While no one can say for sure whether the upcoming Fantastic Four movie will be good, the title “First Steps” suggests that significant thought and effort have gone into its production — something that often, though not always, translates into quality. “First Steps” resonates deeply with the Fantastic Four narrative. They were Marvel’s first superhero team — the pioneers who paved the way for groups like the Avengers and the X-Men. They were also Marvel’s first superhero family, taking the concept of family dynamics in superhero storytelling to an entirely new level. This film will mark their first official appearance in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, adding yet another “first” to their legacy.
But behind all those celebratory milestones lies a more macabre truth: the Marvel Zombies universe was also first introduced through the Fantastic Four. Indeed, the idea that a zombie apocalypse is nigh, and that even superheroes couldn’t escape it, has been a key element of the Marvel Zombies franchise. This concept kicked off way back in 2005 under the master of the walking dead himself, Robert Kirkman. However, before Kirkman’s direct involvement, the presence of zombies in the Marvel Universe was first revealed in Mark Millar and Greg Land’s Ultimate Fantastic Four (2004) #21-23. It was only after this that Kirkman stamped his particular brand of zombie gore onto the continuity with the follow-up standalone franchise.
The Fantastic Four Lie at the Heart of the Marvel Universe’s Zombie Apocalypse
In another “first step” for the Fantastic Four, Marvel has once again chosen its “First Family” to debut in the rebooted zombie storyline — Marvel Zombies: Red Band (2025). As the title suggests, this new series will launch under the recently revived Marvel Red Band imprint, returning the Marvel “zombiesphere” to the gorier, horror-driven storytelling that defined Kirkman’s early volumes of the original Marvel Zombies series. Marvel’s Red Band imprint was launched in 2001 to provide a space for more mature storytelling, featuring adult-oriented language, imagery, and themes. While Kirkman’s original run could have easily fit under the Red Band imprint back then, the franchise shifted toward a more traditional Marvel tone after his departure.
While the Fantastic Four’s history of firsts makes it the obvious choice to introduce a revamped zombie franchise once again, the manner of this introduction couldn’t be more different. In the Ultimate Fantastic Four version, Earth-1610’s Reed Richards is contacted by an alternate version of himself from the Earth-2149 reality. In that timeline, a zombie apocalypse has ravaged the Earth, claiming the lives of many, including that reality’s superheroes, such as the Fantastic Four. However, given the power of “zombified” superheroes, it was not difficult to find human flesh to consume. Eventually, that supply dwindled. Consequently, Earth-2149’s Reed, wanted to trick Earth-1610’s Reed into opening a portal between their universes — so the zombies could escape and devour a fresh, uninfected world.
With Red Band, the Fantastic Four are Set to Dive Deeper Into Zombie Lore
In Marvel Zombies: Red Band, the Fantastic Four are not victims of a zombie virus that originated elsewhere. Rather, in what is arguably the team’s most memorable “first,” they are the very cause of the virus’s infestation and spread on Earth. In other words, they are the “patient zeros” who contracted the zombie virus and initiated its global outbreak. Indeed, if the preview images of the first issue are any indication, their superpowers make them the perfect example of a modern virus “super spreader.” The fact that the Fantastic Four were chosen as the progenitors of the zombie apocalypse may be key to the direction Marvel intends to take the new Red Band universe.
As described, the plot closely mirrors the original introduction of the Fantastic Four in Fantastic Four #1 (1961). In that classic origin, Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben launch a rocket into space, are bombarded by cosmic rays, and subsequently gain their superpowers. In Marvel Zombies: Red Band, however, that familiar storyline is cleverly altered: the cosmic rays — or something else encountered during their spaceflight — also infect the team with a zombie virus, transforming them into the undead.
No One Does Zombies Like the Fantastic Four
The brilliance of this twist lies in its divergence from the familiar. While the Red Band Marvel Universe begins just like the original 1961 continuity, it quickly veers into uncharted territory with the Fantastic Four now not only reimagined as zombies, but also as the creators of an entirely new Marvel horror continuity. Indeed, A glimpse of this new altered horror reality appears on one of the variant covers for the upcoming first issue. It depicts the zombified Mr. Fantastic and the Thing biting the Hulk and Spider-Man. This suggests that they will be infected and that the spread of the virus across the Red Band universe has begun – no thanks to the “Zombie Four.”
Assuming the Marvel wants to both its Marvel Zombies franchise, and its Red Band imprint ongoing elements to the mighty Marvel way, then they could not have chosen a better team than its first family – the Fantastic Four – albeit an extreme horrified version of the classic quartet, to be its ambassadors. Their “First Family” credentials can now take a darker twist, as they are poised to become: the first zombified superhero family team to rewrite Marvel history as a blood-soaked nightmare. Indeed, if this undead version of the Fantastic Four can help set the stage for Marvel’s success in these darker, and more mature spaces, just as the original Fantastic Four anchored the company’s launch to prominence in the 1960s, then the potential impact could be massive.
What do you think of the Fantastic Four’s frightful transformation? Let us know in the comments.
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