What If…? Episode 5: 6 Biggest Questions About Marvel's Zombie Apocalypse

Warning: Contains Spoilers for Marvel’s What If…? episode 5.

Marvel’s What If…? episode 5 shows a world where the Earth and its mightiest heroes fall victim to a zombie virus, and it leaves a few big questions unanswered. The Marvel Zombies comic book arc has been a fan favorite since it first came out in 2005-2006, and it’s fun to see it brought to life through the animation of What If…? The Disney+ series keeps a lot of things the same as in the comics, but it also makes changes to the story to help it better fit into the MCU.

“What If…Zombies?!” takes place during the events of Avengers: Infinity War, but with an apocalyptic twist. Bruce Banner returns to Earth to warn Iron Man and the rest of the Avengers about Thanos, just as he does in the film, only to discover that the Earth’s population has been turned into mindless flesh-eaters – the result of a quantum brain virus contracted by Janet van Dyne in the Quantum Realm. Banner teams up with Bucky Barnes, Spider-Man, Okoye, Wasp, Happy Hogan, Kurt from the Ant-Man movies, and Sharon Carter to fight through the hordes and find a cure, which they ultimately end up finding in the Mind Stone.

Along the way, What If…? episode 5 asks big questions about the MCU’s heroes and what they're capable of, presenting fun new pairings and challenges that haven’t been seen in the franchise before. Old friends battle, backstories get fleshed out, and Marvel’s heroes are pushed to their limits in a deadly zombie wasteland. Here are the biggest unanswered questions from What If…? episode 5.

How Powerful Are The Marvel Zombies?

Like in the Marvel Zombies comics, the Avengers zombies of What If…? episode 5 retain any powers they possessed before being infected. Zombie Captain America is still incredibly strong and good with a shield, Zombie Scarlet Witch can still channel all of her fearsome magical powers, Zombie Hawkeye is still a master marksman, and so on. But are they all still as strong as they were before turning into flesh-eating ghouls? It’s unclear. Clearly, their cognitive functions are somewhat diminished, as they all seem primarily occupied with consuming the living, but their combat instincts appear to be largely unchanged, as shown by Wong’s ingenious use of portals while trying to eat Banner. The episode doesn’t go into that much detail on the actual capabilities of the zombies, but it seems safe to say that they’re not quite as powerful as they were before.

Could Bucky Really Beat Captain America In A Fight?

An image of Bucky Barnes staring out from above Captain America's shield.

Perhaps the most obvious evidence that Marvel’s zombies aren’t as strong as their non-infected counterparts is how easily Bucky manages to defeat Zombie Steve Rogers in What If…? episode 5. The fight goes back and forth for a little while, but it doesn’t last too long before Bucky gains the upper hand and quickly finishes off the infected Cap. Since the two characters were so evenly matched in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, it seems obvious that Bucky wins mainly because Zombie Captain America is just significantly weaker. But is that the only reason why?

By the time Infinity War happens, Bucky is much more in control of himself than he ever was in Winter Soldier. He was programmed to be the ultimate weapon by Hydra, but that doesn’t mean he was stronger while under their control. In fact, there’s a strong case to be made that Bucky (and his arm) became much more powerful after his time in Wakanda. So is it possible that Bucky could have beaten Steve at that point in the timeline, even if neither of them had been zombies?

What Happened To Uncle Ben In The MCU?

What If…? episode 5 finally mentions Peter Parker’s Uncle Ben – a hugely important character who has been entirely absent from the MCU up until this point. Given Uncle Ben’s importance to Spider-Man’s backstory, some fans have been frustrated that the franchise hasn’t paid any real tribute to the character. But in What If…? episode 5, Peter lists Uncle Ben while talking about all the people he’s lost in his life. It’s a touching moment, but it also opens up some more questions about the MCU’s version of Uncle Ben.

In the comics, Uncle Ben was shot and killed by a robber, giving Peter the motivation he needed to truly become Spider-Man. Clearly, something equally tragic happened in the What If…? universe, but it’s unknown exactly what went down. In the Tom Holland Spider-Man films, Uncle ben isn’t really alluded to. The MCU has shied away from most of Spider-Man’s classic origin story hooks because of the two film franchises that preceded them, which was a good decision at the time. But now that Uncle Ben’s been confirmed to exist and have died in the MCU, it may be time for Disney to shed a little more light on his actual fate.

Is Ant-Man An Avenger?

Ant-Man stands in a bathroom shower in Ant-Man.

During one of the more humorous moments of downtime in Marvel’s What If…? episode 5, Spider-Man makes a comment about all the Avengers being gone, prompting a response from Ant-Man that at least he’s still around. The scene is played for comedic value, with the punchline being Ant-Man’s questionable membership in the prestigious superhero squad. Technically, Scott Lang was made an Avenger in Captain America: Civil War when he was recruited to fight alongside Steve Rogers. He was also a key part of the Endgame team that healed the universe after Thanos’ Snap. But was Ant-Man ever truly an Avenger, or just an independent contractor who tagged along for a couple of missions? The MCU hasn’t really passed final judgment on that point.

Is Hulk Invincible?

At the very end of What If…? episode 5, Bruce Banner turns into the Incredible Hulk to hold off the zombie horde while the rest of the team escapes to Wakanda. Earlier, it’s shown that a zombie’s bite can’t penetrate Hulk’s tough skin, and even after he runs into a giant mass of the monsters, Hulk isn’t shown being defeated or infected. What If…? has previously shown that Hulk can indeed be killed via an internal attack on his organs, but is he truly invincible from the outside? “What If…Zombies?! cuts away before revealing his fate, but there’s a good chance that Hulk actually survived the attack.

Why Is Scarlet Witch So Strong?

Scarlet Witch has always been portrayed as one of the most powerful beings in the entire Marvel universe, and Marvel's What If…? episode 5 has added to her list of impressive accomplishments by making her the only known character capable of resisting the zombie cure. Presumably, this is because of her own magical powers, which may be able to keep the influence of the Mind Stone at bay. Another answer could be that because she was essentially created by the Mind Stone, she's already at that frequency and it has no effect on her. If Zombie Scarlet Witch can truly resist the power of an Infinity Stone, she may indeed be the most powerful character in the entire franchise. Her upcoming role in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness may confirm that theory.

Next: Why Marvel Zombies’ Vision Change Was Perfect

Marvel’s What If…? releases new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.