Though Marvel Animation’s Marvel Zombies wasn’t the studio’s highest-rated streaming series, the four-episode mini-event captured a massive audience. Ahead of its debut, streaming skipper Brad Winderbaum teased that while there were certainly more zombie tales to be told, viewership numbers would determine whether or not the studio would move forward.
During an appearance on the Escape Pod Podcast, Winderbaum revealed that he had seen the first animatic for the first episode of the new season, teasing that Season 2 will deliver on “an MCU thing that has really never happened before.”
While Season 1 of Marvel Zombies wasn’t perfect, it delivered some absolutely phenomenal fun, including “a truly all-time great zombie apocalypse moment that sits right there with 28 Days Later and World War Z.” And while the finale teed up a second season, Marvel’s streaming skipper, Brad Winderbaum, said that the studio would be looking at viewership numbers before unleashing a second season. It appears the studio likes what they discovered.
Frenetic, savage and gadgety-on-the-brink-of-gimmicky, Marvel Zombies ends up a bit less than the sum of its parts while still managing to deliver a sinewy supernatural survivor story.
Though Winderbaum made it clear that the new season has not been greenlit for production yet, the series generated significant hype, becoming a surprise hit for studio at the end of 2025 and all but ensuring more zombie stories would be told.
Though the Season 1 finale certainly seemed to tee up a very specific direction for a sophomore season, there are plenty of other tales to be told on the alternate Earth where the Dead Queen rules.
Though Marvel Animation’s Marvel Zombies wasn’t the studio’s highest-rated streaming series, the four-episode mini-event drew a lot of eyeballs. A report from The Direct claimed the series exceeded expectations and given that Marvel’s streaming skipper, Brad Winderbaum, said that the studio would be looking at viewership numbers before unleashing a second season of Marvel Zombies, it’s seemed likely that more zombies were on the way…and it sounds as though they are.
According to Marvel Studios insider Daniel Richtman, the powers that be have decided to move ahead with a second season of Marvel Zombies.
Frenetic, savage and gadgety-on-the-brink-of-gimmicky, Marvel Zombies ended up a bit less than the sum of its parts while still managing to deliver a sinewy supernatural survivor story.
After sitting out the summer convention circuit, Marvel Studios will have a presence in the Big Apple this weekend where Marvel Television and Marvel Animation will provide an update on their respective upcoming projects. Per the official NYCC website, Up Next From Marvel Television and Marvel Animation will take place on Saturday, October 11th at 1:30 PM EST and feature “special guests” who will give “a look behind the scenes at Marvel’s upcoming Disney+ shows from Marvel Television and Marvel Animation.” What can fans expect? What should they not expect? Let’s think it through.
Part of the rebranding was a signal to the general audience that we’re creating a lot of options, and you can follow your tastes within this brand. Some will be more comedic, some will be more dramatic, some will be animated, some will be live-action.
-Brad Winderbaum
With Marvel’s streaming boss, Brad Winderbaum, having recently said that the studio was looking at viewership numbers before unleashing a second season of Marvel Zombies, it’s very possible that announcement could come at NYCC. The TV-MA show has been a hit, all but ensuring a return to the world run by the Dead Queen.
Speaking of second seasons, fans should certainly expect release windows and perhaps first looks at X-Men ’97 Season 2 and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2, both expected to stream in 2026.
We will have a Spider-Man season every year if I have anything to say about it. What usually happens, as you know, in animation, is that there’s a bigger gap between Season 1 and Season 2 than in subsequent seasons, and that’ll be similar in Friendly. We will have to wait a little bit more than a year for Season 2, but then after that, it should come out on an annual cadence, hopefully.
-Brad Winderbaum
Given that animated projects are far easier to keep under wraps longer than live-action, it’s also possible that the studio could unveil a surprise on its 2026 streaming slate. With the success of X-Men ’97, fans have been hoping for Marvel to green light Spider-Man ’98 as a revival of Spider-Man: The Animated Series, though Winderbaum has done his best to temper expectations on that front. Still, animation holds incredible potential for Marvel, which is just only starting to be explored.
