The Dead Return: Marvel Zombies Becomes the MCU

For years, the Marvel Cinematic Universe was the home of PG-13 fun. Now it’s getting bloodier. At New York Comic-Con, Marvel Studios announced that Marvel Zombies is growing into a full TV-MA franchise on Disney+, and Halloween just became its holiday.

MCU Announcement

Detail	Info
Franchise	Marvel Zombies
Rating	TV-MA (the TV equivalent of R)
Platform	Disney+
Format	Three two-part specials, one per year
Release Window	Around Halloween 2027, 2028 and 2029
Studio	Marvel Animation
Announced At	New York Comic-Con

The New Specials

Marvel Animation will debut one two-part special each year around Halloween:

2027: Marvel Zombies: The Winter Soldier
2028: Marvel Zombies: Fist of Khonshu
2029: Marvel Zombies: The Last Guardian

The Guardians of the Galaxy-themed finale will “conclude” the franchise after eight years and just 11 episodes, 10 of which are TV-MA.

How the Zombie Virus Spread?

The idea began as a comic by Mark Millar in 2003, later expanded into a full run by The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman in 2005. Marvel Studios caught the bug in 2021 with What If…? Season 1, Episode 5, “What If… Zombies?!,” which stayed at TV-14 (September 8, 2021).

The spin-off series Marvel Zombies followed on September 24, 2025. It ran just four 30-minute episodes, which The Direct says set a record for the shortest runtime in the MCU. It also raised the rating to TV-MA, thanks to gore that’s intense for animation. Fans hoped for a direct Season 2, but Marvel chose these specials instead.

The Other R-Rated Marvel Franchises

Deadpool: Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) was Marvel Studios’ first R-rated movie and earned $1.34 billion.
Daredevil: Born Again: Following the Netflix original, it runs three seasons, and Disney+ is reportedly ending it in 2027.
The Punisher: Jon Bernthal’s character continues through The Punisher: One Last Kill, with more expected.
Bonus: Echo. Released in January 2024, it was the first TV-MA project from Marvel Studios.