Marvel Television officially announced Zodiac at New York Comic Con 2026 as an upcoming Disney+ spy thriller series slated for 2028, sparking a fresh wave of interest in a deep, 50-year-old comic book cartel that kids are also crossing paths with via viral astrological personality quizzes.
Marvel's newly announced 2028 Disney+ series Zodiac will bring a comic-book crime cartel into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, filming in London in spring 2027 under Marvel Television chief Brad Winderbaum. While online fan spaces feature lightweight "Which Marvel hero matches your star sign?" memes, the actual comic lore centers on a shadowy 12-member syndicate led by crime bosses like Taurus and Nick Fury's rogue brother Scorpio. If your middle schooler or teen is tracking Marvel news, explore our best TV shows for kids list and our digital guide for middle school to see how Marvel's espionage tier compares to lighter family watches.
At New York Comic Con 2026, Marvel Television officially pulled back the curtain on Zodiac, a live-action global spy thriller planned for a 2028 release on Disney+. Filming is scheduled to begin in London in the spring of 2027, with casting kicking off in late 2026.
While Marvel chief Brad Winderbaum kept specific plot details under wraps, the teaser logo offered two major clues: the classic S.H.I.E.L.D. emblem integrated into the letter "A" and a 12-spoke wheel graphic embedded in the "O." That design points toward writer Jonathan Hickman's espionage runs in Marvel Comics, specifically the covert operative network known as the Great Wheel. Rather than a standard superhero beat-'em-up, expect a grounded, globe-trotting espionage thriller in the vein of classic spy fiction.
Before it was a TV logo, the Zodiac was one of the stranger, most persistent criminal cartels in Marvel Comics history. Created in 1970 by Roy Thomas and Sal Buscema in The Avengers #72, the original Zodiac was essentially a corporate boardroom of twelve criminal bosses, each running organized crime in a different major American city and operating under an astrological codename.
The cartel was founded and funded by Cornelius van Lunt, a ruthless New York financier who took the mantle of Taurus. Leadership rotated sign by sign throughout the year, meaning twelve hyper-ambitious crime bosses were constantly plotting moves against each other.
A few key figures in the Zodiac history stand out for parents following along:
- Scorpio (Jake Fury): The most famous Zodiac member is Nick Fury's rogue younger brother. He wields the Zodiac Key, an extra-dimensional artifact capable of firing energy blasts and resurrecting fallen operatives.
- Taurus (Cornelius van Lunt): The financier who backed the entire cartel based on guidance from his personal astrologer.
- Libra (Gustav Brandt): In comic canon, he is the biological father of Mantis.
- The Great Wheel (1961): The 2009 comic reimagining by Jonathan Hickman that reframed the Zodiac as a Cold War era espionage council involving S.H.I.E.L.D. and Hydra operatives.
If your kid mentions Marvel and zodiac signs in the same sentence, they might not be talking about a shadowy espionage cartel at all. Marvel regularly publishes official Lunar New Year hero matching charts—pairing characters like Shang-Chi or Colleen Wing with birth years—and third-party personality quizzes frequently match western astrological signs with popular heroes.
These personality tests and social media graphics are lighthearted fan fun. The distinction comes when kids start digging into the comic source material. The comic book Zodiac operates in a world of extortion, political assassination attempts, and international crime syndicates. It sits firmly in Marvel's PG-13/TV-14 espionage tier alongside shows like Agent Carter and Moon Knight.
If your teen is tracking the 2028 Zodiac news or digging into comic lore, use the espionage angle to spark a quick conversation:
- Superhero stories vs. spy fiction: Ask them whether they prefer giant CGI battles or grounded espionage stories like Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
- Comic adaptations: Talk about how Marvel takes 1970s comic concepts (like crime bosses in astrological costumes) and modernizes them into grounded TV thrillers.
- Astrology as a storytelling trope: Look at how writers use personality archetypes—whether star signs or Myers-Briggs types—to quickly build distinct character dynamics in ensemble casts.
Q: What is the Marvel Zodiac show coming to Disney+?
Marvel Television announced Zodiac at NYCC 2026 as a live-action global spy thriller. The series is scheduled to film in London in spring 2027 and target a 2028 premiere on Disney+.
Q: Is Marvel's Zodiac series appropriate for younger kids?
While official age ratings won't land until closer to release, Zodiac is pitched as a spy thriller connected to S.H.I.E.L.D. lore. Expect tone and intensity similar to Marvel's PG-13 action projects rather than elementary-friendly animation.
Q: Who created the Zodiac in Marvel Comics?
Writer Roy Thomas and artist Sal Buscema created the original Zodiac cartel in 1970's The Avengers #72, though the character Scorpio debuted two years earlier in Nick Fury, Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1.
Q: Are Marvel's Zodiac villains superhumans or crime bosses?
In the original comics, the 12 Zodiac leaders are non-superpowered crime bosses running organized networks across different cities, relying on high-tech gear and corporate influence rather than innate superpowers.
If your family is curious about where Marvel's spy universe is heading next, check out our guide to Marvel movies and shows for age breakdowns across the MCU. You can also explore our best TV shows for kids list or check out our digital guide for middle school to keep family screen time intentional.