After years of shambling through development, Marvel’s undead superhero series Marvel Zombies finally has a concrete premiere date — and the House of Ideas isn’t taking itself too seriously with the show’s description. The highly anticipated TV-MA animated series will debut on Disney+ on October 3, 2025, just in time for Halloween season, according to Marvel’s 2025 Preview Kit distributed to media outlets.
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The official synopsis? Simply: “It’s ‘Marvel Zombies’!” — a refreshingly straightforward description that seems to playfully acknowledge the show’s self-evident premise, giving fans something to “chew” on, as it were. A new image was released for the series, as well, which you can see below.
The four-episode animated series, which was first unveiled during Disney+ Day in November 2021, has experienced its own share of radio silence, disappearing from several Marvel Studios convention presentations. However, the project, helmed by creators Zeb Wells and Bryan Andrews, has risen from the depths to secure its spot in Marvel’s 2025 streaming lineup.
An impressive roster of MCU veterans will lend their voices to the series, including Awkwafina, David Harbour, Simu Liu, Elizabeth Olsen, Randall Park, Florence Pugh, Hailee Steinfeld, Dominique Thorne, and Iman Vellani reprising their live-action roles. Todd Williams joins the ensemble as the vampire hunter Blade.
The series serves as a spiritual successor to the popular What If…Zombies?! episode from What If…?’s first season, which introduced the concept of a zombie-infested MCU. Vellani told The Direct last year that her character Kamala Khan (Ms. Marvel) will serve as the story’s central protagonist, describing her role as the “Frodo” of this apocalyptic tale.
The narrative picks up following the events of the What If…? episode, which concluded with survivors discovering a zombified Thanos wielding the Infinity Gauntlet in Wakanda. The series draws inspiration from the original Marvel Zombies comics, a five-issue limited series published from 2005 to 2006, written by The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman and illustrated by Sean Phillips, with cover art by Arthur Suydam.
Footage screened at Disney’s D23 event reportedly showcased the series’ darker tone, featuring Shang-Chi, Katy, and Wenwu attempting to escape from infected heroes. The clip highlighted Wenwu’s sacrifice as he used his ten rings to protect his son, illustrating the show’s balance between horror and superhero action.
The infected roster includes transformed versions of iconic characters such as Captain America, Hawkeye, Abomination, and Scarlet Witch. Meanwhile, survivors like Yelena Belova, Red Guardian, Death Dealer, and Jimmy Woo must navigate this horrifying alternate reality where a Quantum Realm virus has transformed Earth’s mightiest heroes into the undead.
With its mature rating and horror-focused approach, Marvel Zombies represents the studio’s first full-fledged venture into the horror genre, promising a unique blend of superhero spectacle and zombie survival horror. The brief episode count suggests a tightly packed narrative that won’t pull its punches when it comes to depicting this darker corner of the Marvel multiverse.
