The theory that the central characters of Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead zombie film are stuck in a time loop is exciting, but what Snyder has teased for the film's sequel—portals to other dimensions—is far more thrilling. The 2021 Netflix movie that follows Dave Bautista's Scott Ward leading an ensemble cast on a casino heist into a Las Vegas overrun by zombies has spawned a credible and long-standing Army of the Dead time loop theory which states the film involves its characters running through what is just the latest iteration of a mission they've run time and time again. While Zack Snyder has publicly lent credence to that theory, implying that it may have been part of his original master plan, he has also teased what the future holds in the sequel, Planet of the Dead.
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In an interview regarding Army of Thieves (the prequel movie that came out five months after Army of the Dead), Snyder was asked about where his zombie movie universe would go. He said (via Variety), "I think the time loops, portals, doorways to other realms, things of that nature, are very much in play. So all of those clues that Dieter gives us are very much part of how we continue to spiral out the Army of the Dead universe." This is an exciting tease, but not for the reason some might expect.
Zack Snyder's talk of portals in the Army of the Dead universe opens up the floodgates of possibility for the franchise. Snyder has also said his genre-breaking zombie films are "unprecedented" because they constitute "a cinematic universe where the cinematic part of it is front and center. The deconstruction of different genres is actually part of the way." Snyder has already shattered the standard zombie apocalypse survival film with his heist tale. Infinite possibilities open up for him now that he is opening doors to other realms.
Why Another Dimension Is Better Than A Time Loop For Army Of The Dead
If Snyder truly intends to make his zombie films for people who want to have fun with traditional genre definitions and deconstruct said genres, including portals in his next film is the way to go. If he only leans into time loops in Planet of the Dead, he risks limiting the story potential of the franchise. That story potential already includes the possibility of benevolent aliens in Army of the Dead. Snyder publicly speculated (via The Non-Prophet Podcast) that since his version of Area 51 includes "a mural that's like JFK shaking hands with an alien," the aliens in the Army of the Dead universe are not nefarious and may be key to saving humanity from the zombies. Portals could play a role in human-alien contact in future films whether those films depict the past or the future.
Army of the Dead: Lost Vegas, an animated prequel series spin-off of the film, is expected to show the origins of the zombie virus. Perhaps it will also explain the reverence Ludwig Dieter had for the Götterdämmerung, the casino safe which he referred to as "a doorway to another realm." There are an array of avenues that the sequel to Army of the Dead could tap into, but only time will tell where Zack Snyder's zombie portals will take audiences.