Marvel Comics is ready to tap into the beloved properties of 20th Century Studios with a new imprint launching in April. As announced by The Hollywood Reporter, the first-ever imprint for the legendary movie studio will be the banner for a wide range of new comics based on the iconic film franchises that made the studio a household name. It's set to appear for the first time on Planet of the Apes #1, which kicks off a new series penned by David F. Walker with artist David Wachter and cover artist Joshua Cassara. The first issue goes on sale on April 5.
In addition, Marvel already has two other comic series based on major film franchises on the way with Alien and Predator, which will now reflect the 20th Century imprint. Alien #1 was previously announced in January for a release on Alien Day - April 26 - and follow researchers on an icy moon whose water conservation efforts turn to terror when an organism is freed from the ice. The first new Predator comic, meanwhile, releases on March 8, but the imprint won't be shown on the books until Predator #2 in April.
Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski expressed his excitement in bringing 20th Century Studios into the comic book fold and promises more adaptations in the future, saying:
Ever since we announced our Alien and Predator comics, we hoped to create a special space within our comics line to go even bigger and bolder and keep building on the iconic moments from these properties that we all know and love. This 20th Century Studios comics imprint, in collaboration with our friends at 20th Century Studios, is the perfect way to do that. Now that we’re bringing back Planet of the Apes again through classic comic book storytelling, we are absolutely thrilled to officially launch this imprint for the fans, and we’re all honored to expand upon it in the coming months.
Marvel has a track record for spinning gold out of 20th Century properties in the past. The recent Alien and Predator comics from 2021 and 2022 respectively both received praise during their runs. Steve Asbell, the President of 20th Century Studios, also noted there's a certain joy to working with the Marvel team: "We’ve had a blast working with C.B. and his team and, as lifetime Marvel Comics fans, it’s an honor to be a part of such an enduring creative legacy. We think fans will love the fresh takes on these beloved, iconic movies.”
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All of this is possible thanks to Disney's massive purchase of 20th Century Studios, bringing the storied studio's franchises under one banner. The comics serve to capitalize on some of the more popular and recently-active properties the studio has going on right now. Planet of the Apes comes in the wake of the widely-praised War for the Planet of the Apes in 2017 and ahead of the 2024 release of Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes. Predator has hardly been quiet either with the release of Dan Trachtenberg's Prey. Alien, too, has tricks up its sleeve with the work-in-progress Alien: Romulus from Fede Álvarez which has reportedly started filming.
These franchises just scratch the surface of possibilities for Marvel Comics. 20th Century Films has spent years building up massive franchises with room for further exploration through the medium of comics. One such property that sticks out is James Cameron's Avatar which is confirmed to stick around with three more films following last year's The Way of Water and still has so much of Pandora to explore. Whatever comes next, there's a lot of room to grow for Marvel's new imprint and plenty of directions to go.
Stay tuned for more on the future of the 20th Century Studios imprint and what franchises Marvel has in mind to bring to comics. Check out the trailer for the most recent Planet of the Apes film, War for the Planet of the Apes below.