Marvel’s Latest Hit Proves Stephen King Wrong When It Comes To Superhero Storytelling

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Stephen King, a master of horror and widely considered the genre’s leading author for decades, doesn’t seem to agree with current popular scares, perhaps even those seen in recent releases like *Marvel: Zombies*. The 78-year-old author has a knack for frightening readers, but appears unimpressed with what’s currently considered scary.

He’s very critical of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s attempts at creating scary content, finding them too tame. He doesn’t hold back when criticizing their movies and TV shows, which are generally rated PG-13. While promoting his new film, *The Long Walk*, he made it clear he doesn’t think current superhero adaptations are genuinely dark or frightening.

In August, Stephen King discussed superhero films with *The Times*, pointing out the odd disconnect between massive destruction and a complete lack of visible consequences. He noted, ‘You see these supervillains leveling city blocks, but there’s never any blood.’ King compared this to avoiding showing intimacy in film, stating that if a story isn’t going to depict difficult realities, it shouldn’t attempt it at all. He applied this principle to his novel *The Long Walk*, resulting in a very graphic and violent film adaptation.

Director King doesn’t shy away from showing the most disturbing and intense moments in *The Long Walk*, which deeply affects viewers. However, Marvel has recently started to challenge the idea that it avoids violence, openly including brutality, blood, and subtle violence in its films, proving they *do* show it after all.

Marvel Zombies and Deadpool are Bloody, Unrepentant Rides

Look, for years, Marvel and the MCU played it safe with ratings – they wanted huge, family-friendly blockbusters. But everything changed with *Deadpool and Wolverine*. It absolutely crushed box office records, bringing in $1.3 billion worldwide, and it did it as a hard-R superhero movie! Seriously, it didn’t hold back *at all* with the swearing and action. And the crazy part is, this happened five years after Disney – you know, the company known for being pretty wholesome – bought Marvel Studios. It was a total game changer!

Notably, *Logan* was a huge success for Marvel, even though it was the first superhero film to receive an R-rating when it came out in 2017. It was produced by 20th Century Fox at the time. More recently, *The Punisher* and the *Daredevil: Born Again* series have also been popular on Disney+.

By 2025, *Marvel Zombies* is the big hit on Disney+, especially as October begins. Meanwhile, DC and the new DCU are gaining traction, and with early buzz around *The Penguin* and whispers from the cast about plans for 2026, James Gunn might have to reconsider some of his earlier statements – and it could be a significant change of heart.

Marvel Zombies, along with Deadpool and Wolverine, is currently streaming on Disney+.

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2025-10-08 16:07