Imperial's Impact: Reshaping Marvel's Cosmic Heroes

*Imperial* stands as one of Marvel’s most expansive and daring comic book initiatives slated for 2025. This groundbreaking series marks the latest venture from Jonathan Hickman, the mastermind behind transformative Marvel sagas such as House of X and the new Ultimate Universe. Much like those projects that revolutionized their respective series, *Imperial* is poised to redefine the landscape for Marvel's cosmic champions, including Nova and the Guardians of the Galaxy.

To delve deeper into how *Imperial* will reshape the cosmic realm, IGN had an exclusive email exchange with Hickman. You can get a sneak peek through our slideshow gallery below, followed by more insights into the project.

Marvel's Imperial #1 Preview Gallery

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We kicked off our conversation by exploring the inception of *Imperial*. Was this a narrative Hickman was eager to weave, or did Marvel specifically commission him to replicate the success seen with Krakoa and *Ultimate Invasion*? Hickman shared that 2025 presented the perfect moment to re-evaluate Marvel’s cosmic roster with fresh eyes.

“I think it was simply time to revisit this corner of the Marvel Universe,” Hickman told IGN. “My availability and interest, coupled with the company’s ongoing attention to this area, and the successful model of launching something like the Ultimate line, all converged to make *Imperial* feel like the right opportunity. It’s shaping up well, and I believe fans are going to enjoy it. It’s a fun book.”

The new Ultimate line has seen significant success for Marvel over the past two years, and parallels can be drawn with how *Imperial* serves as a cornerstone for a new suite of cosmic titles. We were keen to understand how Hickman views these similarities and what lessons he's bringing from launching the Ultimate Universe into *Imperial*.

“You can draw a direct line between the two in terms of what we believe can succeed in the current market,” Hickman stated. “A compact, focused series of books that readers can engage with without feeling overwhelmed, and where creators can realize their vision for each title without being bogged down by external continuity, seems to be a solid strategy for launching something like this.”

Hickman added, “The key difference, of course, is that this isn’t set in an alternative Marvel Universe, so we won’t be using the ‘real time’ aspect of the Ultimate line. That has its advantages and drawbacks, but I think most readers will appreciate it.”

*Imperial* also echoes the 2006 *Annihilation* crossover, a pivotal narrative that shifted the status quo for Marvel’s cosmic heroes and altered the power dynamics significantly. In fact, *Annihilation* set the stage for the contemporary Guardians of the Galaxy. When asked about any similarities between *Annihilation* and *Imperial*, Hickman was clear.

“No. Simply because that’s an invasion story and this isn’t anything like that,” Hickman clarified. “The end result might be similar, with a sudden surge in interest for Marvel’s cosmic books. But in terms of plot and story? No.”

While *Imperial* draws on elements from Hickman’s prior Marvel work, such as the "Hunt for Xavier" crossover in the X-Men line, which tied up loose ends from the Krakoan era and set the stage for *Imperial* by bringing back former Shi’ar Empress Lilandra and reuniting her with Charles Xavier to rescue their daughter Xandra, it also features the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, an element introduced in 2015’s *Secret Wars* and later explored in Ta-Nehisi Coates’ *Black Panther* series.

Despite these connections, Hickman emphasized that *Imperial* isn’t as tethered to his previous works as it might appear.

“I’m known for delving into my own continuity within the broader Marvel Universe, but more than half of *Imperial* involves me piecing together elements from various stories created by other writers over the years, rather than solely picking up where my previous books left off,” Hickman explained. “There’s some of that, but not as much as one might anticipate.”

*Imperial* also marks a significant shift by steering the Hulk family back into cosmic territory. The preview art indicates that Hulk and She-Hulk are returning to the embattled planet Sakaar, reminiscent of the landmark 2006 *Planet Hulk* storyline. Hickman hinted that this return to Sakaar in 2025 is far from coincidental.

Hickman teased, “All I’ll say is that we’re approaching the twentieth anniversary of *Planet Hulk*, and Marvel rarely misses a chance to celebrate such milestones.”

Lastly, we discussed Hickman's choice to split the series between artists Federico Vicentini and Iban Coello, and how the creative team is leveraging the strengths of having two artists illustrate this epic conflict.

“Both of those guys are doing exceptional work,” Hickman said. “I’ve been thrilled and surprised by how they’ve handled various story elements, character designs, and the exotic locales in this series. Given the compressed publishing schedule—we actually moved it up at the start of the year—the only way to make it work was to have them collaborate. The challenge was ensuring they complement each other, and that’s clearly been achieved here.”

*Imperial #1* is set to hit the shelves on June 4, 2025.