Marvel Zombies Deaths: All 24 MCU Characters Who Don’t Survive (In Episode Order)

The Disney+ series *Marvel Zombies* didn’t shy away from eliminating beloved characters during its four episodes. Continuing the story from a popular episode of *What If…?* Season 1, the series shows most Marvel heroes turning into zombies after Janet van Dyne accidentally brings a virus from the Quantum Realm to Earth, quickly throwing the world into chaos.

Five years after a devastating defeat for the Avengers – a battle that included a brutal fight between Scarlet Witch and the Hulk – a new team of heroes from the more recent phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe unites to try and save what’s left of humanity. The final episode of *Marvel Zombies* saw some heartbreaking losses.

Bryan Andrews directed *Marvel Zombies*, an animated series featuring popular actors from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, including Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, Iman Vellani as Ms. Marvel, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, David Harbour as Red Guardian, Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop, and Elizabeth Olsen as the Scarlet Witch. All four episodes became available on Disney+ on September 24, 2025.

Who Dies in Marvel Zombies – How & When They Get Killed / Zombified

Episode 1

Kate Bishop

The first episode of *Marvel Zombies* features a major loss: Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop. The four-part story starts with Kate, Riri Williams, and Kamala Khan – the *Young Avengers* – leaving Kate’s home to search for other survivors. They hope these survivors can help them understand a mysterious beacon they found in a wrecked SHIELD aircraft.

While traveling, they stumbled upon a fierce battle between a zombie version of Captain Marvel and Ikaris – the first fight between members of the Avengers and the Eternals – and found themselves right in the thick of it.

Kate made a risky decision to shoot an arrow at Captain Marvel, but it failed to harm her. In response, Captain Marvel fired a powerful energy beam that unfortunately killed Kate immediately.

Melina Vostokoff

Following her rescue by Blade (Moon Knight) from Captain Marvel and Ikaris, Kamala Khan found shelter in a bunker. This bunker was inhabited by former spies from the Red Room program, now led by Melina Vostokoff, Yelena Belova, and Red Guardian.

Scarlet Witch unexpectedly unleashed her forces on the Widows’ base, forcing Melena to make a selfless sacrifice to allow Kamala, Yelena, and the rest of the team to get away.

Episode 2

Wenwu

The story of *Marvel Zombies* began with a look back at how the zombie outbreak started in San Francisco, the home city of Shang-Chi and Katy. Wenwu and his Ten Rings organization attempted to rescue Shang-Chi, but were quickly overrun by the massive wave of zombies.

Wenwu witnessed Shang-Chi being bitten by a zombie, so he transferred the power of the Ten Rings to him hoping to save him. Unfortunately, Wenwu was then killed by the zombies, forcing Shang-Chi to leave him behind.

Some Skrulls

Five years have passed, and Shang-Chi, Katy, Jimmy Woo, and Death Dealer-along with a group of other mercenaries-are all working to build new lives and get by.

Shang-Chi and Katy faced off against some Skrulls attempting to steal their supplies. Using the power of the Ten Rings, they quickly overcame the shapeshifting aliens, defeating them instantly.

John Walker

In the Marvel Zombies storyline, John Walker works as a dedicated enforcer for Baron Zemo at the Raft, which has become a refuge for the few people who have survived.

When Zemo imprisoned Kamala, Shang-Chi, Yelena, Red Guardian, Katy, Death Dealer, and Jimmy Woo in the Raft, it inadvertently drew the Scarlet Witch’s attention. She responded by calling upon Namor to attack the prison, leading to numerous injuries and deaths.

While John tried to save his boss, Namor ended up killing him, much to Zemo’s horror.

Yelena

Kamala and Shang-Chi led the remaining survivors in a desperate attempt to escape the Raft, but Namor and his army of zombified Talokans were about to overpower them.

Still heartbroken over Melina’s death, Yelena took action to stop Namor and the Talokans, giving Kamala’s team the time they needed to get away.

I was absolutely gutted watching her pour that last drink – it felt like she’d given up. Then, seeing the Raft finally slip beneath the waves… it just sealed the deal, didn’t it? It pretty much confirmed what was going to happen to her, and it was heartbreaking.

