I remember the first time I cracked open Marvel Zombies comics back in '05—Kirkman's undead twist on Earth's Mightiest Heroes felt like a gut-punch to the shiny optimism of the MCU we know. Flesh-ripping Iron Man? Captain America's jaw dangling like a broken promise? It was horror's middle finger to heroism, and damn if it didn't stick. Fast-forward two decades, and here we are: Marvel Animation's four-episode binge on Disney+, birthed from that same fever dream, hitting screens September 24. But as the social media dam breaks—embargo lifted just yesterday—the verdict's trickling in like blood from a fresh bite. Not the unanimous cheers for X-Men '97‘s resurrection high, mind you. More like a hesitant shuffle: thrilled by the splatter, side-eyed by the stumble.
Let's be real—zombie stories thrive on that primal itch, the one where superpowers meet rot and ruin. Marvel Zombies leans hard into it, post-What If…? episode one, where a quantum mishap turns Avengers into shamblers. Our survivors? A ragtag crew racing a dystopian hellscape for a cure: Kamala Khan's wide-eyed hope clashing with Shang-Chi's blade-sharp cynicism, Yelena Belova's sarcasm slicing through the fog. Voices? Elizabeth Olsen's Wanda, all fractured menace; Paul Rudd's Ant-Man, shrinking from the horror; Florence Pugh's Yelena, biting as ever—joined by Simu Liu, Awkwafina, Hailee Steinfeld, Wyatt Russell, Randall Park, Iman Vellani, and Dominique Thorne. Created by Bryan Andrews and Zeb Wells, exec produced by Kevin Feige's machine (with Louis D'Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, and the rest), it's got pedigree. But pedigree doesn't always bite back.
X—formerly Twitter, that chaotic oracle of fan fervor—is where the pulse lives. Scrolling through the early drops, it's a mixed bag of viscera and sighs. Take POC Culture (@POCculture), who dove in headfirst: “It's full of epic carnage. It's creepy, gory & a bloody good time. #Marvel doesn't pull any punches & I love seeing characters like #KamalaKhan, #ShangChi & especially #Blade take center stage.” They followed up, though, with a caveat that echoes wider: “There are some truly epic moments… but the overall story would have benefited from further development. As usual, I wish it was more than 4 episodes.” Yeah—that four-episode cage feels tight, like a director's cut begging for runtime. It's TV-MA for a reason; the gore's unsparing, limbs flying in arcs that'd make Romero nod approvingly. But when the plot lurches—abstract stakes, MacGuffin hunts that feel more checklist than crescendo—well, the undead start to feel… familiar.
Josh Barton (@bartonreviews) captures that split-screen thrill: “#MarvelZombies is a blood-soaked and epic animation event that sees plenty of heroes both dish out and receive gory violence like there's no tomorrow. Seriously, some of the shit in this had me going crazy! It's a little throwaway in places but there's a number of emotionally charged moments throughout that will keep you invested.” “Going crazy”—I get it. That Blade (voiced with gravelly edge, channeling Mahershala Ali's ghost) carving through hordes? Moon Knight's chaotic flair in the mix? It's the kind of fan-service gore that scratches the itch for What If…? weirdness dialed to eleven. Yet, over at @IamMichaelJLee, the disengage hits harder: “#MarvelZombies fails to deliver fresh ideas beyond visual shock. The stakes feel abstract rather than emotionally grounded, boiling down to a tired ‘world ends if we don't deliver the MacGuffin.' Even the voice acting comes off phoned in.” Phoned in? Ouch. Olsen sells the witchy unraveling—terrifying, as @helloimjlaw notes, “Wanda is terrifying”—but yeah, some line reads flatline, like actors slumming it from live-action sets. Pacing drags too, echoes of What If…?‘s anthology hiccups, where ideas spark but fizzle before the credits.
And the animation? Hit-and-miss, per Josh Wilding (@Josh_Wilding): “#MarvelZombies is fine, but it never reaches the same heights as #XMen97 and #YFNSM. It's basically a #WhatIf…? four-parter with the same old issues. Hit-and-miss animation/ideas, actors clearly not used to VO performances, odd pacing. TV-MA zombie action is a blast, though!” Blast is right—the action pops, a ballet of brutality that earns its rating. Valkyrie's spear through a zombified Hulk? Shang-Chi fists meeting undead fury? It's Halloween catnip, dropping right as pumpkins carve. But compared to Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man‘s swing or X-Men '97‘s soul? This feels like the B-side track—fun, forgettable. Zach Pope (@popetheking) geeks out anyway: “#MarvelZombies feels like a love letter to post apocalyptic horror… Its the perfect watch for the Halloween season And Blade (Moon Knight) steals the show. Ballsy ending.” Ballsy ending—spoiler-free, it twists the knife, leaving you hungry. Or queasy.