Marvel Television
More than any other of the studio’s divisions, Marvel Television has become a different entity since the Great Rebrand of 2024. As Winderbaum explained in a February interview with Screen Rant, the studio’s “priorities have shifted,” with the studio looking to produce “shows that can exist as annual releases, more like television.”
Unlike Daredevil: Born Again, the eight-episode Marvel Spotlight seriesWonder Man won’t be an annual release but it is a near-lock to be a major part of the NYCC panel. Very little is known about the project, which stars Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Sir Ben Kingsley and with it set to stream in December, fans should probably expect an updated logo to accompany a teaser trailer and a more defined release date. With its streaming debut 2-ish months away, the teaser may even be released online, allowing those not in attendance to catch a glimpse at what Winderbaum called “one of his favorite things ever.”
Another project shrouded in mystery, the Paul Bettany-led Vision series, will also likely be included in the presentation. After wrapping principal photography in the UK earlier this year, the studio should be up for sharing an official title, logo, artwork, release window and maybe a first look at some footage from the show, which is shaping up to be weird in all the best ways.
Marvel Television’s portion of the panel should also provide a logo, release window and synopsis for The Punisher Special Presentation that will serve as a bridge between Frank Castle’s last appearance in Daredevil: Born Again and his next appearance in Spider-Man: Brand New Day. The “shotgun blast of a story” was co-written by star Jon Bernthal and will be among the studio’s most highly-anticipated projects next year as it will likely feed the blood lust of the Netflixers.
Oh, no. It’s like a through line. It’s like, originally, we were thinking it’d be a movie, if like, “Ooh, we should release it as a movie.” We should just do a movie. But there were some things that came up, certain issues that we just had to kind of, “Oh let’s break it. We’ll have to break it up into four episodes.” So basically it’s like a four-episode mini-event, like a film broke up into four parts, basically. So yeah, it’s definitely… It’s one story. It’s one throughline. A lot of insanity happens.
–Marvel Zombies showrunner, Bryan Andrews
Like most of Marvel Animation’s projects, Marvel Zombies isn’t deeply integrated into the ongoing shared narrative of the MCU; however, it’s not entirely standalone either. And so to help ensure the absolute best viewing experience possible we present…The Ultimate List of What to Watch Before…Marvel Zombies!
Tier 1
If you’ve never seen a single second of any of Marvel Studios’ films or streaming series, Tier One projects should be considered the bare minimum to get yourself ready for Marvel Zombies. In this case, there can be only one…
What If…?, Season 1, Episode 5: “What If…Zombies?!”
It ties right in. It is the same universe. If you’ve never seen that episode of What If…? you do come at the universe from a different angle. So you could just watch the four episodes of Marvel Zombies coming in completely blind because it does tell its own story. But if you do know that episode of What If…? and what happens in it, it does connect entirely to that episode.
-Brad Winderbaum
Episode 5 of Marvel Studios’ first canonical animated streaming series What If…? featured one of the most widely marketed twists of the show: zombies! Dating back to the earliest teasers for the series, the image of zombie Cap haunted fans and was used to build hype for the series. While the episode wasn’t the strongest of the series, it did include arguably the most intense and disgusting “deaths” to date in the MCU and its unresolved plot set the table for Marvel Zombies. It’s an easy 30-minute watch that will create a more complete viewing experience; also, Marvel Television boss Brad Winderbaum said it connects directly to the new series.
When an outbreak of a mysterious quantum virus turns heroes and villains into zombies, the Earth’s mightiest aren’t prepared. A ragtag group of survivors, including Spider-Man, Winter Soldier, and Okoye, must join forces to find a cure and stop the spread of the zombie plague before it consumes the entire universe. As they travel to find a cure, they discover the insidious truth behind the plague and who is controlling it. With the fate of reality hanging in the balance, they must fight their way through hordes of undead heroes and stop the source of the outbreak.
