Marvel Comics gets Alien and Predator

Did you have a suspicion that this would happen? Well, either way, now it’s official; Marvel Comics has the rights to Alien and Predator.

In comics, no one can hear you scream

When Disney purchased 20th Century Fox a short time ago, they essentially got the rights back for the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, and their accompanying characters. That was the main story, and the one that everyone was most interested in. It’s easy to see why, as having those guys and gals folded into the MCU is pretty awesome. But it’s not the only possibility that was created.

Published by Dark Horse Comics for decades, Alien and Predator also were absorbed into the kingdom of the mouse. For a time, that basically meant the movie rights, but now it has been announced that the comic book rights too, would be reeled in and placed with Marvel Comics.

From the press release:

“There’s nothing more thrilling than a story that will keep you at the edge of your seat, and Alien and Predator have delivered that time and time again!” C.B. Cebulski, Editor-in-Chief of Marvel, told IGN. “I can clearly remember where I was when I saw each of these modern masterpieces for the first time, and reveling in how both masterfully weave extraterrestrial dread and drama into some of the most iconic scenes we’ve ever seen on film. And it’s that legacy that we’re going to live up to!”

“The incredible legacies of both franchises offer some of the most compelling and exciting worldbuilding in all of science fiction,” said Marvel Editor Jake Thomas. “It is a thrill and an honor to be able to add to that mythology and continuity with all-new stories set within those universes.”

“Alien and Predator are the two of the most identifiable, iconic characters of all time, and I love them for that,” said Finch. “But mostly, it’s being fortunate enough to be a kid when they were new. I’ve seen every movie they’ve ever been in, and I cannot wait to see them wreaking havoc in the Marvel Universe. I drew my pictures of them with a massive smile on my face.”

“As a visual medium, comics are the perfect place to build on those moments, and we here at Marvel are honored to begin telling these stories for fans everywhere,” added Cebulski. “As our release schedule continues to return, we can’t wait to share more in the coming months!”

Marvel Comics press release

So what’s this mean exactly?

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While Marvel is playing this a little close to the vest right now, there are few gems in the press release that do tell at least part of the picture. For example, in the above quote box and Predator cover-image, we can clearly tell that Marvel plans on bringing the xenomorphs and Predators into the Marvel (superhero) Universe.

I think it’s probably safe to assume that we might see a similar plan fall into place as with the recently acquired Conan. Meaning that we will have Alien and Predator stores in the Marvel U, but also existing as a separate thing.

Marvel also mentions that there’s a deep history with both of these franchises. Plus, at the tail end of the press release, the publisher adds that “comic book titles, collections, reprints, and creative teams” will be announced at a later date. Might that mean that we will be getting collections of stuff that was originally published by Dark Horse? Could be. Whatever the plan is, we’ll be finding it out before too long, since Marvel is getting back to normal in terms of releases etc.

And in the meantime, you can check out the above David Finch pieces, which will serve as covers come 2021, when these two movie monsters make theirs Marvel.