The following article contains spoilers for What If…?’s fifth episode.
What If…? Is the perfect show to live out the dreams of many Marvel fans and this week’s zombie-themed apocalypse is no exception. With that in mind, it’s no surprise to see a lot of quality fanart surface, especially bigger Avengers like Captain America.
While What If…? Has already shown disgraced realities for the likes of Doctor Strange, by drawing inspiration from the Marvel Zombies storyline, written by Robert Kirkman (Walking Dead), the core premise escalates to a whole new level. Sure, it’s shocking to see Tony Stark, Doctor Strange, and Hawkeye turned into brain-eating zombies, but to witness an undead Steve Rogers go at it against his best friend Bucky just hits different.
Perhaps that’s what prompted Chilean artist Cesar Castillo (@elilusionista.cl) to imagine what zombie Cap would look like in full live-action glory trying to munch on his fellow Avengers. Part of the process to create this marvelous work can be seen on Castillo's twitch channel (theilusoman), where he goes into great detail to explain some of the steps behind a lot of his Marvel fan creations.
It’s clear this illusionist took Chris Evans’ debut in Captain America: The First Avenger as the base layer for his zombie Cap and with the level of dedication seen here it would be hard to imagine him getting picked up for official gigs at Marvel, just like the person behind that Mark Hamill deepfake. Castillo’s Instagram features similar renders for other What If…? Exclusives like Chadwick Boseman as Star-Lord or Rogers aboard the Iron Monger.
The Marvel Zombies comics are incredibly rare and short stories, which does raise the question of whether the characters featured in What If…?’s hilarious fifth episode will make it to whatever epic crossover the series has planned down the road. What If…?’s randomness element has so far helped the show stay fresh with newer takes each week, and with four episodes still to go it could be edging towards the awaited team up right after Party Thor makes his grand entrance.
Let’s not forget that the only rules are What If…? Has to adhere to are keeping its stories within the boundaries of the Infinity Saga, although it might be arguable that this week's WandaVision references may have bent that norm just a bit. In any case, it's unlikely this will be the last time audiences get to see Spider-Man in his new animated form.
Source: @elilusionista.cl|Instagram