Episode 3

Thanos (via flashback)

The third episode of *Marvel Zombies* has finally explained what happened after the ending of *What If…?* Season 1, Episode 5, where Spider-Man, Black Panther, and Ant-Man traveled to Wakanda to fight Thanos.

Even as a zombie, Thanos remained incredibly powerful, easily defeating Thor, Rocket, and Groot with a single blast fueled by the Power Stone. After devastating Wakanda and revealing its vibranium core, Thanos then engaged in a massive battle with T’Challa, still possessing the Mind Stone, utilizing the combined force of all five Infinity Stones.

Using his full strength, T’Challa forced Thanos into Wakanda’s core of molten rock, defeating him and saving the universe, at least for the time being.

Black Panther – T’Challa (via flashback)

In the third episode of *Marvel Zombies*, Black Panther made a final, selfless sacrifice by pushing Thanos into a pit of molten vibranium, ultimately leading to his own demise.

T’Challa accepted his fate and sacrificed himself to save the world. His final words, as Spider-Man noted, were a powerful declaration: “Wakanda Forever.”

Rocket (via flashback)

As a huge Marvel fan, I totally geeked out during Episode 3 of *Marvel Zombies*! It was awesome seeing Thor, Rocket, and Groot show up in Wakanda – it was a direct nod to that epic *Avengers: Infinity War* battle when they first arrived to fight Thanos. It felt like a really clever way to tie the two stories together.

The key difference is that Thanos quickly defeated them by using the Power Stone to kill Rocket, and the scene clearly showed Rocket’s skeleton to emphasize how definitively he died.

Groot (via flashback)

In Episode 3 of Marvel Zombies, Groot and Rocket were both killed by Zombie Thanos. They were hit directly by the overwhelming power of the Power Stone during his attack.

Death Dealer

After Wenwu passed away, Death Dealer surprisingly joined forces with Shang-Chi and his allies, and formed an unlikely friendship with Jimmy Woo.

Death Dealer tragically died in New Asgard after being attacked by one of the zombie-like Asgardians. He was overrun by the growing horde of zombies following Wanda Maximoff’s reveal that she was building an army from the Asgardian people.

Jimmy Woo

Witnessing Death Dealer’s death in *Marvel Zombies* devastated Jimmy, causing him to lose all hope. He was eventually overwhelmed by the Asgardian zombie horde and brutally killed in Episode 3.

Zemo

Zemo, a villain returning in the later phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, used his strategic mind to create a successful community within the floating prison known as the Raft. Unfortunately, that peace was shattered when Namor launched an attack from underwater.

Zemo unexpectedly teamed up with Shang-Chi and Kamala’s group of survivors. Sadly, he was killed during the attack by Asgardian zombies when one of them punched him fatally through the chest.

Red Guardian

Still grieving Yelena’s death, Red Guardian felt unable to go on, leading him to attend the feast offered by the Queen of Sokovia – who was secretly the Scarlet Witch, also known as the Queen of the Dead.

Red Guardian ate a significant amount of food Wanda had donated, but it turned out to be made from zombie remains. This caused Alexei to become a zombie himself, which deeply upset Kamala, as they’d grown close during their recent travels together.

Thor

I was shocked to learn what happened after the battle with zombie Thanos in Marvel Zombies! Apparently, Thor was so broken by the loss that he just gave up fighting and went into hiding, isolating himself in New Asgard. It’s really sad to think about how much that battle affected him.

Seeing Wanda’s shocking betrayal – and her transformation of all the Asgardians into zombies – was the final straw. It immediately roused him from his sleep, and he quickly stepped in to help Kamala and her team get away.

It was a tough battle, but ultimately, Thor couldn’t overcome the combined force of the Scarlet Witch and her zombie horde. He spent his last reserves of strength defending against the Queen of the Dead, but not before passing the torch to Kamala. It felt like a really poignant moment – almost exactly like when Tony Stark told Peter Parker he was an Avenger back in *Infinity War*. It was clear Kamala had earned her place, and it was a beautiful callback to that iconic scene.

