Marvel Zombies (miniseries)

Marvel Zombies is an upcoming American animated television miniseries created by Zeb Wells for the streaming service Disney+, based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name. It is intended to be the 16th television series in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) from Marvel Studios and is produced by Marvel Studios Animation. The series is set in the alternate timeline introduced in the "What If... Zombies?!" (2021) episode of the animated series What If...? (2021–2024). Continuing from that episode, Marvel Zombies follows a group of survivors who fight against former heroes and villains that have been turned into zombies. Bryan Andrews served as showrunner and director, with Wells as head writer.
The series features an ensemble cast including Awkwafina, David Harbour, Simu Liu, Elizabeth Olsen, Randall Park, Florence Pugh, Hailee Steinfeld, Dominique Thorne, and Iman Vellani, reprising their roles from previous MCU media, alongside Todd Williams. Marvel Studios was developing several animated series in addition to What If...? by June 2021, including a spin-off based on "What If... Zombies?!" which was announced in November. Wells and Andrews were both involved by then. The series features the same animation style as What If...?, with Stellar Creative Lab returning from that series to provide the animation. It will be Marvel Studios Animation's first series to be rated TV-MA.
Marvel Zombies is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on October 3, 2025, and will consist of four episodes. It will be part of Phase Six of the MCU.
Marvel Zombies is set in the alternate timeline introduced in the What If...? episode "What If... Zombies?!" (2021), and follows a group of survivors who fight against former heroes and villains that have been turned into zombies.
Additionally, Hudson Thames reprises his role as Peter Parker / Spider-Man from previous MCU media. Other characters confirmed to be appearing in the series include survivors Death Dealer, Blade / Moon Knight, and Xu Wenwu, as well as zombies Clint Barton / Hawkeye, Steve Rogers / Captain America, Emil Blonsky / Abomination, Ava Starr / Ghost, Carol Danvers / Captain Marvel, Ikaris, and Okoye.
By June 2021, Marvel Studios Animation was developing a slate of at least three more series in addition to their Disney+ series What If...? (2021–2024). The next month, these were said to be in various stages of development and were not expected to debut until at least 2023. A Marvel Zombies animated series was announced during a Disney+ Day event in November 2021, based on the Marvel Comics series of the same name. Bryan Andrews returned as director from What If...? and also served as showrunner, with Zeb Wells—a writer for the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) series She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022) and the film The Marvels (2023)—set as head writer and executive producer. The series is a continuation of the zombie-infested alternate timeline that was introduced in the What If...? episode "What If... Zombies?!" (2021). Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige and animation head Brad Winderbaum enjoyed that episode so much that they suggested the story be continued, and development began after a positive fan response to the episode.
Andrews called the series' four episodes a "mini-movie event". Marvel Studios' Feige, Louis D'Esposito, Winderbaum, and Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt served as executive producers alongside Wells and Andrews, with Danielle Costa and Carrie Wassenaar as producers. During Marvel Studios Animation's panel at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con, Marvel Zombies and the other projects discussed were introduced as being part of the "Marvel Animated Multiverse". Also at the panel, Marvel Zombies was announced to be the studio's first animated series to be rated TV-MA so it could feature all the "gore and splatter you want from a zombie show".
Wells wrote the series' teleplays, based on stories he conceived with Andrews. Winderbaum called the series "pretty intense" and compared the level of violence to the Marvel Zombies comics. Andrews noted that the TV-MA rating meant they "don't have to pull punches. We can be a little bit more hardcore." He said the series has humor mixed in with the action, violence, drama, and emotion, and added, "It's not just a zombie story, it's a sweeping adventure—one with themes of hope and despair, and that's what you want from a rich zombie story."
In November 2023, Iman Vellani said she was reprising her MCU role as Kamala Khan / Ms. Marvel in the series; she had already completed her voice work by then. In November 2024, several other actors were revealed to be reprising their MCU roles in the series: Awkwafina as Katy, David Harbour as Alexei Shostakov / Red Guardian, Simu Liu as Xu Shang-Chi, Elizabeth Olsen as Wanda Maximoff / Scarlet Witch, Randall Park as Jimmy Woo, Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova, Hailee Steinfeld as Kate Bishop, and Dominique Thorne as Riri Williams / Ironheart. Todd Williams was also part of the cast. In February 2025, Winderbaum said Hudson Thames—who voiced Peter Parker / Spider-Man in "What If... Zombies?!" and went on to voice the character in the Disney+ animated series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (2025–present)—would also be reprising his role in the series.
The series features the same cel-shaded animation style as What If...?, with character likenesses based on the actors from the films. The animation is "2.5D", with 3D models rendered with 2D lighting to appear like flat drawings. Animation was provided by Stellar Creative Lab, one of the studios that worked on What If...?.
The series was discussed during Marvel Studios Animation's panel at the 2022 San Diego Comic-Con, when artwork of the characters was revealed. Andrews and Winderbaum promoted the series during Marvel Studios Animation's panel at the D23 convention in August 2024, where footage was shown. More footage from the series was included in a video that was released by Disney+ in October, announcing the release schedule for Marvel Television and Marvel Animation projects through the end of 2025.
Marvel Zombies is scheduled to premiere on Disney+ on October 3, 2025, and will consist of four episodes. In July 2022, the series had been expected to debut in 2024. In January 2024, Andrews said he was unsure when the series would be released, revealing that the release date had been continually shifting, and the series was undated at that time. Marvel Studios Animation's panel at D23 in August 2024 covered series, including Marvel Zombies, that were intended for release over the following 12 to 18 months, though it was specifically stated that Marvel Zombies would not be released "for a while"; its October 2025 release month was announced that October. The series will be part of Phase Six of the MCU.