The Watcher broke a new MCU record with his unexpected appearance in Marvel Zombies. The MCU's Uatu the Watcher has been a prominent character in Marvel Animation projects after What If...? pushed him to the forefront in its three-season run on Disney+. As the omnipotent being that oversees the many alternate realities, the Watcher's consistent appearances in MCU projects have maintained an air of mystery and unpredictability due to his ties to the wider Multiverse.
The Watcher's most recent appearance came in Eyes of Wakanda, marking the fifth time he showed up in an animated Disney+ project. Shortly after, Uatu set a new MCU record by appearing in Marvel Zombies, marking the Watcher's sixth Disney+ show appearance, the most of any MCU character.
The Watcher appeared in the opening minutes of Marvel Zombies Episode 3, but he can't seem to intervene because this reality's doomed fate appears to be set.
The brief yet impactful appearance of the Watcher in Episode 3 continues his role in What If...? Season 1, Episode 5, after he served as this reality's narrator in that installment.
The Watcher's appearance in Eyes of Wakanda was similar to how he showed up in Marvel Zombies. Uatu appeared in the early moments of Episode 4 while he observed Tafari and Kuda from the skies above Wakanda in the past.
The trend continued in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 1 finale as it showed the Watcher observing the titular web-slinger as he begins his heroic journey in New York.
The Watcher's silhouette also made a haunting presence in Episode 5 of X-Men '97, the same installment when the Sentinels attacked Genosha and where Gambit sacrificed himself.
While I Am Groot had a different and much shorter format, the Watcher still made his presence felt in Season 2 by appearing in the background as the Guardians of the Galaxy's ship flies through space.
Perhaps the most prominent appearance of the Watcher is his larger role in What If...?, where he intervened with some of the events that took place across the Multiverse. While his story ended in Season 3, it's clear that he still plays an important role in the grand scheme of the Multiverse.
It's clear that Marvel Studios wants fans to remember that the Watcher is here to stay, and he could even potentially show up again in live-action in the next two Avengers movies.
While the Watcher has the most appearances in Marvel Studios' Disney+ shows, there are other characters who are not too far behind.
After Marvel Zombies, Zemo, Rocket Raccon, Scarlet Witch, and Spider-Man are tied with four Disney+ appearances:
Zemo
- Falcon and Winter Soldier, X-Men 97, What If, Marvel Zombies
Spider-Man
- What If, YFNS, Marvel Zombies, X-Men 97,
Rocket
- What If, I Am Groot, Holiday Special, Marvel Zombies
Scarlet Witch
- WandaVision, What If, Marvel Zombies, X-Men 97
A plethora of MCU characters, like Kingpin and the Hulk, each have three Disney+ show appearances:
Kingpin
- Hawkeye, Echo, Daredevil: Born Again
Daredevil
- Echo, Daredevil: Born Again, X-Men 97
Ironheart
- What If, Marvel Zombies, Ironheart
Kate Bishop
- Hawkeye, What If, Marvel Zombies
Captain America
- What If, Marvel Zombies, X-Men 97
Iron Man
- What If, Marvel Zombies, X-Men 97
Hawkeye
- Hawkeye, What If, Marvel Zombies
Groot
- I Am Groot, Holiday Special, Marvel Zombies
Hulk
- She-Hulk, What If, Marvel Zombies
Agatha
- WandaVision, What If, Agatha All Along
Thor
- Loki, What If, Marvel Zombies
Marvel Zombies brings together a ragtag group of MCU heroes and villains forced to work together to survive the zombie apocalypse. The cast is headlined by Elizabeth Olsen, Iman Vellani, Simu Liu, Dominique Thorne, Hailee Steinfeld, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, and Awkwafina.
Will the Watcher Appear in Avengers: Doomsday?
Given that Avengers: Doomsday serves as the first part of the grand culmination of the Multiverse Saga, there is a strong chance that the Watcher could at least appear in some form to remind viewers that he is still indeed watching.
While it is unknown if he can intervene, Doctor Doom's evil plan to unleash chaos in the Multiverse could be the reason why the Watcher decides to show up and even the odds for the heroes.
What If...? Season 3 finale established that the Watcher has a team of his own, named the Exiles, that could swoop in in case the Multiverse is in danger. While Captain Carter seemingly perished in the ending, there is still a lot of firepower left for the Watcher's team since it still has Storm, Kahhori, and Byrdie.
The Watcher could easily tap the Exiles' services to help the Avengers, Fantastic Four, and the X-Men in their fight against Doctor Doom in Doomsday. However, given the massive power these heroes already have, it may be a