Erik Swann (@SwannErik) tempers the hype: “While #MarvelZombies isn't essential MCU viewing, it's a mostly entertaining side story… The chosen assortment of main characters makes for a fun mix, and fans who are looking for a bit of gore should be satisfied.” Fun mix—Kate Bishop's quips amid the apocalypse, Jimmy Woo's everyman panic—grounds the chaos. Yet Aryan P (@aryanp_000) nails the half-measure: “I've seen all 4 episodes… and it's good, that's about it. The final episode feels like the perfect third act… but the band of characters is never A1 compelling but Kamala is a really interesting protagonist… The protagonists and story evolution is really fun but the series NEVER takes full advantage of the TV-MA rating.” Kamala as anchor—Vellani's earnestness shines, a beacon in the rot. But underutilized gore? That's the real zombie here, shambling potential.
While #MarvelZombies isn't essential MCU viewing, it's a mostly entertaining side story featuring a ragtag team fighting to survive the apocalypse. The chosen assortment of main characters makes for a fun mix, and fans who are looking for a bit of gore should be satisfied. pic.twitter.com/jrujOuVK4i
— Erik Swann (@SwannErik) September 23, 2025
What's On Disney Plus (@disneyplusnews) swings positive: “#MarvelZombies is easily one of my favourite #disneyplus shows in a while. If you loved the Zombies What If episode… you'll enjoy this show too. Lots of blood, guts and gore make this a refreshing multiverse adventure, but it won't be for everyone.” Refreshing—until it's not. Early reviews echo this schism; The Direct calls it “fairly positive” but flags that persistent “one issue” (pacing, natch). ComingSoon rounds up the “pretty mixed” first looks, gore winning hearts while story loses them. No Rotten Tomatoes aggregate yet—embargo's fresh—but the vibe? Solid B-movie thrills, not A-list apocalypse.
Behind the scenes, Andrews and Wells (fresh off The Amazing Spider-Man comics) aimed for that comic grit—Feige's oversight ensuring MCU ties without timeline tangles. Production quirks? Whispers of reshot voice sessions to amp the horror (unconfirmed, but the delivery variance screams it). And as Halloween looms, this lands like a cursed pumpkin spice: timely, tempting, but maybe too pulpy for purists. Ties into the broader Marvel Animation slate—second seasons for X-Men '97 and YFNSM brewing, but no more Eyes of Wakanda-style detours soon. For now, Marvel Zombies is the outlier, the bloody what-if that asks: What if heroes rot? And what if that's enough?
Check our MCU animation guide on Filmofilia for the full swing from What If…? to this undead detour. And for official deets, Marvel's site has the pulse.
Guts Over Glory
The TV-MA slaughter—zombie Hulk disembowelments, Scarlet Witch's chaos magic turned visceral—delivers the shocks What If…? only teased. Bloody catharsis for superhero fatigue.
Survivor Squad Sparks
Kamala, Shang-Chi, and Yelena form a mismatched crew that's equal parts heart and snark; Vellani's optimism cuts through the decay like a stretchy lifeline.
Pacing's Undead Drag
Four episodes fly in fights but crawl in setup—echoes of anthology blues, leaving emotional beats feeling half-chewed.
Voice Vibes Vary
Olsen terrifies, Rudd shrinks hilariously, but some reads land flat—live-action stars fumbling the booth's intimacy.
Halloween Hook, No Hype
Ballsy twists and Blade's blade-work make it seasonal binge bait, but don't expect X-Men '97‘s soul-stirring highs.
More, Please—Or Else
Fans crave expansion; this multiverse sidequest whets appetites but starves on depth. Sequel bait? Absolutely.
So, tomorrow—September 24—fire up Disney+. Let the undead Avengers chase you through the night. Me? I'll watch for the gore's poetry, the way it mirrors our own fraying heroism. But if it leaves you cold… well, that's the bite of it. What hits you hardest—the splatter or the sigh? Drop your take in the comments; let's dissect this corpse together.
