Marvel Unleashes Release Updates For X-Men ’97, Marvel Zombies And MCU Spider-Man Series
Marvel’s animation slate is snapping into focus as Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation Brad Winderbaum lays out release updates for X-Men ’97, Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, and Marvel Zombies—following the Disney+ premieres of X-Men ’97 on March 20, 2024, and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man on January 29, 2025.
Marvel finally put some shape around its animation plan. Brad Winderbaum, Marvel Studios' Head of Streaming, Television, and Animation, says the animated side is moving to a predictable rhythm: yearly seasons for 'X-Men 97' and 'Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man,' with 'Marvel Zombies' returning only if enough people show up for it.
The annual game plan
'What's exciting about the next few years is that we are going to get subsequent seasons of X-Men 97 and Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man on an annual cadence... So, every year, there will be a new season, and we can map out a longer arc to those stories.'
That was Winderbaum in a new chat with DiscussingFilm, spelling out what Marvel Animation is doing going forward. He also noted both shows already have third seasons in development, which lines them up for 2027 if this yearly schedule holds. And if you're reading between the lines: they are thinking beyond Season 3.
None of this is out of nowhere. Back in February 2025, he told Collider that 'X-Men 97' and 'Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man' were the top priorities while Marvel worked toward delivering strong seasons every year. It's a little inside baseball, but the key thing here is pipeline stability; you can't promise annual seasons unless the machine is finally running on time.
Where everything lands on the calendar
- 'X-Men 97' Season 1 premiered on Disney+ on March 20, 2024. Season 2 is expected in 2026. Season 3 is already in development, aiming for 2027, with room to keep going after that.
- 'Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man' premiered January 29, 2025. Season 2 is also expected in 2026, with Season 3 in development and likely for 2027 if the annual cadence sticks.
- 'Marvel Zombies' launched September 24, 2025, as a four-episode drop released all at once on Disney+ (a rare binge move for them). More seasons are on the table if the audience is there.
So what about 'Marvel Zombies'?
Winderbaum describes the current run as a single, self-contained epic he developed with Bryan Andrews. The lore is deep, and they have more stories in their back pocket, but those ideas didn't fit the specific arc they just released. If enough people watch this one, they want to make more. Translation: press play if you want seconds.
Bottom line: expect a new 'X-Men 97' and a new 'Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man' every year starting in 2026, with 'Marvel Zombies' coming back if the numbers justify it.