Marvel Zombies won't make its Disney+ debut in October after all – here's why that's a good and bad thing

• Marvel Zombies has landed a new release date on Disney+
• The adult animated TV show will premiere in late September
• The What If...? season 1 spin-off was originally due out in early October

Spooky season will start earlier than expected on Disney+ this year after it was revealed Marvel's next TV show will premiere in late September.

Marvel Zombies, which continues the story told in What If...? season 1 episode 4, aka 'What If... Zombies!?', will make its bow on September 24. The news comes courtesy of Collider, who exclusively reported on the adult animated series' revised launch date.

Previously, the comic book giant had confirmed Marvel Zombies would be released on October 3. It's unclear why the R-rated production will come out seven days earlier than its initial launch date. However, considering Marvel's most recent animated offering – Eyes of Wakanda – saw its Disney+ release moved up three weeks from its original August 27 premiere, Zombies' revised release isn't a one-off.

Regardless, Marvel Zombies will be the penultimate Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) project that'll arrive in 2025. The only production yet to see the light of day is Wonder Man, aka the next live-action Marvel Phase 6 TV show. It's set to arrive sometime in December, and I'd expect an official release date and/or trailer to be unveiled at D23 Expo 2025, which takes place August 29-31, or at New York Comic-Con in mid-October.

Why is Marvel Zombies coming to Disney+ earlier than anticipated?

As I outlined above, no official reason has been given for Marvel Zombies' new launch date, but I have my theories on why it's been bumped up the studio's release schedule.

For one, it and Wonder Man are the final two MCU production of the year. It makes sense for Marvel to space them out, then, rather than release two projects in relative close proximity to the other. Marvel recently did so with The Fantastic Four: First Steps and Eyes of Wakanda – and, without being privy to data about the latter's performance on Disney+, I doubt viewership was as big as it could've been if fans went to watch First Steps instead.

Then there's the fact that First Steps will come to Disney+, aka one of the world's best streaming services, before the year is over. My Fantastic Four: First Steps on Disney+ article contains a November prediction for its at-home release date. However, if it ends up joining the streamer's back catalog in October instead, again, it would be unwise of Marvel to release two things on the same service within days or weeks of the other.

Zombies' earlier launch is great news, then, right? Not if you were hoping it would rise from the grave in time for Halloween because its original release date would've been perfect for its fright-filled narrative. Now that it's airing in late September, though, it loses some of that spooky season shine, especially as all four episodes will drop on the same date, rather than on a weekly basis.

There's an argument to be made that fans could just wait until October to watch it, but it's not the same as streaming a show as soon as it arrives, even more so if a program like Zombies is holiday-themed. It's not too late for Marvel to reverse course, but I think my pleas will fall on deaf ears.

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