Zombies 4: Dawn of the Vampires sees a new group of supernatural singers take center stage, but Addison and Zed are still our leading duo. But with a final twist at the end of the Disney movie, questions have now turned to whether Zed dies.
There are plenty of new movies to watch this month, from Superman to Jurassic World Rebirth. But if you’re a fan of High School Musical bops and teen drama, you’ll no doubt be most excited about the return of the Zombies franchise.
In Dawn of the Vampires, Zed (Milo Manheim), Addison (Meg Donnelly), Eliza (Kylee Russell), and Willa (Chandler Kinney) head out of Seabrook to embark on a road trip, only to find themselves slap bang in the middle of another monster rivalry: daywalkers vs vampires.
This paves the way for the introduction of daywalker Nova (Freya Skye) and vampire Victor (Malachi Barton), two potential new leads in the franchise. But does this mean Zed’s dead? Warning: spoilers ahead!
Does Zed die in Zombies 4?
Firstly, technically Zed’s been dead since the first movie – he’s a zombie, after all. But if you’re wondering if his character dies at the end of Zombies 4, the answer is no. However, it’s touch and go for a while.
You see, Zed, Addison, Willa, and Eliza work to unite the daywalkers and the vampires. Not only would they be happier, but their lives depend on it. Only by working together can they open the gate to an orchard of bloodfruit, which they need to survive.
Bloodfruit is created by a moonstone, which was separated into two pieces, causing their food source to dwindle. As a result, the roots of the bloodfruit begin to pulse, which impacts the monsters’ power sources, including werewolves, aliens, and, well, zombies.
As the situation continues to spiral, Zed falls ill, fearing that he’ll “zombie out” forever. Thankfully, they’re able to work together to unite the stones and restore the orchards – as well as Zed’s stability.
However, a number of viewers have been reacting to the scene in which Zed’s ill, leading some to believe he dies in the movie. One wrote, “My reaction to the end of Addison and Zed,” with a clip of them crying as the moment plays out.
In response, a follower said, “Are you serious right now? After everything he just dies?” Another asked, “They killed him?” A third simply wrote, “Zed died.”
Adding fuel to the fire is the closing song. ‘Together as One’ doesn’t have Zed star Milo Manheim singing on it – despite Addison’s Meg Donnelly on the credits.
This has raised alarm bells for some fans. TikToker @thaddybears shared a before and after of a screening, with him saying in the post-watch clip, “I was crying.”
The caption also says, “I was a wreck during the Zed and Addison scenes,” to which one viewer wrote, “Nooo don’t tell me Zed and Addison are gonna die.”
Another said, “I think Zed is gonna die, since he is NOT in the finale song.”
Just to reiterate, he definitely doesn’t die. It just looks like he might when his health deteriorates, but thankfully he makes a full recovery.
In the end, Zed and Addison decide to spend more time together, solidifying their love, while Nova and Victor seemingly confirm their feelings towards one another with a hug.
Zombies 4 has a final twist
But that’s not all. In a final twist, Nova and Victor’s hug is interrupted by a huge water tornado emerging from the nearby ocean.
It doesn’t kill anyone – Zed included – but it may just hint at where Zombies 5 will go next. While Disney is yet to confirm a fifth installment, it seems likely given the success of the first four.
And there’s been plenty of speculation that mermaids will be the next supernatural beings to make their debut in the franchise, with this final twist at the very least hinting at this direction.
Speaking to TVLine, Donnelly said, “I think there are a lot of ideas bubbling in case Zombies 5 is greenlit, but as the responses to Zombies 4 start coming out, that’s when those ideas will kind of come to life. You’ll have to wait a little bit.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t say what I’m about to say, but I think we just kind of throw a curveball at the end of every movie and then we figure it out,” Manheim added.
Even though Zed, Addison, Eliza, and Willa are still very much alive by the end of Zombies 4, the film sets up a series of new characters to take over now that the main cast are approaching their mid-20s.
Alongside Skye’s Nova and Barton’s Victor, Dawn of the Vampires introduces Ray (Julian Lerner), Vera (Swayam Bhatia), and Vargas (Mekonnen Knife). Plus, other than our awesome foursome, none of the characters from the previous Zombies entries return.
In a separate interview with Deadline, Donnelly spoke about “passing the torch” to a whole new generation. “It’s such a unique opportunity that we have to kind of help this new cast out, and it was awesome,” she said.
Manheim added, “I’m just grateful that our new cast is so amazing. We really lucked out with all of them. So this torch is in good hands.”
Even though they’re gearing up for a departure, that’s not to say we won’t be seeing Zed and Addison in a fifth installment – and for now, Zed’s very much alive (in the most undead way possible).
As a Smartphone Snob, I Recommend Grabbing One of These Huge Flagship Handset Deals Before Prime Day Ends