Riri Williams and Kate Bishop played pivotal supporting roles in Marvel Zombies, but many wonder whether the two survived after the series' final moments. Spinning off from the fifth of nine episodes from What If...? Season 1, Zombies puts the MCU in one of its scariest scenarios yet, as a zombie apocalypse kills off some of Earth's Mightiest Heroes while putting the remaining Avengers in a fight for their lives. As many expected, not all of the show's original uninfected heroes make it to the end, leaving questions about some of these heroes' fates.
Iman Vellani, Dominique Thorne, and Hailee Steinfeld play important roles in Marvel Zombies as Kamala Khan/Ms. Marvel, Riri Williams/Ironheart, and Kate Bishop. Bringing a first animated tease for the Young Avengers, this trio kicks off the show by joining forces and fighting off zombies to stay alive after a virus from the Quantum Realm infected most of the planet. With this show holding an R-rating, however, nobody is safe from being killed off in brutal fashion.
Warning - the rest of this article contains spoilers for Marvel Zombies.
Recapping Riri Williams & Kate Bishop's Story in Marvel Zombies Episode 1
Marvel Zombies' first episode starts with Kamala Khan, Kate Bishop, and Riri Williams trekking through a green area towards New York City. Upon getting to the city, they see a Quinjet crash, and they investigate to see if there is anything useful in the vehicle. Finding a small mechanical device, they come under attack from the zombified Clint Barton, who tries to kill them as they escape with the device and a new trick arrow.
The trio learn the device is part of a program called Project Lifeshot, a last desperate measure to save the Earth from the zombie apocalypse. Reluctantly deciding to take a road trip to Ohio to find an old SHIELD base, the three get caught in the middle of a huge battle between Captain Marvel and the Eternal, Ikaris, both of whom have turned into zombies. Another horde of zombies surrounds the trio and tries to kill them when Captain Marvel and Ikaris crash to the ground.
After Kate fires the trick arrow (which turns out to be a complete dud) at Captain Marvel, Carol Danvers shoots a photon blast at Kate and disintegrates her instantly. Next, Riri is attacked and injured before telling FRIDAY (operating in a headless Iron Man suit) to get Kamala to safety.
As Kamala escapes, a blast from the Ikaris/Captain Marvel fight hits Riri’s location, presumably taking her out. While Todd Williams’ Blade Knight swoops in to get Kamala to her destination, she seemingly loses both of her friends in battle.
Kamala pushes forward to Ohio with Blade and serves as the leading hero in Marvel Zombies' overarching plot, leading the remaining Avengers into battle against the undead.
Are Riri Williams & Kate Bishop Dead After Marvel Zombies Episode 4?
Marvel Zombies ends with a massive battle between the Hulk (holding the energy emanating from the Infinity Stones) and zombie Wanda Maximoff leading her army of the undead. Wanda puts forth her best effort to convince Kamala to quit fighting her and join her side, with Kamala eventually holding out her hand for Wanda to take. This leads to a massive explosion before the screen goes completely white, ending with Kamala home in her bed and seemingly safe.
As Zenobia Shroff's Muneeba Khan yells up to Kamala that her friends are there, fans believe the world has been restored to the way it was before the zombie infestation. Kamala then runs to the door to find Riri Williams and Kate Bishop seemingly alive and well, giving them both a tight hug.
Going out together for boba, Kamala expresses her excitement to go out into the city and have fun, including going on a packed train and flirting with a cute guy across the street. From here, however, everything changes about what fans believe they know.
As Kamala and her friends look at the man across the street, flashes of reality flicker in Kamala's mind. She sees Riri Williams alive and fighting off another wave of zombies in the middle of the street while yelling at Kamala, telling her not to believe anything she sees. The show then ends by cutting to black before an image of the zombified Scarlet Witch screaming flashes on the screen.
Marvel Zombies is Marvel Studios' latest Phase 6 release and the first R-rated animated project in MCU history. Starring Iman Vellani, Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Florence Pugh, and more, the show picks up from Season 1, Episode 5 of What If...? and highlights the Avengers as they fight off a worldwide infestation of the undead. Marvel Zombies is now streaming in full on Disney+.
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.
