The MCU's next Disney+ show, Marvel Zombies, will break a frustrating runtime record, but fans shouldn't be worried. In an age where streaming subscribers are increasingly fixated on runtimes as opposed to quality for the latest Marvel, DC, and Star Wars series, Marvel Zombies' latest record is bound to frustrate many. This comes after, just earlier this year, Disney+ surpassed runtime expectations with Daredevil: Born Again, but disappointed with Eyes of Wakanda, which totalled just over 2 hours.
As the MCU storyline heats up just over a year out from Avengers: Doomsday, Marvel Zombies is heading back to a familiar alternate Earth. The post-apocalyptic superhero world was first visited in 2021's What If...? before the spin-off was announced that year, to be inspired by Robert Kirkman's Marvel Comics run. While much of the storyline is shrouded in mystery, many familiar faces are returning to face off with a zombified ex-superhero across four TV-MA-rated episodes.
The runtimes for Disney+'s Marvel Zombies have been revealed, confirming that each of its four episodes will run for approximately 30 minutes. Between the series' animation standard runtimes and brief episode count, the post-apocalyptic Marvel romp will break the frustrating record for Marvel Studios' shortest Disney+ season (outside the I Am Groot shorts, as they don't amount to full TV episodes).
Ranging from 29 to 35 minutes, including credits, the four episodes total to just 125 minutes (2 hours, 5 minutes), which is roughly that of an average MCU movie:
- Episode 1 - 35 minutes
- Episode 2 - 31 minutes
- Episode 3 - 30 minutes
- Episode 4 - 29 minutes
Marvel Zombies matches this frustrating record with the MCU's latest Disney+ show, Eyes of Wakanda, which similarly totalled to 125 minutes across its four-episode run when it premiered in August.
By contrast, the MCU's longest Disney+ show is currently Daredevil: Born Again, with a runtime of 454 minutes (7 hours, 34 minutes) across its nine episodes.
There may be a very good reason for the movie-esque runtime, as the director behind the animated event, Bryan Andrews, confirmed the team were originally "thinking it'd be a movie" until "certain issues" prompted a switch to TV.
The full runtimes for every MCU Disney+ show, including credits, are below:
- WandaVision - 363 minutes (6 hours, 3 minutes)
- The Falcon and the Winter Soldier - 330 minutes (5 hours, 30 minutes)
- Loki - 302 minutes (5 hours, 2 minutes)
- What If...? Season 1 - 322 minutes (5 hours, 22 minutes)
- Hawkeye - 297 minutes (4 hours, 57 minutes)
- Moon Knight - 303 minutes (5 hours, 3 minutes)
- Ms. Marvel - 289 minutes (4 hours, 49 minutes)
- She-Hulk: Attorney at Law - 309 minutes (5 hours, 9 minutes)
- Secret Invasion - 272 minutes (4 hours, 32 minutes)
- Loki Season 2 - 313 minutes (5 hours, 13 minutes)
- What If...? Season 2 - 292 minutes (4 hours, 52 minutes)
- Echo - 215 minutes (3 hours, 35 minutes)
- X-Men '97 - 344 minutes (5 hours, 44 minutes)
- Agatha All Along - 379 minutes (6 hours, 19 minutes)
- What If...? Season 3 - 254 minutes (4 hours, 14 minutes)
- Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man - 317 minutes (5 hours, 17 minutes)
- Daredevil: Born Again - 454 minutes (7 hours, 34 minutes)
- Eyes of Wakanda - 125 minutes (2 hours, 5 minutes)
Unfortunately, runtime enthusiasts should temper expectations for the MCU's next live-action show, Wonder Man, too, as the Hollywood satire is expected to premiere in December with eight 30-minute episodes.
While this will make for another shorter Disney+ affair, fans should expect Daredevil: Born Again Season 2 episodes to run closer to an hour next year, with that information still under wraps for Vision Quest.
Fans Shouldn't Worry About Marvel Zombies' Runtime
Many will be disappointed to hear Marvel Zombies will run for just over two hours, particularly as its unique world and cast would benefit from a longer runtime. But, as it seems likely its story will be more movie-esque, broken into four chapters, it may not feel as jarringly brief as one would imagine.
While the series' creative team may have hoped to develop Marvel Zombies as a movie, Spider-Man's return in the 2025 release may have prohibited that. For the most part, Marvel Studios is only free to use the wall-crawler in animated TV projects, which may have prompted the story to be split into four parts.
While the series has been described as a "four-episode mini-event," it's unclear whether Marvel Zombies is being plotted as a limited one-off or with plans for future seasons in the post-apocalyptic world. Of course, even if the door is left open to a Season 2 renewal, that will hinge on reactions and viewership.
Regardless, there's no denying that many will be disappointed with Marvel Zombies running just over two hours, especially after The Fantastic Four: First Steps was only slightly shorter theatrically and earned backlash.
