The MCU Just Formed Another Major Team From the Comics (But They Won’t Be Around for Long)

September 26, 2025, 12:00pm

It’s never been more important to be part of a team in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. With the threat of Doctor Doom on the horizon, heroes from all over the multiverse are forming cliques, such as the Fantastic Four and X-Men. However, since the next big event film is called Avengers: Doomsday, they will take a back seat to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. The New Avengers are already in place, with Valentina Allegra de Fontaine announcing to the world that a group of former hired killers is taking the place of Tony Stark and Co. Of course, Sam Wilson is going to push back against the New Avengers, but he hasn’t put all of his cards on the table.

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The candidates for Captain America’s team are pretty obvious, since there are only a handful of Doomsday heroes without seats in the game of musical chairs. Sam needs to be careful, though, because one of his potential recruits is running around with a group that they’re all too familiar with from the comics. Fortunately, it will only be a fling because the team isn’t long for the MCU.

The MCU Has Finally Brought the Agents of Atlas Together

Believe it or not, the latest Marvel Studios project, Marvel Zombies, is actually a sequel, picking up right after the events of the What If…? episode “What If… Zombies?!” Instead of only focusing on the core group of characters from that tragic Season 1 episode, though, Marvel Zombies brings new figures into the fold, such as Kamala Khan, Blade, and Valkyrie. Shang-Chi also finds himself in the mix, and his arc is particularly interesting because it’s a lot different than the one in the movies. In Marvel Zombies‘ universe, Wenwu travels to San Francisco to save his son from the zombies and loses his life in the process. He gives the Ten Rings to Shang-Chi, who decides to use them to defend his new friends, Death Dealer and Jimmy Woo, as well as his old pal Katy.

For the next five years, Shang-Chi and his companions travel across the country in Mad Max-inspired vehicles, looking for a place to call home. While Katy and Death Dealer sticking with Shang-Chi for that long isn’t all that surprising, since they all appear in the same movie, Jimmy’s addition is something to make note of. In the comics, Jimmy puts together a team called the Agents of Atlas, and Shang-Chi becomes one of its most important members. Jimmy doesn’t give the Marvel Zombies group a name, but the implication is there. Unfortunately, based on their performance, it doesn’t seem like the Agents of Atlas will make the jump to live-action.

Marvel Zombies‘ Agents of Atlas Can’t Hold a Candle to the Avengers or X-Men

After reaching a safe zone in New Orleans, Shang-Chi and Co. align themselves with Kamala’s team, which is looking to reach New Asgard and send a signal into space. After escaping the Raft, they get their chance, but Scarlet Witch is waiting for them, and her undead army kills most of Shang-Chi’s friends. The leader of the group also doesn’t make it much longer because he meets his end during the final battle with Scarlet Witch when a zombie gets a hold of him. It’s not a great showing for the Agents of Atlas, who don’t have the firepower that the Avengers or X-Men do.

It’s possible the MCU could bring the Agents of Atlas together again in Shang-Chi 2, but it won’t be worth it. After all, Death Dealer is already dead, losing a battle with a Soul Eater in Ta Lo, and Katy doesn’t know how to use the Ten Rings on Earth-616, having only experience with a bow. All the heavy lifting would be left to the titular hero, who would be better off sticking with the Avengers and not biting off more than he can chew. There might be a point down the road that revisiting the Agents of Atlas makes sense, but as it stands, the MCU forming another team just because it can doesn’t make sense.

Marvel Zombies is streaming on Disney+.

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