Marvel Zombies is the latest project from Marvel Animation. Adapting the Robert Kirkman storyline of the same name from the beloved Marvel Comics series, It’s something many fans have waited a long time for. It arrives in the form of a four-episode miniseries on Disney+, out now in its entirety. But it was originally conceived as a movie. So, why didn’t it stay that way?
Speaking on the Who Let Us Out podcast, executive producer Brad Winderbaum touched on the topic. As he tells it, the whole thing comes down to the Spider-Man rights. Sony controls the Spider-Man franchise rights, at least on the movie side. So, had this been a movie, Sony would have had to OK it and likely be involved. Here’s what Winderbaum had to say about it.
“Sony has [the] other rights. We can use Spider-Man in a half-hour animation, which is why we’re able to make Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man as well. But that meant that we had to take our big epic story and break it into four chapters, which I actually think helped the storytelling.”
Without getting into spoilers, this likely explains why Tom Holland doesn’t voice Spidey in Marvel Zombies. Instead, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man star Hudson Thames reprises the role. The cast includes many Marvel Cinematic Universe regulars such as Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlett Witch), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), David Harbour (Red Guardian), Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), Awkwafina (Katy), Hailee Steinfeld (Kate Bishop), Wyatt Russell (John Walker), Randall Park (Jimmy Woo), Iman Vellani (Ms. Marvel) and Dominique Thorne (Ironheart).
Here is the synopsis for Marvel Zombies.
“After the Avengers are overtaken by a zombie plague, a desperate group of survivors discover the key to bringing an end to the super-powered undead, racing across a dystopian landscape and risking life and limb to save their world.”
Holland will be back in the MCU sooner rather than later though. The actor is deep into production on Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which hits theaters next summer. It’s also expected that he’ll return in some capacity in Avengers: Doomsday and/or Avengers: Secret Wars, though that has yet to be confirmed.
Marvel Zombies is streaming now on Disney+.
What do you think? Would you have preferred a Marvel Zombies movie? Are you excited about the show? Join in on the conversation over on Facebook or Twitter!
