Marvel Zombies received a historically low Rotten Tomatoes score after its four-episode premiere on Disney+. The latest Phase 6 project from Marvel Animation continues the story that began in What If...? Season 1, Episode 5, where the Avengers were overwhelmed by a zombie virus from the Quantum Realm, leading to the apocalypse. At the center of Marvel Zombies is a new ragtag group of heroes/survivors led by Kamala Khan (Iman Vellani) and Shang-Chi (Simu Liu).
The first wave of social reactions from critics praised Marvel Zombies, but they have one gripe: the series' underdeveloped story. While the show had epic moments and memorable character interactions, some have pointed out that the story would have benefited from further development. The criticism appears to have impacted its Rotten Tomatoes score, which is unfortunate for Marvel Zombies.
Marvel Zombies debuted on Rotten Tomatoes to a 65% critics' score, making it the lowest-rated animated show in the MCU. This is historically low for the MCU because previous animated shows had at least an 80% critics' score.
Still, a redeeming factor is the fact that viewers loved Marvel Zombies because it earned an 84% audience score from the same outlet. If the series manages to keep its score at 65% and above, it would be saved from being branded as "Rotten" in the review aggregate site.
Rotten Tomatoes defines a project as “Rotten” when less than 60% of critics or audiences rate it positively, with projects over 60% marked as “Fresh.”
Among the animated shows, X-Men ‘97 is still at the top of the Marvel Animation hierarchy since it earned a 100% critics' score upon its debut, the highest score that a Marvel Studios production has ever achieved.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Season 1 sits at second since it currently has a 97% critics' score, while Eyes of Wakanda is in third spot with 92%.
The full list of MCU animated shows with their Rotten Tomatoes critics' scores can be seen below:
- X-Men '97 - 99%
- Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man - 97%
- Eyes of Wakanda - 92%
- I Am Groot Season 1 - 89%
- What If...? Season 1 - 89%
- What If...? Season 2 - 88%
- What If...? Season 3 - 80%
*I Am Groot Season 2 has no critics' score because it only had three reviews from critics.
Marvel Zombies is the MCU's fourth R-rated project, as it brings together a plethora of returning Marvel stars in its star-studded voice cast led by Iman Vellani, Florence Pugh, Paul Rudd, Simu Liu, Awkwafina, and David Harbour. All four episodes of Marvel Zombies premiered on Disney+ on September 24, 2025.
Why Marvel Zombies' Rotten Tomatoes Score Is Worrying
Marvel Zombies' underwhelming Rotten Tomatoes score raises concerns for Marvel Animation, as it falls significantly below the strong ratings of other Disney+ animated projects. While it had a unique premise and a strong cast of characters, this low score proves that the project's story remains supreme.
There is also a chance that the low score could be because of superhero fatigue, and it could be a cause for concern because Marvel Zombies already had a strong hook due to the combined elements of Marvel superheroes and a zombie plague.
It is unknown if this low critics' score would impact the chances of seeing a potential Season 2 for Marvel Zombies. Marvel Television's Brad Winderbaum previously addressed a possible continuation of Marvel Zombies, noting that it will only happen if people "watch this show."
"Please, like, people have got to subscribe to Disney+ and watch this show. If that happens, they will get more. And we are excited. We’re ready."
While it had the lowest score among MCU animated projects, there is reason to argue that Marvel Zombies is still a success in more ways than one, mainly due to the memorable character interactions and the fact that it took the risk in killing off many iconic heroes and villains due to its place in the larger Multiverse.
