Planet Of The Apes Is Now A Part Of Marvel
Marvel Comics is bringing Planet of the Apes back to the comics.
When Disney bought 20th Century Studios from Fox, Marvel fans rejoiced at the idea that both the Fantastic Four and the X-Men would be returning home to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. However, there are other properties that came along with the comic book heroes, and now they are beginning to come to fruition. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Marvel Comics has launched a 20th Century Studios imprint, which will debut with a Planet of the Apes comic.
According to the report, the newly acquired property chronicling the Earth being taken over by highly evolved apes will see a new comic under the Marvel banner. Writer David F. Walker, artist David Wachter, and cover artist Joshua Cassara will contribute to the new book and add the hairy villains to the cadre of antagonists from the Planet of the Apes to the Marvel Comics line. Marvel Comics editor-in-chief C.B. Cebulski commented that they were excited to bring the line into the fold.
While the 20th Century Studios imprint is new, Planet of the Apes isn’t the first property from Fox to get a recent Marvel Comic. Marvel released an Alien comic in 2021 and a Predator comic in 2022. More comics from those franchise are expected from the 20th Cenuty imprint.
Marvel’s parent company Disney is also continuing to move these properties to the screen as well. Last year’s Predator sequel, Prey, saw one of the titular aliens stalking both French hunters and Comanche warriors in the early 18th century. The film did so well that it picked up a 93% from the critics and 73% from the fans, sparking them to call for more period pieces.
They also have been working on the next installment of the Alien franchise that has been in development and should be getting kicked up a little faster due to Prey’s success. The new film will be directed by Fede Alvarez and is being produced by Scott Free Productions to be released on Hulu the same way that Prey was. It is also reported to star Isabela Merced, who is best known for her starring role in Dora the Explorer and the Father of the Bride reboot.
Finally, Planet of the Apes is getting the Marvel treatment by having both comic lines and feature films in production at the same time. While Marvel develops the new comic, 20th Century’s Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has wrapped filming for a May 24, 2024, release date. The film is directed by Wes Bal and takes place decades after the Matt Reeves trilogy, with Apes becoming highly evolved and the human race devolving into a feral existence.
While the movies have been successful in all four franchises (MCU, Planet of the Apes, Aliens, and Predator), they have a treasure trove of storylines in the comics as well. If you are looking for more Planet of the Apes content, keep an eye out for the new Marvel comic.
