Zombieland 2: Double Tap introduces several new classifications of zombies, including one based on iconic animated TV character Homer Simpson. After 10 long years, 2019 saw Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson), Columbus (Jessie Eisenberg), Wichita (Emma Stone), and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) reunite for another round of zombie killing mayhem. Not that things went smoothly for the group, which spent a majority of the film splintered. Still, they reunited in force just in time for their biggest undead battle to date.
One of the biggest plot developments for Zombieland 2 was its reveal that the shambling undead had somehow managed to evolve over the past decade. Four distinct varieties of zombie have made themselves known. There’s Ninjas, fast-moving ghouls able to sneak up on prey, Hawkings, zombies intelligent enough to solve problems they encounter trying to feed on the living, and most prominently the nearly unstoppable T-800s, named after the primary Terminator model in the famous Arnold Schwarzenegger franchise.
In addition to those three kinds, the “base” level zombies are dubbed “Homers.” These zombies don’t pose much of a threat, and are inspired by everyone’s favorite cartoon dad, Homer J. Simpson.
Zombieland 2 Introduces “Homer” Zombies
Unlike the other three types, Homer zombies are much more likely to kill themselves than any human with a functioning brain. Much like their namesake, Homer Simpson, Homer zombies are overweight, slow, clumsy, and dumb, making them much more of a nuisance than a threat. In a fun Easter egg, the first Homer-type zombie seen onscreen actually looks like Homer, sporting the same stubble, hair (such as it is), white shirt and blue pants of The Simpsons’ family patriarch. It’s a fun preview of what a live-action Homer might actually look like, minus the whole “being a rotting corpse” part.
Zombieland 2’s Homer Zombies Are Actually Closer to Romero’s
Interestingly enough, despite them being treated as a joke in Zombieland 2, Double Tap‘s Homer zombies are actually much closer to the original vision of the undead by legendary director George Romero. Beginning with Night of the Living Dead, Romero’s zombies were slow, staggering, seemingly devoid of intelligence, and fairly easily avoided. What made them a threat was their sheer numbers, as once surrounded, they could easily overtake a target. It wasn’t until 2005’s Land of the Dead that Romero’s zombies began to evolve in any real way, although Day of the Dead‘s Bub did end up showing flashes of his old humanity as a result of mad scientist Dr. Logan’s experiments. When zombies first began running, most prominently in Zack Snyder’s remake of Dawn of the Dead, Romero expressed dismay. One assumes he’d feel the same about Zombieland 2‘s T-800s.
