In 2025, Marvel's latest ambitious project, Imperial, promises to redefine the cosmic landscape of the Marvel Universe. Spearheaded by the visionary writer Jonathan Hickman, who previously transformed Marvel with House of X and the new Ultimate Universe, Imperial is set to revolutionize the roles of cosmic heroes like Nova and the Guardians of the Galaxy. This series is poised to establish a new status quo that fans will eagerly follow.

To gain insights into how Imperial will reshape the cosmic arena, IGN had the opportunity to discuss the project with Hickman via email. Dive into an exclusive preview of Imperial #1 in the slideshow gallery below, and continue reading for more details.

Marvel's Imperial #1 Preview Gallery

View 8 ImagesWe started by asking Hickman about the origins of Imperial. Was it a story he was eager to tell, or did Marvel approach him to recreate the success of Krakoa and Ultimate Invasion? According to Hickman, 2025 was the perfect time to reexamine Marvel’s cosmic characters.

“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 success of the new Ultimate line over the past two years has set a precedent, and there are clear parallels between how Imperial is being used to kickstart a new line of cosmic books. We were curious about the similarities Hickman sees between this initiative and the launch of the Ultimate Universe, and what lessons 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 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 echoes the impact of 2006’s Annihilation crossover, which significantly altered the status quo for Marvel’s cosmic heroes and shifted the balance of power. Annihilation laid the groundwork for 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.”

Imperial draws on elements from Hickman’s previous Marvel projects. For instance, the "Hunt for Xavier" crossover in the X-Men line resolved a storyline 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 element first hinted at in 2015’s Secret Wars and later developed in Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Black Panther series.

Despite these connections, Hickman clarified that Imperial isn’t as closely tied to his past works as one might think.

“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 brings the Hulk family back into the cosmic fold. The preview art suggests a return to the war-torn world of Sakaar, reminiscent of 2006’s iconic Planet Hulk storyline. Hickman confirmed that this is intentional and tied to a significant milestone.

Hickman hinted, “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.”

Lastly, we inquired about the decision to split the series between artists Federico Vicentini and Iban Coello. How does the creative team leverage having 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 will hit shelves on June 4, 2025.