In 2025, Marvel is set to launch one of its most ambitious and expansive new comic book projects yet: *Imperial*. This series marks another groundbreaking effort from Jonathan Hickman, the creative mind behind transformative Marvel narratives such as *House of X* and *the new Ultimate Universe*. Just as those projects revolutionized their respective universes, *Imperial* is poised to redefine the status quo for Marvel's cosmic heroes, including Nova and the Guardians of the Galaxy.
To delve deeper into how *Imperial* will reshape the cosmic landscape, IGN had an exclusive email interview with Hickman. Get a glimpse of what's to come by viewing the slideshow gallery below, and continue reading for more insights.
Marvel's Imperial #1 Preview Gallery
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We started by inquiring about the origins of *Imperial*. Was this a story Hickman was eager to tell, or did Marvel approach him with the aim of replicating the success of *Krakoa* and *Ultimate Invasion*? Hickman shared that 2025 was the perfect time to re-examine Marvel's cosmic lineup.
“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.”
The new Ultimate line has been a major success for Marvel over the past two years, and there are clear parallels with how *Imperial* is being positioned as the foundation for a new line of cosmic books. We asked Hickman how similar he sees this project to the Ultimate Universe and whether there are lessons from launching the Ultimate Universe that he's applying to *Imperial*.
“You can, in my opinion, draw a direct line between the two in terms of what we think can succeed within the current market,” Hickman explains. “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.”
Hickman 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, which significantly altered the status quo for Marvel’s cosmic heroes and shifted the balance of power. *Annihilation* was instrumental in shaping the modern Guardians of the Galaxy. We asked Hickman if he sees any similarities between *Annihilation* and *Imperial*.
“No. Simply because that’s an invasion story and this isn’t anything like that,” Hickman stated. “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.”
Elements of *Imperial* clearly build on Hickman’s previous Marvel work. For instance, the recent "Hunt for Xavier" crossover in the X-Men line tied up a loose end from the Krakoan era, setting the stage for *Imperial* by resurrecting the former Shi'ar Empress Lilandra and reuniting her with Charles Xavier to rescue their daughter Xandra. *Imperial* also features the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, first teased in 2015’s *Secret Wars* and later expanded in Ta-Nehisi Coates’ *Black Panther* series.
Despite these connections to his past work, Hickman clarified 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* is also noteworthy for steering the Hulk family back toward a cosmic direction. The preview art suggests a return to the wartorn world of Sakaar, reminiscent of 2006’s pivotal *Planet Hulk* storyline. Hickman confirmed that this is no mere coincidence and that there's 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 asked Hickman about the decision to split the series between artists Federico Vicentini and Iban Coello. How is the creative team leveraging the strengths of having two artists bring this epic conflict to life?
“Both of those guys are crushing it,” Hickman said. “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 will hit the shelves on June 4, 2025.
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