Marvel Zombies' First Reviews Are Good, But Critics Have One Major Gripe

Marvel Zombies is largely a hit amongst critics, but those who reviewed the show early have some outstanding issues. Serving as a spin-off from the zombie-centric Season 1, Episode 5 of What If...?, Zombies will bring a horde of undead monsters into playhttps://images.thedirect.com/media/photos/zombit.png for a group of surviving Avengers to take down. Premiering at the end of September in a four-episode drop, the TV-MA-rated show will offer MCU fans a brutal new story unlike anything seen in the franchise's first 17 years of operation.

Critics and media members who saw all four episodes of Marvel Studios' Marvel Zombies ahead of its debut shared their first reactions on X. While the show earns praise for its gory visuals and spooky vibes, it is being notably criticized for its underdeveloped story and its "by-the-numbers" plot beats.

Nerds of Color's Michael J. Lee explained how the show "fails to deliver fresh ideas" outside of its visual wonders. The stakes did not feel grounded to him, and he criticized the voice acting for feeling "phoned in:"

"'Marvel Zombies' 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. I was left disengaged."

Critic Justin Carter enjoyed the "good action and brutal kills" but described the series as something that "exists for its own sake," coming off largely empty:

"Wasn't really a fan of 'Marvel Zombies.' It's got some good action and brutal kills, but it feels like it exists for its own sake. Second emptiest thing Marvel's put out this year, but for the spooky season, It'll Do, I guess?"

That Hashtag Show's Hunter Bolding celebrated Blade's inclusion in the series, as he provided "most of the cheer worthy moments." However, from a story perspective, Zombies was "a story that you've seen plenty of times before:"

"'Marvel Zombies' does not mess around. Blade is the true highlight, giving most of the cheer worthy moments. Tons of world-building, but a story that you’ve seen plenty of times before. It does stretch the TV-MA with violence, worth a watch for sure."

POC Culture enjoyed the "epic moments" that Marvel Zombies delivered, but also said that the "overall story would have benefited from further development." Specifically, the outlet wanted more than four episodes of story from the series, which is "NOT for the faint of heart:"

"There are some truly epic moments in 'Marvel Zombies,' but the overall story would have benefited from further development. As usual, I wish it was more than 4 episodes. We absolutely need more seasons. Hide your kids. This show is NOT for the faint of heart!"

Josh Barton of Barton Reviews commented on Zombies being a "blood-soaked and epic animation event" with gory violence from all of its heroes at every turn. On the negative side, he called the series "a little throwaway in places," but he also pointed out plenty of highly emotional moments that will have viewers hooked:

"'Marvel Zombies' 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."

The Direct's Tessa Smith had high praise for Marvel Zombies, saying it "has no business being as good as it is" while passionately asking for a second season:

"'Marvel Zombies' has no business being as good as it is. Completely captivating from start to finish, all four episodes fly by. While they definately push boundaries when it comes to blood & gore, it also knows when to slow things down and deliver heart. Sequel when?"

"Marvel Zombies is a thrill-ride for the ages," as described by Bam Smack Pow's Michael Patterson. Teasing that the show "pushes boundaries" the way nothing else in the MCU has, he also promises that fans will get plenty of violence and emotion throughout:

"'Marvel Zombies' is a thrill-ride for the ages. It pushes boundaries in a way no other MCU project has, while making the most of its horrifying premise. As violent as it promised and an emotional rollercoaster, it does its source material justice and has a lot of fun doing it."

Critic Zach Pope praised Zombies by calling it "a love letter to post apocalyptic horror," naming it a "perfect watch for the Halloween season" while pointing out Blade for being the star of the show:

"'Marvel Zombies' feels like a love letter to post apocalyptic horror, paying homage to the greats while injecting fresh, twisted ideas from the MCU that will have fans screaming. Its the perfect watch for the Halloween season And Blade (Moon Knight) steals the show. Ballsy ending."

Marvel Zombies is the third new release in Marvel Studios' Phase 6 and the first-ever R-rated animated TV series in MCU history. Starring Iman Vellani, Simu Liu, Florence Pugh, and more, Marvel Studios' biggest heroes are tasked with stopping a zombie apocalypse that has already taken many of their friends and family. Marvel Zombies will debut with a full four-episode drop on Wednesday, September 24.

Will Marvel Zombies Get a Season 2?

While Marvel Zombies did not earn perfect reviews, critics seemed to enjoy what came from the third new R-rated series to hit Disney+ in 2025. Giving the franchise its goriest and bloodiest animated project to date, Marvel fans are eager to see what this show can do in following entries like Deadpool & Wolverine and Daredevil: Born Again.

As of writing, there are no definitive plans to continue into a second season for Marvel Zombies. Being the shortest show in MCU history in terms of episode count, Marvel certainly has room to explore much more of this zombie-infested storyline, particularly with newer characters like Ms. Marvel leading the story.

While fans will see the entire story for Marvel Zombies in the coming days, the question will be whether Marvel wants to continue down this R-rated path on the animated side of things. Considering how successful the MCU's more mature releases have been thus far, however, the studio may have an easy decision as long as fans gravitate towards what is in store here.