Army of the Dead is finally hitting Netflix, and the movie is carried by a large ensemble. Seventeen years after making his feature directorial debut with 2004's Dawn of the Dead, Zack Snyder returns to the zombie genre with his latest movie, which marks his first production for Netflix. Army of the Dead began a limited theatrical run last weekend, with reactions praising the new spin the film puts on the zombie genre, with the movie also becoming the biggest theatrical release for a Netflix film.
Army of the Dead centers on a team of mercenaries hired to pull off a major heist in Las Vegas, with the added challenge of having to navigate the city's huge zombie population. A zombie outbreak began sometime before, with the city being sealed and the zombie population contained within. Making the heist even more challenging is a new, more intelligent breed of zombies named Alphas who now rule over the abandoned city.
The movie is also the first of an unrolling franchise, set to be continued in the upcoming prequel anime-style series Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas, for which several cast members will return to voice their respective characters. Additionally, another prequel centered on one character specifically is also on the way, titled Army of Thieves. With Army of the Dead as the curtain-raiser for the entire Armyverse, here's who makes up the cast of the movie.
Dave Bautista as Scott Ward
A pro-wrestler turned actor, Bautista leads Army of the Dead as Scott Ward, the leader of the mercenary team tasked with pulling off a daring heist in the zombie-infested city. Bautista is best known for his role as Drax the Destroyer in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and has also frequently portrayed formidable action movies villains, such as Mr. Hinx in the Bond movie Spectre, Tong Po in 2016's Kickboxer: Vengeance, and Owen Davidson in Master Z: Ip Man Legacy, and has appeared in other movies such as Blade Runner 2049, Stuber, and the upcoming remake of Dune. Bautista will also voice Scott Ward again for Lost Vegas.
Ella Purnell as Kate Ward
Ella Purnell portrays Scott Ward's idealistic daughter Kate, who accompanies her father's team into Las Vegas in order to rescue one of the refugees she's tasked with aiding outside of the city. Purnell's film credits include Never Let Me Go, Kick-Ass 2, Maleficent, and Churchill. She's also appeared on TV shows like Sweetbitter and Belgravia, and will provide the voice of Kate in Lost Vegas.
Omari Hardwick as Venderohe
Scott Ward's buzzsaw-wielding ally Vanderohe is played by Omari Hardwick, appearing during the zombie outbreak in the movie's opening and returning to help with the Los Vegas heist. Hardwick's past credits include Sgt. Marcus Williams in Kick-Ass, Chopshop Jay in the big-screen version of The A-Team, and Marquis in the 2020 horror movie Spell, with his television credits including Dark Blue and Being Mary Jane. Hardwick will also reprise the role of Vanderohe for Lost Vegas.
Ana de la Reguera as Maria Cruz
Army of the Dead sees Ward recruit another old friend to assist in the Vegas heist, Ana de la Reguera, played by Maria Cruz. Her previous credits include playing Josefina in Hidalgo: La historia jamás contada, along with roles in Cop Out, Cowboys & Aliens, and the TV series Power and Goliath. De la Reguera will also be seen as Adela in The Forever Purge and will return to voice Cruz in Lost Vegas.
Nora Arnezeder as Lily
Played by Nora Arnezeder and nicknamed "Coyote" in Army of the Dead, Lily leads expeditions into the zombie-filled city, with Ward recruiting her as the team's guide for the heist. Arnezeder came to prominence in her native France for her portrayal of Douce in the movie Fauborg 36, which also received an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song for "Loin de Paname," sung by Azenender. Her other credits include What the Day Owes the Night, Angelique, and the TV shows Mozart in the Jungle and Zoo.
Matthias Schweighöfer as Ludwig Dieter
Matthias Schweighöfer plays the comic relief of Army of the Dead as the team's safecracker, Ludwig Dieter. Schweighöfer's credits in the German film industry include Off Beat, Fata Morgana, Frau Ella, and the TV series You Are Wanted. Schweighöfer will also be seen again as Dieter in the upcoming Army of the Dead prequel movie Army of Thieves, which Schweighöfer also co-produced and directed.