Episode 4

Moon Knight/Blade

Okay, so picture this: it’s the absolute last fight for Earth. Everything comes down to a total brawl between the few heroes left and Scarlet Witch, who’s unleashed this terrifying zombie army. They’re desperately trying to protect the Hulk, because Wanda’s gone completely off the rails and wants to steal the power of the Infinity Stones for herself. It was seriously intense!

Okay, so this is wild. Apparently, Blade – yeah, *the* Blade, but he was filling in as Moon Knight at the time – actually died trying to save everyone from Zombie Thor. Seriously! Thor was going after the Hulk, who was all juiced up on Infinity Stone power, and Blade tried to intervene. Sadly, the Bifrost energy just…fried him instantly. It was a pretty shocking moment, honestly. A total loss for the heroes.

Rintrah

Rintrah, the team leader, attempted to stop Scarlet Witch, but her powerful army of Asgardian zombies overwhelmed him, and he was killed.

Sara Wolfe

I watched in horror as Sara Wolfe, our last hope, led the fight against the Queen of the Dead. It was a brave charge, but it ended tragically. A zombie version of Thor actually managed to activate the Bifrost and blasted Sara with it – she didn’t stand a chance. It happened so fast, and we lost her instantly.

London Master

Despite a valiant effort to protect the Hulk from the zombie horde, the London Master was overwhelmed. He and Sara were both immediately killed by Thor when he arrived during the final battle between the armies.

Shang-Chi

Even though Shang-Chi fought bravely, he became a zombie and died in the fourth episode of *Marvel Zombies*. He was bitten by Jimmy Woo, and unfortunately, the bite on his shoulder meant his rings couldn’t protect him.

Katy

In the fourth episode of *Marvel Zombies*, Shang-Chi’s friend Katy also became overwhelmed by the zombie attack. This left her to face the zombified Death Dealer on her own after Shang-Chi was infected and turned into a zombie.

Valkyrie

Valkyrie was killed in the fourth episode of *Marvel Zombies* when she was stabbed by zombie Okoye. Even though she was a skilled fighter, the battle ultimately proved too much for her.

Spider-Man

Despite surviving the events of *What If…?* Season 1, Episode 5, Spider-Man wasn’t so lucky in Episode 4. He bravely fought a massive Hank Pym, Janet van Dyne, and Hope van Dyne, but ultimately couldn’t win the battle.

The movie ends with Spider-Man seemingly about to be devoured by Hope, strongly suggesting he doesn’t survive.

Scott Lang

Paul Rudd returned as Scott Lang in *Marvel Zombies*, helping the last surviving heroes even though he only appeared as a head.

Scott narrowly avoided the zombies thanks to Doctor Strange’s levitating cloak, but he was ultimately defeated in the final battle by the overwhelming number of creatures. A particularly grim scene depicts him being dragged underground by zombie Asgardians, suggesting there was no way out this time.

Maybe: Hulk

Following Thanos’ defeat and after the Hulk gained the power of the Infinity Stones, Scarlet Witch saw him as a threat and sought to take that power for herself, believing she could use it to restore the world. Despite the heroes’ efforts to protect the Hulk, they were overwhelmed by a massive wave of zombies.

After a tough fight, the Hulk lost to Thor, which Wanda used as her opportunity to take his powers for her own evil plans. Although the Hulk was defeated, he might still be alive, as he’s incredibly powerful and hard to kill. Wanda could potentially use him as a hidden weapon later, or even as a key component-along with herself and Kamala-to harness the power of the Infinity Stones.

Maybe: Kamala Khan

The story of *Marvel Zombies* revolves around Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan. It began as a team-up with other young heroes like Riri Williams and Kate Bishop, but Kamala ultimately embarked on a solo mission: to contact the Nova Corps and request their aid in protecting Earth.

It turned out the Nova Corps had been watching Earth and had declared it off-limits. Because of this, Kamala gathered her group of unlikely allies and they made a plan to protect Hulk from Scarlet Witch’s zombie forces.

Kamala was defeated, but the Scarlet Witch saved her life by trapping her consciousness in a seemingly perfect, illusory reality.

Riri Williams, who appeared to be conscious, was attempting to convince herself that the reality she was experiencing wasn’t real, hoping it would bring her back to normal. However, Kamala seemed unable to find a way to escape her difficult situation.

2025-09-26 21:12