In 2025, Marvel is set to launch one of its most ambitious projects yet with the new series, Imperial. This monumental undertaking is spearheaded by none other than Jonathan Hickman, the creative force behind transformative Marvel narratives like House of X and the new Ultimate Universe. Just as those initiatives reshaped their respective universes, Imperial promises to redefine the landscape for Marvel's cosmic heroes, including Nova and the Guardians of the Galaxy.
To gain deeper insight into how Imperial will revolutionize the cosmic realm, IGN had the opportunity to discuss the project with Hickman via email. Dive into an exclusive preview through the slideshow gallery below, and continue reading for more details.
Marvel's Imperial #1 Preview Gallery
View 8 Images
Curious about the inception of Imperial, we asked Hickman whether this was a story he was eager to tell or if Marvel approached him with the goal of repeating the success of Krakoa and Ultimate Invasion. Hickman explained that 2025 was the perfect moment to reassess Marvel's cosmic roster with a fresh perspective.
"I think it was simply time to revisit this corner of the Marvel Universe," Hickman shared with 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."
The new Ultimate line has proven highly successful for Marvel over the past two years, and there are evident parallels with how Imperial is set to serve as the foundation for a new line of cosmic books. We were interested in understanding how similar Hickman perceives these initiatives to be, and whether he's applying any lessons from launching the Ultimate Universe to Imperial.
"You can, in my opinion, draw a direct line between the two in terms of what we think can succeed in the current market," Hickman noted. "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."
He added, "The big difference, obviously, is that this 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."
Imperial also evokes memories of the 2006 Annihilation crossover, a significant event that reshaped the status quo for Marvel's cosmic characters and altered the power dynamics. Annihilation even set the stage for the modern Guardians of the Galaxy. We asked Hickman if he sees any parallels between Annihilation and Imperial.
"No. Simply because that's an invasion story and this isn't anything like that," Hickman clarified. "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."
Imperial draws on elements from Hickman's previous Marvel work. For instance, the "Hunt for Xavier" crossover in the X-Men line addressed lingering threads from the Krakoan era, setting the stage for Imperial by bringing back the former Shi'ar Empress Lilandra and reuniting her with Charles Xavier as they set out to rescue their daughter Xandra. Imperial also incorporates the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, an idea first hinted at in 2015's Secret Wars and later featured in Ta-Nehisi Coates' Black Panther series.
Despite these nods to his previous work, Hickman points out that Imperial isn't as closely tied to those books as it might appear.
"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 explained. "Sure, there's some of that in there, but not as much as some people might expect."
Imperial also shifts the focus of the Hulk family back to cosmic adventures. The preview art confirms that Hulk and She-Hulk are returning to the war-torn world of Sakaar, reminiscent of the 2006 Planet Hulk storyline. Hickman confirms this is intentional, hinting at a significant reason to revisit Sakaar in 2025.
Hickman teased, "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."
Finally, we discussed Hickman's choice to have artists Federico Vicentini and Iban Coello collaborate on the series. We were curious about how the creative team is leveraging the talents of two artists to bring this epic conflict to life.
"Both of those guys are crushing it," Hickman praised. "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.
