Oct 09, 2026 10:00pm IST
Marvel’s Next Chapter: ‘Zodiac’, ‘Daredevil: Born Again 3’, ‘Marvel Zombies’ And More From NYCC 2026 Explained
Marvel Television and Marvel Animation brought several updates to New York Comic Con 2026, outlining the next phase of their Disney+ slate as the Marvel Cinematic Universe approaches “Avengers: Doomsday”. The October 8 panel featured updates on returning series, release dates, new animated storylines and a surprise screening of the first episode of “VisionQuest”.
The announcements also highlighted an important distinction in Marvel’s current strategy. While some shows directly continue stories from the main MCU, others unfold in alternate universes or continue animated continuities established outside the live-action films. Here is every major announcement from the panel and what it means for Marvel’s larger screen universe.
1. “Daredevil: Born Again” Season 3 Will Be The Final Season
Marvel confirmed that “Daredevil: Born Again” will conclude with its third season, which is planned for 2027. The announcement brought Charlie Cox, Finn Jones and Krysten Ritter together on stage, signalling the return of more familiar faces from Marvel’s earlier Netflix-era television shows.
The appearance of Jones, who plays Danny Rand, also known as Iron Fist, was a notable development for fans who have long wanted to see more of the Defenders together. Ritter returns as Jessica Jones, while Cox continues as Matt Murdock, the blind lawyer who fights crime as Daredevil.
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Where it fits in the MCU: “Daredevil: Born Again” is part of the main MCU continuity. It continues the story of Matt Murdock following the original “Daredevil” series, which began on Netflix, and brings characters from that era further into Marvel Studios’ current television slate. Its third season will be the final chapter of this iteration of the series, rather than a new standalone universe.
2. “VisionQuest” Gets A Surprise First Episode Screening
Marvel closed its panel with a surprise screening of the first episode of “VisionQuest”, the upcoming series starring Paul Bettany as the White Vision. The show premieres on Disney+ on October 14, 2026.
The series follows the events of “WandaVision”, which introduced the White Vision after the original Vision’s memories were restored to him. It also forms the concluding chapter of the interconnected television trilogy that began with “WandaVision” and continued with “Agatha All Along”.
Where it fits in the MCU: “VisionQuest” is part of the main MCU and continues the story of a character whose identity has been shaped by memory, grief and the question of what makes someone human. The series is particularly significant because the White Vision left “WandaVision” with the original Vision’s memories but without the same emotional continuity. How he understands that inheritance is central to the story’s setup.
3. “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” Season 2 Gets A Release Date
Marvel Animation confirmed that “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” Season 2 will premiere on Disney+ on January 13, 2027. The panel also offered a look at Peter Parker’s next adventures, including a sequence involving Norman Osborn and Doctor Octopus, as well as a tease involving the symbiote.
The animated series follows a younger Peter Parker on a path that differs from the one audiences know from Tom Holland’s live-action films. Its first season established a distinct version of Spider-Man’s world, with Norman Osborn occupying a different role in Peter’s development.
Where it fits in the MCU: Despite featuring familiar MCU characters, the series is set in an alternate continuity rather than the main live-action MCU timeline. It should therefore not be read as a direct continuation of Holland’s Spider-Man story. The symbiote tease opens the door to another major element of Spider-Man mythology, although the full scope of its role in Season 2 remains to be seen.
4. “X-Men ’97” Season 3 Will Continue The Animated Mutant Saga
Marvel Animation offered a first look at “X-Men ’97” Season 3, with the footage reportedly featuring Deadpool and She-Hulk alongside the returning mutant characters. The series is expected to continue in 2027, extending the revival of the classic animated X-Men story.
The show’s earlier seasons have followed the X-Men as they navigate mutant persecution, political hostility and the internal tensions that threaten to fracture the team. The inclusion of familiar Marvel characters outside the core X-Men roster suggests that the animated series will continue to draw from the wider comics mythology.
Where it fits in the MCU: “X-Men ’97” is a continuation of the 1990s “X-Men: The Animated Series”, not a direct continuation of the live-action MCU films. Its characters and events belong to that animated continuity. The appearance of Deadpool or She-Hulk does not, by itself, establish a crossover with the main MCU.
5. “Marvel Zombies” Will Return With Three Halloween Instalments
Marvel announced three additional “Marvel Zombies” instalments, planned for release across successive Halloweens from 2027 to 2029. The announced titles are “Marvel Zombies: The Winter Soldier” for 2027, “Marvel Zombies: The Fist of Khonshu” for 2028 and “Marvel Zombies: The Last Guardian” for 2029.
The announcement extends Marvel’s animated horror storytelling beyond the original “Marvel Zombies” series, which imagined a world in which familiar superheroes were transformed into the undead. The new titles point towards further stories centred on characters and concepts drawn from different corners of Marvel’s mythology.
Where it fits in the MCU: “Marvel Zombies” is connected to the multiverse through the alternate reality established in “What If…?”. It does not represent the fate of the main MCU’s Avengers or other heroes. The new instalments will continue to explore that separate, undead reality, with their precise storylines and character line-ups still to be fully detailed.
6. “Zodiac” Is Marvel Television’s New Live-Action Series
One of the panel’s biggest announcements was “Zodiac”, a new live-action spy-thriller series coming to Disney+ in 2028. Marvel Television head Brad Winderbaum revealed the project’s logo at NYCC and indicated that filming is expected to begin in London in spring 2027, with casting set to begin in the coming weeks.
Marvel has kept the plot and cast under wraps. However, the newly revealed logo contains a visual reference to S.H.I.E.L.D., the intelligence and security organisation associated with Nick Fury. Winderbaum also suggested that the logo contains clues for viewers familiar with Marvel Comics.
The title has several precedents in the comics, including characters and organisations associated with the name Zodiac. Marvel has not yet confirmed exactly which version the series will use, so it would be premature to assume that the show will adapt a particular comic-book storyline.
Where it fits in the MCU: Unlike “X-Men ’97” and “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man”, “Zodiac” is a live-action Marvel Television project. Its spy-thriller premise and S.H.I.E.L.D. visual reference suggest a connection to Marvel’s espionage side, but Marvel has not yet disclosed enough story details to establish its precise place in the MCU timeline or confirm which established characters will appear.
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