HUGE news announced at the recent Tokyo Comic Con. Marvel and Japanese media company Tsuburaya Productions have agreed on a very exciting deal, to bring Ultraman to Marvel! That’s right, the Japanese pop culture classic is set to receive a brand new line of comics and graphic novels.
Ultraman was first introduced to Japanese TV by the legendary Eiji Tsuburaya, in a series called Ultra Q, where the story begins with an ultra alien race coming to Earth, disguised as humans to protect the world from Kaiju (yep the same kind we’ve seen on Pacific Rim) monsters. The series later evolved to be called the Ultra Series, featuring an array of Ultra-men. 50 years of fandom has proven Ultraman to be one of the most internationally popular superhero franchises.
Marvel Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski said in the comic con announcement, “like Marvel, Ultraman captivated generations by telling spectacular stories grounded in the real world, and it continues to be a beloved classic through its television shows, movies, toys, games, comics, and more. We are so thrilled to introduce new chapters to the Ultraman Multiverse next year.”
Ultraman has made a cameo appearance in the Marvel before, but it’s not until now that it will properly and officially join the Marvel franchise. Tsuburaya Productions CEO Takayuki Tsukagoshi said, “We can’t be more excited to explore and create new stories for the Ultraman franchise with Marvel and bringing them to both Marvel and Ultraman fans all around the world.” Well Mr Takayuki sir, we’re really excited too!
The Ultraman comic book series and graphic novels are expected to launch sometime in 2020. Dates and details about the creatives or story are yet to be revealed.