence that continued what happened in What If...? Episode 5's ending, showing how Black Panther sacrificed himself and defeated Thanos to save the universe, while also showing how Spider-Man and Scott Lang survived with the help of sorcerers from Kamar-Taj.
Marvel Zombies' penultimate episode confirmed that the remaining prominent guardians of Kamar-Taj (with the responsibility of protecting the Sanctums) fell to three unexpected characters from Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness: Rintrah (the Minotaur), the London Master, and Sara Wolfe (Wong's romantic interest).
The trio saved Spider-Man and Scott Lang so that the pair could help them map out a plan to try and defeat the Queen of the Dead: Scarlet Witch.
Sara Wolfe
Sara Wolfe (voiced by Sheila Atim), a Master of the Mystic Arts, had a minor role in Doctor Strange 2, and she fought alongside the other sorcerers to defend Kamar-Taj from a rampaging Scarlet Witch. She unfortunately died in front of Wong after sacrificing herself to destroy the Darkhold while Wanda was distracted.
In Marvel Zombies, Sara leads the charge in creating a strategy to defeat the Queen of the Dead and plays a pivotal role in the climactic battle in Episode 4 in trying to subdue as many zombies as possible to protect an Infinity Stone-powered Hulk.
Rintrah
Adam Hugill returns to bring Rintrah to life in Marvel Zombies after playing the character in live-action in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. As the MCU's first minotaur, Rintrah became a fan-favorite character and was introduced as an apprentice at Kamar-Taj.
While he only played a minor role in Doctor Strange 2 after Scarlet Witch threatened to kill him and the other students to convince Wong to help her retrieve a new copy of the Darkhold after Sara destroyed it.
Marvel Zombies Episodes 3 and 4 gave Rintrah a much larger role by spearheading the attack against the Scarlet Witch to protect the Hulk and the Infinity Stones' powers. He was also instrumental in saving Spider-Man and Scott Lang from impending doom.
Unfortunately, Episode 4's ending implied that Rintrah died during the climactic battle after Wanda successfully overwhelmed the heroes with her zombie army.
London Master
Another Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness character who played a pivotal role in Marvel Zombies is the London Master, the guardian of the London Sanctum. Given his seniority, it's reasonable to assume that he is the de facto leader of Kamar Taj.
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness showed the London Master fighting alongside Wong and Doctor Strange during the Scarlet Witch's invasion of Kamar-Taj.
In Marvel Zombies, the London Master also used his expertise in helping Sara and Rintrah create a formidable plan to stave off the Scarlet Witch's attack against the Hulk.
Directed by Bryan Andrews, Marvel Zombies is Marvel Studios' fourth R-rated project. It assembles a star-studded cast featuring the MCU returns of Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), Iman Vellani (Ms. Marvel), Randall Park (Jimmy Woo), Awkwafina (Katy), Florence Pugh (Yelena), and David Harbour (Red Guardian). All four episodes of Marvel Zombies premiered on Disney+ on September 24, 2025.
Marvel Zombies Proves The Endless Possibilities of Animation
Marvel Zombies giving major roles to these three Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness showed the endless possibilities of a Marvel Animation project. It allows them to provide fans with a whole new perspective on these characters and how competent they are in times of crisis.
Although Rintrah, Sara, and the London Master stepped up during the most bleak of times, Marvel Zombies proved that Kamar-Taj was still in good hands despite falling short in the end against perhaps one of the most powerful MCU characters in the form of the Scarlet Witch.
Aside from the surprise return of the mystical trio, Marvel Zombies also provided an opportunity to highlight some forgotten MCU characters, such as Ikaris (aka the most powerful Eternal) and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings' villains Wenwu (the Mandarin) and Death Dealer.
Marvel Zombies also allowed certain MCU characters like Kamala Khan and Shang-Chi to be pushed to the forefront before their eventual live-action return in the future, essentially showing a preview of the dynamic of these characters while interacting with established Marvel characters like Spider-Man, Hulk, and the Scarlet Witch.
