The best Marvel TV show episodes to watch during spooky season

In many ways, Halloween and the Marvel Cinematic Universe go together hand-in-hand. The mere notion of superheroes automatically generates fantastic costume ideas, after all. On top of that, many entries in the MCU choose to take on a darker tone perfect for everyone’s favorite candy-fueled holiday, including the television offerings.

To celebrate the season of changing leaves, pumpkin spice lattes, and cozy sweaters, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to gather the very best episodes of the MCU’s official Disney Plus TV series to select the most appropriate experiences to coincide with the whole vibe of the spooky season. Let’s count down the episodes, from least to most Halloween-centric.

10. I Am Groot – “Groot and the Great Prophecy” (Season 2, Episode 5)

Don’t let the child-friendly nature of I Am Groot fool you, this episode of the series of animated shorts features a booby trap-filled temple, lava flows, and shadowy figures, all wrapped in a plot with some universe-ending stakes. To top it all off, Jeffrey Wright’s The Watcher sharing a connection with Groot creates an amazing costume idea for Halloween as we can easily imagine the tree creature perched on the shoulder of the mysterious robed figure in an ensemble piece.

9. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier – “The Whole World Is Watching” (Season 1, Episode 4)

What could be more Halloween-like than an evil version of Captain America? That is exactly what we get in one of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier’s most action-packed episodes. John Walker, aka U.S. Agent, is put to the test in Steve Rogers’ old uniform which culminates in a disturbing case of being too cavalier with who wears what costume. The episode has a dark edge sharper than that Captain America shield that makes it border on horror and the perfect kind of thing to ring in All Hallows’ Eve. 

8. She-Hulk: Attorney at Law – “Is This Not Real Magic?” (Season 1, Episode 4)

After the soul-crushing episode of The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, you will need to watch something more lighthearted as a palate cleanser. That is where She-Hulk: Attorney at Law comes in. Don’t worry, just because it is a comedy doesn’t mean this episode is any less thematically appropriate for the season. Case in point: it culminates in superhero attorney Jennifer Walters and Wong battling bat-like demons.

7. Loki – “Journey Into Mystery” (Season 1, Episode 5)

Though Loki is more titillating than it is frightening, per se, the episode in which the titular character encounters multiverse versions of himself has the perfect vibe for the spooky season. From an old-school-looking Loki to an alligator Loki, there are plenty of imaginative costume ideas in the episode that resemble what a dedicated Loki convention might look like. The atmosphere of an impending apocalypse punctuated by the muted deep purples you might find during a sunset cement the episode as the right kind of entertainment to accompany your hot cider beside a warm fire. 

6. Hawkeye – “Hide and Seek” (Season 1, Episode 2)

The joy of dressing up in costumes is once again exemplified in the Hawkeye episode in which our titular Avenger must battle a group of live-action role-playing participants in Central Park in order to retrieve his lost Ronin costume. Though Hawkeye is unambiguously a Christmas-themed show, this particular episode has enough Halloween vibes to make it a celebration of the joyous, daytime moments found in the fall season’s crisp, cold air.

5. Ms. Marvel – “Generation Why” (Season 1, Episode 1)

Once again hitting on the fun of dressing up, Ms. Marvel’s debut episode taking place during AvengersCon scratches a particular itch for those who enjoy cosplaying as fantastical beings that the fall season is so known for. Seeing so many in-universe fans dressed as their favorite Marvel heroes, including Kamala Khan dressed as Captain Marvel, just gets us in the mood to do the same in what is one of the finest episodes of the entire series so far.  

4. Moon Knight – “Asylum” (Season 1, Episode 5)

Moon Knight certainly incorporates horror elements into its narrative in an effective and awe-inspiring way. No more is this perhaps better exemplified than “Asylum,” the chapter in Steven Grant’s story in which he must decide if the mental institution he is committed to is the genuine article or simply an elaborate hoax created by his enemies. Complicating the matter is Steven’s own dissociative identity disorder making it harder for him to distinguish reality from fantasy. Full of some great twists, dramatic tension, and fantastical creatures, this episode of Moon Knight is the most Twilight Zone the series got and the perfect nightcap for a candy corn-filled evening.

3. What If…? – “What If… Zombies?!” (Season 1, Episode 5)

What would Halloween be without some zombies? Like pretty much every episode of the animated What If…?, the episode that imagines Earth’s mightiest heroes as undead monstrosities brings a satisfying twist on the MCU that you may want to watch time and again, even after October has come and gone.

2. Werewolf by Night (TV Movie)

In terms of sheer, pure, gothic horror, the top recommendation on this list is definitely the TV movie Werewolf by Night. It not only features the titular supernatural nocturnal beast, but a host of other classic monsters, such as vampires, and the creature known as Man-Thing. Cast in beautiful black and white, the Marvel Special Presentation gets a perfect score for spooky atmosphere that you won’t regret accompanying your Halloween evening.

1. WandaVision – “All-New Halloween Spooktacular!” (Season 1, Episode 6)

The only episode of the MCU’s TV offerings that could possibly top our list is the WandaVision episode “All-New Halloween Spooktacular!” It’s right there in the title! That’s right, this episode actually takes place on Halloween and it uses that setting within the spellbound town of Westview to great effect. Everyone is decked out in the best costume you could imagine, including an exaggeratedly cheesy version of Scarlet Witch and Vision in their own outfits, while jack-o-lanterns line the streets. Featuring trick-or-treating and some fan service teasing, the episode actually has its fair share of chills as well. The mystery built around just what is wrong with Westview manifests in a haunting scene in which one town member is stuck in a feedback loop of automated movement as a single tear falls down her cheek.