Tig Notaro as Marianne Peters
Stand-up comedienne Tig Notaro portrays the team's sardonic helicopter pilot, Marianne Peters, with Notaro herself being a very late addition to the film. Chris D'Elia was originally cast in the film in the equivalent role, but after sexual misconduct allegations against D'Elia surfaced, he was removed from the film, with Snyder filming a series of reshoots with Notaro after principal photography and digitally inserting her into the movie. Notaro has previously appeared in such movies as Punching Henry, Dog Days, and Instant Family. Notaro has also appeared on shows such as The Sarah Silverman Program, One Mississippi, and Star Trek: Discovery, and will return as Peters for Lost Vegas.
Raul Castillo as Mikey Guzman
Another of Ward's allies recruited for the Vegas heist, Mikey Guzman is portrayed by Raul Castillo. Viewers have previously seen Castillo in movies like Special Correspondents, Permission, Little Fish, and Wrath of Man, with Castillo also playing the title character in the superhero movie El Chicano. Castillo has also appeared in TV shows such as Looking and Seven Seconds, and as Eduardo Flamingo in the Batman prequel series Gotham. Castillo is also a playwright and has appeared in stage productions like A Lifetime Burning, Jesus Hopped The A-Train, and The Way West.
Samantha Win as Chambers
Another of the mercenaries recruited for the heist, Chambers is played by stuntwoman turned actress Samantha Win. A former Canadian Wushu competitor, Win has done stunt work on movies like The King of Fighters, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, In Time, and Sucker Punch. Win also portrayed the Kryptonian Car-Vex in Man of Steel and the Amazon Euboea in Wonder Woman and Zack Snyder's Justice League. Win is best known for her portrayal of Kitana in the web series Mortal Kombat: Legacy, and she was also seen as Chun Li in the Chun Li vs Tifa episode of the web series Ultimate Fan Fights.
Supporting Characters
Hiroyuki Sanada as Bly Tanaka: The businessman who recruits Ward for the heist. Sanada has appeared in many Hong Kong and Western martial arts films, including Royal Warriors, The Last Samurai, and 47 Ronin, along with a brief appearance in Avengers: Endgame. Sanada was most recently seen as Scorpion in Mortal Kombat.
Garrett Dillahunt as Martin: Tanaka's associate who accompanies the team into Las Vegas. Dillahunt's credits include No Country For Old Men, Looper, 12 Years A Slave, and Braven, while he's also been seen in TV shows like Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Fear the Walking Dead as John Dorie.
Theo Rossi as Burt Cummings: A sadistic guard in the refugee camp outside of the city who also gets recruited into the heist. Rossi's films credits include Cloverfield, Lowriders, and Ghosts of War, while he also portrayed "Juice" Ortiz on Sons of Anarchy and Hernan "Shades" Alvarez on Luke Cage.
Huma Quareshi as Geeta: One of the refugees outside of the walls of the city and a single mother to two children. Qurashi has appeared in such Indian movies as Gangs of Wasseypur parts 1 and 2, Ek Thi Daayan, Dedh Ishqiya, and Dobaara: See Your Evil.
Sheila Awasthi as Angela: One of the kids of Geeta. Awasthi makes her film debut with Army of the Dead.
Sebastian Balchand as Adjit: The second kid of Geeta. Balchand makes his movie debut with Army of the Dead.
Michael Cassidy as Sergeant Kelly: Outside of Army of the Dead, Cassidy has also been seen in 2012's Argo and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice as Jimmy Olsen, along with the TV series Smallville as Grant Gabriel.
The Alpha Zombies
Richard Cetrone as Zeus: The King of the Alpha Zombies, Zeus is played by veteran stuntman Richard Cetrone. An accomplished martial artist, Cetrone has done stunt work on many action movies from The Scorpion King to Live Free or Die Hard, and is a frequent Snyder collaborator, doing stunts on Dawn of the Dead, 300, and Watchmen. Cetrone is probably best known as Ben Affleck's Batman stunt double on Batman v Superman, Suicide Squad, and Zack Snyder's Justice League.
Athena Perample as The Bride: The Queen of the Alphas, The Bride is portrayed by stuntwoman Athena Perample. Her past credits include Glee, Terminator: Dark Fate, and WandaVision.
Albert Valladeres as the Alpha General: The second-in-command to Zeus and The Bride, the Alpha General is played by stuntman Albert Valladeres. His credits include The Vampire Diaries, The Purge, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Batman v Superman, Zack Snyder's Justice League, and The Mandalorian.
