Disney+ - Marvel Zombies : Disney+ reinvents the MCU with its darkest animated series yet

By Mulder, 02 september 2025

There are moments in the Marvel Cinematic Universe when the studio dares to push beyond the comfort of its family-friendly formula, and Marvel Zombies is one of them. Announced during Disney+ Day in 2021 after the unexpected success of the “What If... Zombies?!” episode, the series represents the first Marvel Studios Animation project rated TV-MA, fully embracing gore, despair, and survival horror. Created by Zeb Wells and directed by Bryan Andrews, the show is not a throwaway spin-off but a continuation of a timeline where hope is fragile, the world is collapsing, and the most beloved heroes are either dead or grotesque monsters. With only four episodes, it is described by Bryan Andrews as a “mini-movie event,” promising intensity rather than endless serialization.

The series unfolds in the wreckage left by a virus that turned Earth’s mightiest heroes into flesh-eating predators. The survivors are not the icons one would expect but a motley crew of second-generation fighters, ordinary people elevated by extraordinary circumstances. The casting choices underline this shift: Iman Vellani’s Kamala Khan is positioned as the emotional anchor, the Frodo Baggins of this apocalyptic Middle-earth, while Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi, half-consumed by infection and kept alive through the mystical Ten Rings, personifies both tragedy and resilience. The presence of Paul Rudd as a disembodied but wisecracking Scott Lang adds dark humor, while Florence Pugh’s Yelena Belova and David Harbour’s Alexei Shostakov bring a bruised family dynamic to a world where blood ties mean little in the face of death. Even Elizabeth Olsen’s Wanda Maximoff returns in zombified form, chaos magic amplifying terror instead of hope.

Looking at the production background, Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, and Brad Winderbaum were quick to seize on the fans’ fascination with the “What If...?” episode that introduced the zombie plague. Instead of treating it as a one-off curiosity, they chose to build a narrative that could combine visceral horror with the emotional stakes that define the best Marvel arcs. The decision to retain the same cel-shaded animation style used in What If...?—handled again by Stellar Creative Lab—keeps visual continuity with the broader MCU multiverse. Production designer Paul Lasaine, who already proved his craft with Marvel’s previous animated endeavors, ensured that dystopian cities and blood-smeared landscapes carry a cinematic texture, evoking comparisons made by critics like Germain Lussier and Ray Flook to the barren savagery of Mad Max.

What makes Marvel Zombies particularly intriguing is how it straddles tone. Bryan Andrews insisted in interviews that this was never just “a zombie story” but a sweeping adventure layered with despair, humor, and fleeting hope. Profanity is sparing but effective, the violence unapologetically brutal yet narratively justified. The series’ TV-MA rating is not a gimmick; it signals Marvel Studios’ intent to acknowledge a maturing audience willing to confront darker worlds. The writers did not shy away from depicting iconic figures as terrifying enemies, with zombified versions of Steve Rogers, Clint Barton, Carol Danvers, and even Thanos embodying how power, once corrupted, is more horrifying than any ordinary monster.

From a cultural standpoint, the arrival of Marvel Zombies on September 24, 2025, marks a milestone for Marvel Animation. It is the sixteenth television series in the MCU, part of Phase Six, but unlike the others, it carries the weight of experimentation. When it was first conceived as a film, there was skepticism about whether a franchise so associated with blockbuster heroics could sustain the bleak tone of Robert Kirkman and Sean Phillips’ original comics. Yet Zeb Wells, already seasoned from She-Hulk: Attorney at Law and Deadpool & Wolverine, infused the scripts with enough heart and sardonic wit to prevent nihilism from overwhelming the narrative. The result, judging from early footage and reactions at conventions, feels like both a love letter to horror and a subversion of superhero storytelling.

The ensemble cast only deepens the promise. Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop, Tessa Thompson as Valkyrie, Randall Park as Jimmy Woo, Dominique Thorne as Ironheart, Wyatt Russell as U.S. Agent, and Todd Williams as Blade Knight contribute to a survivor lineup that blends humor, raw courage, and clashing philosophies. Meanwhile, Hudson Thames returns as Peter Parker, a role he has already made his own in Marvel’s animated corner, offering the classic mixture of guilt and responsibility that has always defined Spider-Man. The characters are not just fighting zombies; they are confronting the collapse of myth itself, each new battle stripping away the comfort of heroic certainty.

In its marketing run-up, Marvel Studios has leaned into the chaos, with the first official trailer released in early September 2025 emphasizing blood-soaked action and desperate camaraderie. At Disney’s upfront presentation in May and D23 the previous year, select attendees compared the footage to Mad Max, underscoring its relentless energy. The decision to move the release date forward from October 3 to September 24 felt symbolic, as though Marvel could not wait to unleash this darker chapter. Behind that eagerness lies confidence, a belief that audiences are ready for something riskier than quips and CGI battles.

Ultimately, Marvel Zombies is more than another Marvel show; it is a statement of intent. By daring to be unsettling, by pushing the animation division into uncharted territory, and by giving screen time to characters who are often sidelined in live-action, Marvel Studios Animation is signaling that the Multiverse saga is as much about reinvention as it is about expansion. For longtime fans, it will feel like the MCU taking a bloody detour into forbidden territory; for newcomers, it might be the rare Marvel project that thrills not because it connects dots, but because it makes you wonder who will survive the night.

Synopsis : 
Marvel Studios animated series that reinvents the Marvel universe by featuring a new generation of heroes fighting against a zombie invasion.

Marvel Zombies
Created by Zeb Wells
Based on Marvel Zombies by Robert Kirkman, Sean Phillips
Showrunner : Bryan Andrews
Written by Zeb Wells
Directed by Bryan Andrews
Starring  Awkwafina, David Harbour, Simu Liu, Elizabeth Olsen, Randall Park, Florence Pugh, Paul Rudd, Wyatt Russell, Hailee Steinfeld, Tessa Thompson, Dominique Thorne, Iman Vellani, Todd Williams
Executive producers : Kevin Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt, Zeb Wells, Bryan Andrews
Producers : Danielle Costa, Carrie Wassenaar
Production company : Marvel Studios Animation
Network : Disney+