Tier Two projects occupy an interesting place on The Ultimate Lists. While they’re never required viewing, they always offer something that can add to the viewing experience of the upcoming project. In this case, given that everything that occurs inMarvel Zombies takes place on an alternate timeline emerging from the events of Ant-Man and The Wasp, most Multiverse Saga projects are unnecessary to understand that story so far, though a host of Multiverse Saga characters play critical roles in the TV-MA event series.
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
🍅 92%
Despite taking place on Earth, MarvelZombies has a couple of surprising connections to James Gunn's first CBM...and neither of them are pleasant.
Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)
🍅 75%
While it's certain to rile up a segment of the MCU fandom, Wanda Maximoff is, once again, a villain in Marvel Zombies. Given the role she plays, checking out her first appearance isn't a bad choice.
Thor: Ragnarok (2017)
🍅 93%
Tessa Thompson confirmed by the studio to be back as the voice of Valkyrie but she's not the only reason to check out the highest-rated Thor movie as there's a very cool surprise in store related to New Asgard.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
🍅 85%
Given that Episode 5 of What If...? ended with the zombie Thanos tease and that character has been prominently featured in the marketing for Marvel Zombies, there's plenty of reason to check out Infinity War. Add in that the entire premise of Marvel Zombies spins out of this film, albeit on an alternate timeline, and you have no reason to leave this one off the list.
Ant-Man and The Wasp (2018)
🍅 87%
Hope van Dyne and Scott Lang played important roles in "What If...Zombies?!" and we know from that episode that San Francisco is the epicenter of the zombie apocalypse. Set more or less simultaneously with most of Infinity War, this one definitely adds some context.
The Falcon and The Winter Soldier (2021)
🍅 85%
What if...this show never happened? Because in the timeline established by "What If...Zombies?!", it would not have. That didn't stop the studio from inserting John Walker into Marvel Zombies...and he's not the only primary character from this stream series to make an appearance.
Black Widow (2021)
🍅 79%
It's no secret that Yelena and Red Guardian are central characters in Marvel Zombies and while they both recently appeared in Thunderbolts*, the zombie apocalypse prevented that team from ever assembling...so watch this.
Ms. Marvel (2022)
🍅 98%
Iman Vellani's Kamala Khan is the lead in Marvel Zombies, which allows her to showcase her powers in some interesying ways. Check out her introduction to the MCU in Ms. Marvel, one of Marvel Studios' finest streaming projects!
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2022)
🍅 84%
Riri Williams has a key role in Marvel Zombies and there's really more to it than meets the eye.
Hawkeye (2022)
🍅 92%
Both Hawkeyes make appearances in Marvel Zombies but with Clint already a zombie, don't expect a happy reunion...
Tier 3
For completists only, Tier 3 projects ensure everything in the project is given some context.
Eternals (2021)
🍅 47%
Yep! And it's not even Kingo this time...
About Marvel Zombies
After the Avengers are overtaken by a zombie plague, a desperate group of survivors discover the key to bringing an end to the super-powered undead, racing across a dystopian landscape and risking life and limb to save their world.
-Official synosis for What If...Zombies?! via Disney Plus
Created by Bryan Andrews and Zeb Wells, Marvel Zombies features the voices of Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Tessa Thompson, Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Hailee Steinfeld, Wyatt Russell, Randall Park, Iman Vellani, and Dominique Thorne, among others. The series is executive produced by Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt, Bryan Andrews, and Zeb Wells, and is produced by Danielle Costa and Carrie Wassenaar.
Spinning out of “What If…Zombies?!”, Marvel Zombies promises to bring more gratuitous violence to the Multiverse when the four-episode TV-MA mini-event streams on September 24th. Ahead of the premiere, Disney has released a chaotic new trailer showcasing a flashback to the day of the breakout in San Francisco, the return of Zombie Cap and another look at Spidey’s hellacious kill.
Spinning out of the gory good time that was episode 1.05 of What If…?, Marvel Animation’s Marvel Zombies, a four-episode TV-MA mini-event, is set to debut in D+ on September 24th. Along with a trailer for series, created by Bryan Andrews and Zeb Wells, Marvel rolled out a poster and a batch of stills along with a synopsis in a press release.
So, you survived the zombie apocalypse. Super. Now who’s going to stop the Avengers from feasting on your brains?
