Zack Snyder says his 'Army of the Dead' zombie king is not a leftover monster from 'Dawn of the Dead'

• Warning: There are minor spoilers ahead for Zack Snyder's "Army of the Dead."
• Fans watching the new zombie film may wonder if Zeus is a leftover zombie from "Dawn of the Dead."
• Snyder confirmed to Insider he's not, adding that the origin story of "Army" is different.

Zack Snyder's zombie-heist movie "Army of the Dead," now in theaters, introduces a zombie king, Zeus, who escapes from a government transport in the Nevada desert before setting his sights on Las Vegas.

Zeus is patient zero of Snyder's new film, the first in a series of projects in his new zombie-verse at Netflix.

The film may leave you wondering whether or not there's a connection between "Army of the Dead" and Snyder's directorial debut, 2004's "Dawn of the Dead."

Specifically, you may wonder whether or not Zeus is a leftover zombie from "Dawn" who the government has been holding onto for years on end until his dramatic escape at the film's start, especially since the zombies appear to share a similar type of roar.

When asked just that, Snyder told Insider, "No. No, not at all."

"It's a completely different... the origin story and the entire thing is completely different," Snyder said of any comparisons or connections fans may have theorized about between "Dawn" and "Army."

Snyder told Insider we'll learn more about the origins of the "Army of the Dead" zombie apocalypse in the prequel movie, "Army of Thieves," which wrapped filming in December, and the film's animated prequel series, "Army of Thieves: Lost Vegas."

The latter will reunite a number of the original "Army of the Dead" cast, including Dave Bautista, Tig Notaro, and Omari Hardwick, while introducing Joe Manganiello and Vanessa Hudgens into the mix.

"When you see kind of what we're doing and when you look at the prequel and the animated series, you realize that it's really just its own world and that's fun," Snyder said.

According to the film's production notes, Zeus' backstory is depicted on the side of the Olympus casino where he and his zombie horde reside.

In addition to a prequel series and movie, Snyder teased that he and writer Shay Hatten have already considered potential sequels, saying what happens after "Army" is "just mind-boggling."

"Shay and I completely, we've already figured out where the movie, movies, could go if need be. But, you know, one day at a time, as they say," Snyder said.

"Army of the Dead" will stream on Netflix starting May 21.