Marvel Studios is expanding its R-rated content in a major way in the coming years with its fourth adult franchise. Throughout the MCU’s entire 23-movie Infinity Saga, Marvel Studios remained steadfast in its commitment to PG-13 storytelling. That has all changed in the Multiverse Saga, in which the usual family-friendly superhero chaos has been expanded to also include R-rated and TV-MA content for adults, filled with blood, guts, and strong language.
Amid the sea of exciting news from Marvel Studios at New York Comic-Con, the home of the MCU announced that Marvel Zombiesis expanding into an entire TV-MA (the television equivalent of R-rated) franchise on Disney+. The MCU’s alternate-reality undead spin-off has produced five episodes across two Disney+ shows in the last 5 years, but that is set to more than double in the coming years. Marvel Zombies‘ expansion will create the MCU’s fourth R-rated franchise.
The concept was created by Mark Millar in 2003 and later expanded into an entire comic run by Robert Kirkman, creator ofThe Walking Dead, in 2005. Marvel Studios caught the zombie virus in 2021 with What If…?Season 1, Episode 5, “What If… Zombies?!,” which only went as far as TV-14 but left the door open to more stories in the future, although fans waited a while for the sequel.
While Marvel Zombieswas announced just months after What If…?, it took until September 2025 for the spin-off series to premiere, and when it did, it did so with just four 30-minute episodes, resulting in a record-breaking runtime for the MCU. But there was an upside for fans, as Marvel Zombiesstepped up What If…?‘s TV-14 age rating to TV-MA, largely due to its intensely gory nature for animation.
Despite prior hopes for a direct Season 2 continuation, Marvel Zombiesis expanding into a whole R-rated Disney+ franchise instead.Marvel Animation will debut three two-part specials annually around Halloween in 2027, 2028, and 2029, starting with Marvel Zombies: The Winter Soldier, continuing with Marvel Zombies: Fist of Khonshu, and ending with Marvel Zombies: The Last Guardian.
The Guardians of the Galaxy-themed special will “conclude”the Marvel Zombiesfranchise and storyline after 8 years and just 11 episodes (10 of which are TV-MA):
- What If…?Season 1, Episode 5 – September 8, 2021
- Marvel Zombies– September 24, 2025
- Marvel Zombies: The Winter Soldier– Halloween 2027
- Marvel Zombies: Fist of Khonshu– Halloween 2028
- Marvel Zombies: The Last Guardian– Halloween 2029
Marvel Studios’ 4 Other R-Rated Movie & TV Franchises
Deadpool
The Deadpool franchise is a little complicated, as while all three movies are R-rated, only the latest, Deadpool & Wolverine, was a product of Marvel Studios. The prior Ryan Reynolds-led entries were produced by 20th Century Fox in 2016 and 2018, taking place within some version of their complicated X-Men timeline.
2024’s Deadpool & Wolverinewas the first R-rated movie from Marvel Studios, and it did so to a record-breaking $1.34 billion box office, paving the way for more adult content from the MCU going forward. The franchise is expected to expand with a sequel in Phase 7 or beyond, but Deadpool may step back from the spotlight.
Daredevil: Born Again
Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock launched Marvel’s Netflix era in 2015 with Daredevil, a gritty TV-MA-rated project for adults that was, at the time, extremely out of character for the entirely PG-13 MCU. Marvel Studios has later revived the Man Without Fear’s MCU franchise with three seasons of Daredevil: Born Again.
Sadly, Disney+ is officially ending Daredevil: Born Againin 2027 after three seasons, matching the tenure of the original Netflix show, leaving the franchise with six seasons and 64 episodes of TV-MA Daredevil goodness.
The Punisher
Jon Bernthal’s Punisher entered the MCU as a supporting character in DaredevilSeason 2, but has since become a leading man through Netflix’s The Punisherand, more recently, Disney+’s The Punisher: One Last Kill, all of which are TV-MA.
Following Frank Castle’s breakout PG-13 debut in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, many expect the Punisher’s R-rated solo franchise to keep expanding. It’s unclear whether that would be through another Special Presentation, a Disney+ revival series, or, perhaps, the character’s first Marvel Studios solo movie.
BONUS: The Defenders Saga
Both The Punisherand Daredevilfranchises are also part of a larger banner within the MCU, officially known as the Defenders Saga. The story began with 13 seasons of TV-MA content from Netflix and Marvel Television from 2015 to 2019, spanning Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, The Defenders, and The Punisher, until the streamer called it quits with all six projects.
The Defenders Saga has since relocated to Disney+ and Marvel Studios, which have resumed its expansion with Daredevil: Born Again, Echo, The Punisher: One Last Kill, and, to a lesser extent, Hawkeyeand Spider-Man: Brand New Day. Most fans expect the Defenders franchise to live on, with more spin-offs and sequels rising from the ashes of Born Again inyears to come.
BONUS: Echo
Echo marked a historic moment for the MCU in January 2024, as, despite being one of the franchise’s least-watched and worst-received projects, it was the first TV-MA or R-rated project to come out of Marvel Studios.
While the five-episode limited series is a standalone entry, it is also somewhat part of a franchise, as it spun out of Maya Lopez’s debut in Hawkeye, which was only TV-14-rated. It remains unclear whether Alaqua Cox will ever reprise her role as the deaf vigilante and adopted daughter of Kingpin, having acquired some unique superpowers from her Native American ancestors in Echo‘s finale.