After the Avengers are overtaken by a zombie plague, a desperate group of survivors discover the key to bringing an end to the super-powered undead, racing across a dystopian landscape and risking life and limb to save their world.
Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Rudd, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, Tessa Thompson, Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Hailee Steinfeld, Wyatt Russell, Randall Park, Iman Vellani, Dominique Thorne and Others Lend Their Voices as the Undead Arrive September 24, Exclusively on Disney+.
Marvel Animation’s What If…? spinoff, Marvel Zombies, was recently given a new, earlier release date that will see it hit D+ well ahead of Spooky Season. The four-episode TV-MA mini-event was originally developed as a movie before being broken into four parts and according to director Bryan Andrews, it will deliver on its premise and unleash “a lot of insanity.” And now, thanks to an updated Disney press release, a new synopsis for the story has been revealed.
Spinning right out of the ending of “What If…Zombies?”, which saw Spider-Man, Black Panther and the head of Ant-Man travel to Wakanda where zombie Thanos awaits, the event series will introduce additional surviving heroes to the mix including Ms. Marvel, Kate Bishop, Shang-Chi and Yelena Belova. The new press release confirms that Paul Rudd will return to voice Scott Lang and that Wyatt Russell and Tessa Thompson also lent their voices to the project.
After the Avengers are overtaken by a zombie plague, a desperate group of survivors discover the key to bringing an end to the super-powered undead, racing across a dystopian landscape and risking life and limb to save their world.
-Official Synopsis for Marvel Zombies
Starring Awkwafina, David Harbour, Simu Liu, Elizabeth Olsen, Randall Park, Florence Pugh, Paul Rudd, Wyatt Russell, Hailee Steinfeld, Tessa Thompson, Dominique Thorne, Iman Vellani and Todd Williams, Marvel Zombies will debut on D+ on September 24th.
The animated series will feature a voice cast that includes Awkwafina, David Harbour, Simu Liu, Elizabeth Olsen, Randall Park, Florence Pugh, Hailee Steinfeld, Dominique Thorne, Iman Vellani reprising their respective MCU roles and Todd Williams as Blade.
With Bob Iger‘s return to the Disney throne came a mandate that the company’s largest production studios take a hard look at their project pipelines. During a May conference call with investors, the big boss made it clear that the studios were to scale back the number of streaming projects being developed and that the ones that did make their way to Disney Plus needed to be of the quality customers had come to expect, adding the mandate was “particularly true with Marvel.” Following a three-year run in which both theatrical and streaming projects failed to land with audiences, Iger pumped the brakes on the monster Multiverse Saga slate Marvel Studios One Above All, Kevin Feige, revealed at SDCC ’22 in which Phase 6 alone was comprised of 11 projects.
We’re slowly going to decrease volume and go to probably about two TV series a year instead of what had become four and reduce our film output from maybe four a year to two, or a maximum of three. And we’re working hard on what that path is.
Bob Iger
While there’s no reason to doubt that Iger fully intends to accomplish the plan he laid out in May, it would seem as though the decrease in volume will indeed be a slow process. With a backlog of projects, both animated and live-action, already in the can and ready to roll out, Marvel Studios has officially revealed its 2025 Disney Plus slate and it is one of its most ambitious yet with six series on the way next year.
January 29, 2025: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (Marvel Animation)
March 4, 2025: Daredevil: Born Again (Marvel Television)
June 24, 2025: Ironheart (Marvel Television)
August 6, 2025: Eyes of Wakanda (Marvel Animation)
October 2025: Marvel Zombies (Marvel Animation)
December 2025: Wonder Man (Marvel Television)
A leaked sizzle reel that was likely intended to launch online following the two-episode finale of Agatha All Along revealed both the slate and first looks at each of the projects.
The inclusion of Wonder Man on the 2025 slate opens up an intriguing, although perhaps too early, conversation about the studio’s 2026 plans. With the Paul Bettany-led untitled Vision series filming next year along with Season 2 of Daredevi: Born Again, it seems as though Marvel may have a surprise or two in store for fans.
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