| "What If... Zombies?!" | |
|---|---|
| What If...? episode | |
 Promotional poster | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 5 |
| Directed by | Bryan Andrews |
| Written by | Matthew Chauncey |
| Editing by | Graham Fisher |
| Original release date | September 8, 2021 |
| Running time | 31 minutes |
| Cast | |
| |
"What If... Zombies?!" is the fifth episode of the first season of the American animated television series What If...?, based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name. It explores what would happen if the events of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) and Avengers: Infinity War (2018) occurred differently, with members of the Avengers becoming zombies and initiating a worldwide zombie apocalypse, while a group of survivors search for a cure. The episode was written by story editor Matthew Chauncey and directed by Bryan Andrews.
Jeffrey Wright narrates the series as the Watcher, with this episode also starring the voices of Mark Ruffalo, Chadwick Boseman, Paul Bettany, Sebastian Stan, Evangeline Lilly, Paul Rudd, Jon Favreau, Danai Gurira, Emily VanCamp, David Dastmalchian, Hudson Thames, and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor. The series began development by September 2018, with Andrews joining soon after, and many actors expected to reprise their roles from the MCU films. Animation for the episode was provided by Squeeze, with Stephan Franck serving as head of animation. The episode drew inspiration from the Marvel Zombies comic series.
"What If... Zombies?!" was released on Disney+ on September 8, 2021. The episode received mixed reviews from critics, with differing views on its tone, writing and story logic, and voice acting. A four-episode animated series based on the reality of the episode, Marvel Zombies, is in development.