In 2025, Marvel is set to launch one of its most ambitious projects yet with the comic book series Imperial. Spearheaded by Jonathan Hickman, the mastermind behind transformative Marvel narratives such as House of X and the new Ultimate Universe, Imperial promises to redefine the cosmic landscape of the Marvel Universe, impacting characters like Nova and the Guardians of the Galaxy in profound ways.
To delve deeper into how Imperial will shake up the cosmic realm, IGN had the opportunity to discuss the project with Hickman via email. Before you read on, take a look at an exclusive preview of Imperial #1 in the slideshow gallery below:
Marvel's Imperial #1 Preview Gallery
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Curious about the origins of Imperial? Hickman shared that the timing in 2025 felt perfect to reimagine Marvel’s cosmic roster. "I think it was simply time to revisit this corner of the Marvel Universe," Hickman told IGN. "That I was available and interested, and that it’s been of ongoing interest to the company, and that the model of launching something like this had just been done with the Ultimate line, all added up to it feeling like this was an opportunity to do Imperial. It’s come together well and I think people are going to enjoy it. It’s a fun book."
Given the success of the new Ultimate line, it's natural to draw parallels between it and Imperial, which aims to serve as the cornerstone for a fresh wave of cosmic titles. Hickman acknowledges the similarities, stating, "You can, in my opinion, draw a direct line between the two in terms of what we think can succeed with in the current market. A small, tight line of books that readers can invest in and not feel overwhelmed, and where creators can execute their vision for the individual titles without drowning in external continuity seems to be a pretty solid model of how to launch something like this."
However, he notes a significant difference: "Imperial isn’t set in an alternative Marvel Universe, so we won’t be doing the ‘real time’ aspect of the Ultimate line. Which has its pluses and minuses, but I think most people will be pleased about."
When asked about any similarities between Imperial and the 2006 Annihilation crossover, which also reshaped the cosmic landscape, Hickman was clear: "No. Simply because that’s an invasion story and this isn’t anything like that. The ‘what-you-get’ end results might be similar in that all of a sudden there are a bunch of Marvel cosmic books you care about. But plot/story-wise? No."
While Imperial does incorporate elements from Hickman’s previous Marvel works, he emphasizes that it's not as interconnected as it may seem. "Well, I’m kind of notorious for mining my own continuity inside of the greater Marvel one, but I’d say well over half of this is more like me picking up pieces from a bunch of extended stories that have been done over the years by other creators than me just picking up plot threads from my previous books," Hickman explains. "Sure, there’s some of that in there, but not as much as some people might expect."
Imperial also introduces a cosmic twist to the Hulk family, with Hulk and She-Hulk returning to the war-torn planet Sakaar, a nod to the 2006 Planet Hulk storyline. Hickman teases, "All I’ll say there is we’re coming up on the twentieth anniversary of Planet Hulk and Marvel doesn’t usually let those opportunities pass by."
On the creative front, Imperial will be illustrated by two artists, Federico Vicentini and Iban Coello. Hickman praises their contributions: "Both of those guys are crushing it. I’ve been very pleased and surprised at how they’ve tackled some of the story beats, character designs, and wild locations this thing has. And with the book having a compressed publishing schedule (we actually moved it forward at the beginning of the year), the only way it could be done was for them to tag team it. The trick there is they have to complement each other and that’s clearly the case here."
Imperial #1 is slated for release on June 4, 2025.
For more on the world of comics, find out what you should read in this year’s FCBD lineup, and check out our exclusive interview with the writers of TMNT: The Last Ronin II.
