Marvel Confirms Plans for Its Next R-Rated MCU Show

Marvel is on the R-rated train with no plans to stop anytime soon on Disney+.

By Richard Nebens Posted:
Marvel Zombies Iron Man, Marvel Studios logo

As Marvel dives more into R-rated content, an MCU director confirmed plans for an upcoming show to take that more mature route.

After bringing the franchise's introductory R-rated project, Echo, in January 2024, the adult rating will only continue to be utilized more often in the near future

Marvel Zombies will be the next addition to that cache of entries on Disney+ while the MCU's first-ever R-rated movie, Deadpool 3, looks to make noise for fans upon its July release.

Marvel Discusses Upcoming R-Rated MCU Show

What If Marvel Zombies poster
Marvel

Speaking with Marvel.com, Marvel Zombies director Bryan Andrews discussed his newest Disney+ project, specifically with it being confirmed to have an R-rating ahead of its release.

Bluntly noting that the show is rated TV-MA (the television equivalent of an R-rating), he described the series as "hardcore" and held nothing back in saying, "People die... and they die rough:"

"Well, it's going to be pretty awesome. I mean it's TV-MA, it's hardcore. People die. And they die rough. So, there's still some laughs to be found here and there. It's not completely all horrible."

Teasing "huge action" and "great emotion" along with plenty of drama, Andrews offered a small hint of what fans can expect to see from the new zombie-centric MCU outing:

"But, you know, we might prop you up with some laughs and some humor and some good times, and then and then we take stuff away. So, it's pretty brutal. There's huge action. There's great emotion. There's drama. There's all of it."

To close, he hyped up "a lot of honest surprises" that he hopes to keep secret for the time being, wanting viewers to go into the new entry as cold as possible:

"I can't wait for when people finally start to see or tease that stuff. But I just hope we don't give stuff away because I think there's a lot of honest surprises throughout. And I think people going in colder would be a lot better. They'll be beyond surprised when they see some of the crazy stuff we have planned for them."

[ Disney Plus' Marvel Zombies Show Gets Exciting Production Update from Star (Exclusive) ]

What Will Happen in R-Rated Marvel Zombies?

After Marvel first brought zombies to the forefront in Episode 5 of What If...? in 2021, the franchise will take a full dive into the deep end of the undead front with this new series.

Although it will be the shortest MCU series to date with only four episodes, some of the MCU's biggest characters will find themselves facing their own zombie apocalypse in what promises to be an intense story.

Over a dozen heroes are already confirmed for inclusion in this series, including Yelena Belova, Shang-Chi, and Ms. Marvel along with plenty of other faces from the Infinity Saga and Multiverse Saga.

And as the show looks to add to the new wave of R-rated entries flooding the MCU timeline, it will also add its own twist as the first animated series of that nature, opening new doors to other adult stories under the Marvel Studios umbrella.

It is currently unknown when Marvel Zombies will debut on Disney+.

- About The Author: Richard Nebens
Richard Nebens joined The Direct in March 2020, now serving as the site's Senior Writer and also working as an assistant editor and content creator. He started his journalism career as a hobby in 2019 and is passionate about sharing news and stories from the entertainment industry, especially comic book movies, comedy, and sci-fi. Richard looks to expand his knowledge about movies and TV every day, and he is eager to stay locked into the latest releases and breaking news at every opportunity.