The review embargo for Marvel Zombies lifted when the show arrived on Disney+, and the latest Marvel Animation TV series is faring pretty well so far. While it's important to note that only 15 verdicts have been counted, the show currently sits at a "Fresh" 67% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The fan-generated Popcornmeter only has 50+ ratings, but Marvel Zombies sits at 85% on that, suggesting viewers have responded well to the What If...? spin-off/follow-up.
In io9's review, it's said that Marvel Zombies is "not quite a disaster, but if another story in this universe is to be told, it should try to be more than a bloody distraction." IGN adds, "Marvel Zombies may be formulaic at times, but the series succeeds by giving us exactly what the MCU hasn’t in recent years."
Discussing Film was less enthused and wrote, "Marvel Zombies introduces some fun character dynamics and awesome concepts in this undead corner of the multiverse, but it ends up being just another middling MCU show."
AV Club also published a negative verdict. "Even with the zombie apocalypse there to spice up their lives," the site explains, "Marvel’s newest heroes are less lively than the arm-munchers surrounding them."
That's countered by GamesRadar+. "While Marvel Zombies is coming at a weird time for the MCU, it's a pleasant enough diversion for horror fans, with some fun character surprises, bloody kills, and great action scenes."
So, it's a solid addition to the MCU that maybe doesn't quite manage to reach the same heights as X-Men '97 and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man (which are rated 99% and 97%, respectively).
With 67%, Marvel Zombies sits behind What If...? season 3 as Marvel Animation's lowest-rated TV series. It's nowhere near "Rotten" territory, of course, and a second season is going to hinge on how many viewers decide to tune into the show.
We broke down the ending of Marvel Zombies here and took a deep dive into every character death in a feature published earlier today.
In Marvel Zombies, after the Avengers are overtaken by a zombie plague, a desperate group of survivors discovers the key to bringing an end to the super-powered undead, racing across a dystopian landscape and risking life and limb to save their world.
The series will feature the voices of Elizabeth Olsen (Scarlet Witch), Paul Rudd (Ant-Man), Florence Pugh (Yelena Belova), David Harbour (Red Guardian), Tessa Thompson (Valkyrie), Simu Liu (Shang-Chi), Awkwafina (Katy), Hailee Steinfeld (Kate Bishop), Wyatt Russell (U.S. Agent), Randall Park (Jimmy Woo), Iman Vellani (Ms. Marvel) and Dominique Thorne (Ironheart), among others.
Marvel Zombies was created by Bryan Andrews and Zeb Wells. The series is executive produced by Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Brad Winderbaum, Dana Vasquez-Eberhardt, Bryan Andrews and Zeb Wells, and is produced by Danielle Costa and Carrie Wassenaar.
Run, lurch, but definitely don’t walk to Disney+ on September 24 to catch the four-episode Marvel Zombies.