Marvel Zombies has finally arrived on Disney+, and while not the glowing reaction of X-Men ’97, it certainly sounds like many are having a good time with the horror series despite some flaws. The latest effort from Marvel Animation is a spin-off of the What If…? episode that was inspired by the cult-favorite comic series that saw many Marvel heroes become zombies. The four-episode limited event series debuted on September 24, 2025, and marks the penultimate release in Marvel’s busy 2025 release schedule before Wonder Man rounds out the year in December. As of this writing, Marvel Zombies has a 67% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 18 reviews. Horror fans certainly are going to get their fill, as Bloody Disgusting’s Daniel Kurland said, “Marvel Zombies is four episodes of gonzo, out of control brain-chomping, limb-ripping, body-blasting carnage that turns Marvel’s standard superpowered theatrics into a disturbing dystopia that celebrates horror’s desire to disrupt.” Meanwhile, IGN’s Jesse Scedeen gave the series an 8/10 and noted that the series delivers an Avengers team-up that the MCU has been lacking, saying, “Marvel Zombies focuses heavily on the Phase 4 and 5 crew over the classic Avengers favorites. That allows the series to dig into these newer characters and play them off of one another in a very satisfying way.” Not all critics were won over. Rendy Jones for RobertEbert.com implied that, despite the TV-MA rating, the series still feels like a Marvel Cinematic Universe project, and not in a good way: “Marvel Zombies may be a light watch, but the lack of guts it had to take the MCU roster to new heights is squandered by tonal stale safeness disguised as freshness.” iO9’s Justin Carter said “At four 30-minute episodes, Marvel Zombies is digestible enough, but lacks a spark that’s been found in most of the studio’s prior offerings this year. It’s not quite a disaster, but if another story in this universe is to be told, it should try to be more than a bloody distraction.”
How ‘Marvel Zombies’ Compares to ‘X-Men 97’ and ‘What If…?’
Disney+
When compared to the other Marvel Animation titles released on Disney+, Marvel Zombies unfortunately has the lowest ranking. X-Men ’97 is easily the best, with a 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, while two other 2025 animated series, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man and Eyes of Wakanda, are ranked number two and three, respectively. All three seasons of What If…? rank higher than Marvel Zombies, even the much-criticized third and final season. Notably, Rotten Tomatoes does not have a rating for I Am Groot Season 2, as only three reviews have been logged on the site. See the full breakdown below:
Title
Rotten Tomatoes Score
X-Men ’97
99% (81 Reviews)
Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
97% (38 Reviews)
Eyes of Wakanda
92% (37 Reviews)
What If…? Season 1
89% (123 Reviews)
I Am Groot Season 1
89% (18 Reviews)
What If…? Season 2
88% (32 Reviews)
What If…? Season 3
80% (30 Reviews)
Marvel Zombies
67% (15 Reviews)
While Marvel Zombies might not be the lowest-ranking project the MCU has released in 2025, which at the moment still belongs to Captain America: Brave New World with 46% on Rotten Tomatoes, the reaction is certainly a step down from the momentum the shared universe had built up with Thunderbolts*, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, and Eyes of Wakanda. That said, Marvel Zombie embracing the horror genre and shock value of killing off many beloved MCU heroes might make the series critic-proof. Audiences looking for something to watch this Halloween might still gravitate towards Marvel Zombies and make it a streaming hit.
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