Imperial's Impact: Reshaping Marvel's Cosmic Heroes

In 2025, Marvel is set to launch one of its most ambitious and expansive comic book projects yet with Imperial. This series, masterminded by Jonathan Hickman, the creative force behind transformative Marvel narratives like House of X and the new Ultimate Universe, promises to redefine the landscape for Marvel's cosmic heroes, including Nova and the Guardians of the Galaxy. Just as his previous works reshaped their respective universes, Imperial is poised to establish a new status quo in the cosmic realm of Marvel.

To delve deeper into how Imperial will revolutionize the cosmic narrative, IGN had the opportunity to discuss the project with Hickman via email. Below, you can explore an exclusive preview in our slideshow gallery, followed by more insights from the interview.

Marvel's Imperial #1 Preview Gallery

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The genesis of Imperial was a topic of interest. Was this a story Hickman was eager to tell, or was it a strategic move by Marvel to capitalize on the success of Krakoa and Ultimate Invasion? Hickman shared that 2025 was the perfect moment to reimagine Marvel's cosmic universe.

“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 success of the new Ultimate line over the past two years has set a precedent, and there are clear parallels with how Imperial is being positioned as the cornerstone for a new series of cosmic books. We asked Hickman about the similarities he sees between these initiatives and any lessons from the Ultimate Universe launch 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 with in the current market,” Hickman explained. “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, which significantly altered the status quo for Marvel's cosmic heroes and shifted the balance of power, paving the way for the modern Guardians of the Galaxy. We inquired if Hickman 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.”

Elements of Imperial build on Hickman’s previous Marvel work. For instance, the recent “Hunt for Xavier” crossover in the X-Men line addressed a lingering plot from the Krakoan era, setting the stage for Imperial by bringing back the former Shi’ar Empress Lilandra and reuniting her with Charles Xavier to rescue their daughter Xandra. Imperial also introduces the Intergalactic Empire of Wakanda, an idea first hinted at in 2015’s Secret Wars and later developed in Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Black Panther series.

Despite these connections, Hickman emphasized that Imperial isn’t as tightly linked to his previous works as one might assume.

“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 noted. “Sure, there’s some of that in there, but not as much as some people might expect.”

Imperial also marks a return to cosmic storytelling for the Hulk family, with the preview art indicating a revisit to the war-torn world of Sakaar, reminiscent of the 2006 Planet Hulk storyline. Hickman confirmed that this return is intentional, given the upcoming twentieth anniversary of Planet Hulk.

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 the decision to split the series between artists Federico Vicentini and Iban Coello. Hickman shared his thoughts on 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 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 is slated for release on June 4, 2025.