Fans of Disney's Zombies franchise are ecstatic to reunite with mainstays such as Addison and Zed in Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires. However, a few additional original characters were missing from the movie, including Pearce Joza's Wyatt, who debuted in 2020's Zombies 2.
Zombies 4 features OG characters Zed, Addison, Eliza, and Willa stuck in the middle of a feud between daywalkers and vampires during a post-college road trip. During a moment of downtime between main pairing Zed and Addison, the two briefly recount what their other human and monster friends have been up to since 2022's Zombies 3. Zoey (Zed's younger sister) and Wynter (a werewolf) are mentioned. However, another of Willa's pack members, Wyatt, is not.
Wyatt’s absence in Zombies 4 may surprise fans, especially since actor Pearce Joza appeared ready to return. In a January 2025 interview with The Permanent Rain Press (following the filming of Zombies 4 in 2024), Joza shared that the decision was ultimately up to Disney and the creative team, though he remained optimistic: "I’m very hopeful… he gets to live on forever," he said, calling it an honor to have contributed to Disney lore. Joza added that he respects the vision of longtime creators like David Light, Joseph Raso, and Gary Marsh—and if the call ever comes, he’ll "answer the phone like the Bat-signal."
Zombies 4 aired on Disney Channel on July 10 and began streaming on Disney+ the following day. Starring Meg Donnelly, Milo Manheim, Freya Skye, and Malachi Barton, the film introduces new classes of monsters: daywalkers and vampires, who must learn to work together, akin to the humans and zombies at the franchise's beginning. Zombies 4 is reportedly beginning a new trilogy for the Disney Channel Original Movie (DCOM) franchise.
Why Is Wyatt Not in Zombies 4?
Though Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires continues the popular DCOM franchise, it also seems to pass the torch to a new cast of characters. As such, there likely wasn't as much focus on known characters to ensure that the new ones got their chance to shine as the faces of the franchise moving forward. Either way, Wyatt not being mentioned (or actor Pearce Joza supposedly not being asked to return) when several other absent characters are seems like a mindful decision.
Despite not being in Zombies 4, Joza's Wyatt has not been entirely excluded from the franchise. Zombies: The Re-Animated Series, which began airing on Disney Channel in June 2024, features Joza as Wyatt's voice. It is worth noting that the series occurs between Zombies 3 and 4 and does not explicitly explain his absence in the latter (at least, yet, as a Season 2 is in the works).
As for what Wyatt could be up to in-universe, he sparked a romance with Eliza in Zombies 3. Strangely, though, Eliza does not mention him in Zombies 4, which could imply that the two have gone their separate ways since. However, the couple is featured in The Re-Animated Series. Otherwise, Wyatt may have attended a separate university from his monster friends, as he is not seen in Zombies 4's opening sequence at Mountain College either.
Interested in keeping up with other DCOM franchises? Discover crucial Descendants plot points before Wicked Wonderland releases.
