Not long after Noah Hawley (Fargo, Legion) teased that Disney may be playing with the concept of launching a television series based on Dan O'Bannon, Ridley Scott, and Ronald Schusett's Alien franchise, Marvel has announced its first new Alien comic book series. Alien #1, the first issue of a new series, will debut in March 2021.
Heading up the creative team for Marvel's Alien is writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson (Empyre: Captain America), with art provided by Salvador Larroca (Doctor Doom). In addition to announcing the creative team, Marvel stated that Alien will include both new and classic characters from the Alien mythology.
You can read the official press release for Marvel's Alien below:
The new story will feature a Weyland-Yutani mercenary named Gabriel Cruz as he battles a deadly new breed of xenomorph with the survival of his child hanging in the balance. No stranger to infusing horror with the classic Marvel storytelling, Phillip Kennedy Johnson most recently shocked readers in the terrifying Marvel Zombies: Resurrection series.
In talking about the upcoming series, Johnson said, “Just as a reader and fan, I was as excited as anyone when I heard the franchise was coming to Marvel, and when they asked me to WRITE THE LAUNCH, I was floored. I've been training my whole life for this gig without knowing it. Ever since seeing Ridley Scott’s Alien at way too young an age, I’ve been OBSESSED with the xenomorph, the single most iconic representation of terror on film.”
Lorroca then added, “Drawing this has been like a dream come true, and I am so grateful to be a part of this series! Ever since I was young, Alien has been of my favorite sci-fi horror references, and I never could have expected to have the chance to draw this. Alien is a creative reference to a whole generation of artists, and I’m so proud to now be illustrating this series. I hope readers enjoy it as much as I do drawing it! Phillip’s story is going to be a delight for fans of this awesome franchise!
I’ve devoured every Alien story I could in every medium available and spent a lot of hours in the back of a classroom sketching out ideas for what happened before, after, and in-between the chapters we got to see. Now I have the opportunity to bring my favorite nightmares to life. And with my insanely talented friends at Marvel and some of the greatest artists in comics telling these stories with me, I can promise you: our nightmares will be yours."
Alien fans will surely be pleased to hear that Phillips and Lorroca are long-standing fans of the franchise and that they're overjoyed to be spearheading the new comic book initiative. Whether the launch of Marvel's new Alien comic book series serves as a signal that the company has larger plans for the iconic sci-fi horror property remains to be seen, but let's be honest, there's no way they're going to let Xenomorphs sit on the sidelines. There's simply too much money to be mined with properties the likes of Alien and Predator, and we all know how much Disney and Marvel love the almighty dollar. Truth be told, I would not be surprised if we see some manner of Alien vs. Avengers event sometime down the line. Sure, it might take a while to get there, but I bet Captain America would enjoy punching Xenomorphs almost as much as he loves decking Nazis in the kisser.
We'll be sure to bring you any news regarding Marvel's plans for the Alien franchise as they continue to explore all they've acquired in the Fox merger.