Marvel’s ‘Zodiac’ Is Reportedly a Gritty British Spy Thriller in the Vein of ‘The Americans’
Marvel has spent years building a universe full of spies, secret agencies and shadowy conspiracies, yet most of that espionage has played out in the background of superhero stories. Now the studio appears ready to put the spy genre front and center. And judging by the latest reports, it is going for something far grittier than a typical Marvel blockbuster.
At New York Comic Con on October 8, Marvel Television announced ‘Zodiac‘, a live-action espionage series headed to Disney+ in 2028. Brad Winderbaum, the head of Marvel Television, Animation and Comics, unveiled the title and a logo, and said filming will begin in London in spring 2027, with casting starting in the coming weeks. Beyond that, the studio kept the plot under wraps.
Details have since started to leak. According to an exclusive from Knight Edge Media, ‘Zodiac’ is being developed as a dark British spy thriller that is a lot grittier than the ‘James Bond’ or ‘Mission: Impossible’ films. The report compares its tone to FX’s ‘The Americans’, the Cold War espionage drama, and that comparison has quickly become the story’s headline.
The report says Marvel is casting 3 main roles: 2 men and 1 woman, all British. None are expected to have comic book counterparts, which means the series would be built around entirely original characters. That is a notable choice for a franchise with a vast library of existing spies to draw from.
Some fans have been disappointed by that detail, as they hoped to see familiar names. Others see it as a chance for Marvel to tell a self-contained story with a fresh cast. Because the information has not been confirmed by Marvel, it should be treated as a report rather than an official announcement.
Marvel’s new ‘ZODIAC’ series has been compared to FX’s ‘THE AMERICANS’. (via: @KnightEdgeMedia) https://t.co/fJVutbabVd
— MCU Film News (@MCUFilmNews) October 13, 2026
Winderbaum has described ‘Zodiac’ as a globetrotting international espionage show about secrets, lies, betrayals and secret acts of loyalty, with a large cast of characters. At the panel, he told fans that comics readers would find a lot of hidden clues in the logo, but that he could not say more because the project is a secret. The studio has not named a showrunner or announced any cast.
That leaves the logo as the main source of speculation. It appears to include a modified S.H.I.E.L.D. eagle hidden in the letter A, and actor Clark Gregg, who played Agent Phil Coulson, shared the logo after the announcement. Some observers also noted that the O could hint at other Marvel imagery.
Fans have been quick to wonder whether the series will revive ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’. Knight Edge Media’s report suggests it is not exactly a sequel, which would mean any returning cast members would likely appear only in cameos or supporting roles. Another scooper has claimed the series will operate independently and will not affect the wider MCU, though that is also unconfirmed.
The name itself has comic roots. In Marvel Comics, the Zodiac is a supervillain cabal with astrological codenames, first appearing in ‘The Avengers’ issue 72 in January 1970. One report noted that in the comics, Nick Fury’s brother Jake is the villain Scorpio, who leads the cabal, though it is unclear whether the show will use any of that.
ComicBook.com has suggested the series could draw on ‘The Americans’, ‘Slow Horses’ and ‘The X-Files’, hinting at a show that works through a variety of cases while building toward a bigger mystery. It argued there is room for a Marvel spy series that does not need a superhero to appear every week. The idea of uniting the MCU’s many spy agencies under one conspiracy has proven particularly popular with commentators.
The poster for ‘The Americans’ captures the kind of mood fans are imagining, with its Cold War setting and a tagline about everything being fair in love and war. If ‘Zodiac’ follows that template, it could be a very different experience from the colorful team-ups that dominate the franchise.
The announcement also arrives as Marvel’s television plans are changing. ‘Zodiac’ is the first new live-action Marvel series announced since ‘Ironheart’, and it follows the cancellation of ‘Wonder Man’ after a single season despite a renewal. ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ is set to end after its third season, and ‘VisionQuest’ is now wrapping up its run.
In that context, ‘Zodiac’ looks like part of a strategy to focus on fewer, more distinctive projects. A dark, grounded spy thriller would certainly fit that approach, and it could give Marvel Television a different identity from the films.
What are you most excited to see from Marvel's 'Zodiac'?
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!
