"MCU-inspired version": Marvel Zombies EPs explain how the show will shift gears from the comics while keeping the original essence

The upcoming Marvel Zombies animated series on Disney+ is scheduled to premiere on September 24, 2025, and its creative team has already made it clear that it will not be a direct adaptation of the comics. Executive producers Zeb Wells and Bryan Andrews, in an interview with ScreenRant, explained,

“And ours is like the MCU-inspired version, not just doing the comics. The comics are the comics, and they’re awesome, but this is our version, spinning all that in a slightly different way so the audience can be surprised by things they haven’t seen.”

Robert Kirkman and Sean Phillips shaped the comics into a bleak vision centered on survival and its corrupting edge, but the animated series chooses to take a different path. Zeb Wells pointed out that zombie stories always revolve around how people are changed by the need to survive, and that’s why certain heroes were placed at the center as stand-ins for the viewers.

Bryan Andrews acknowledged that the comics are “awesome” on their own but explained that the goal here was to break from expectations and deliver moments no one had already seen.

He emphasized that the show is based on the original's foundation while exploring territory unique to the MCU. What results is not a retelling but a reinterpretation, one that retains the essence of Marvel Zombies but adapts it to Marvel Studios’ characters, tone, and storytelling style.

Marvel Zombies creators outline why the MCU version diverges from the Comics

The primary goal behind Marvel Zombies' creative direction is to distinguish the show from the comic book series while maintaining its essence. In their interview with ScreenRant, Zeb Wells and Bryan Andrews clarified that this is not an animated version of Robert Kirkman’s run.

Andrews specifically said that their approach was to create an “MCU-inspired version” that would allow the audience to encounter surprises instead of scenes they had already read on the page. This means the series has been designed to fit into the larger universe Marvel Studios has been building for over a decade, rather than being limited to comic continuity.

One of the specific changes is the roster of characters at the story's center. The comics focused heavily on figures like Reed Richards and the Fantastic Four, while the MCU show highlights Kamala Khan, Shang-Chi, Kate Bishop, and other newer heroes introduced in recent years.

This ensures the series connects with audiences who have followed the latest phases of Marvel films and shows. It also places the story directly within MCU continuity, with actors such as Iman Vellani, Florence Pugh, Hailee Steinfeld, and David Harbour reprising their roles as their characters.

Wells also pointed out that the zombie genre succeeds because it explores survival, not just in terms of living or dying but also in how desperation influences people’s choices. The producers aimed for the animated version to emphasize those same themes while still allowing room for surprises.

Instead of simply rehashing the darkest moments from the comics, they set out to create new storylines where corruption, sacrifice, and alliances are connected to the MCU’s existing heroes. This way, the show doesn’t erase the importance of the comics but reinterprets it so that Marvel fans see a version that fits naturally within the worlds of WandaVision or Moon Knight.

Another important point the producers raised was the need for balance. They admitted the comics are darker than most Marvel material, and that tone would remain, but the series is not designed to be hopeless.

By moving characters through an altered storyline, the creators can maintain tension while still allowing viewers to follow familiar personalities. This approach ensures Marvel Zombies has its own identity, rather than being dismissed as an animated remake.

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