Marvel’s latest foray into the Ultimate Universe has garnered considerable acclaim, particularly highlighted by the success of **Ultimate Spider-Man**, crafted by Jonathan Hickman and Marco Checchetto, which consistently outperforms the flagship **The Amazing Spider-Man** series in sales. However, despite this success, Marvel has indicated a clear intent to bring the Ultimate line to a close in 2026.
This announcement was a key focal point during Marvel’s “Next Big Thing” panel at New York Comic Con 2025. With the launch of **Ultimate Endgame** set for December, which serves as the culmination of the ongoing narrative surrounding The Maker, the imprint is poised to conclude without any hints of relaunches or reboots.
Marvel has confirmed that Hickman and Checchetto will wrap up their **Ultimate Spider-Man** storyline with issue #24 in December. Furthermore, all ongoing Ultimate comics are slated to conclude between December 2025 and April 2026, including **The Ultimates** by Deniz Camp and Juan Frigeri, which recently received **IGN’s Best Comic Book Series or Original Graphic Novel of 2024**.
Camp shared his reflections on this transformative occasion, saying, “It’s hard to talk about without getting emotional. It really is the culmination of everything Jonathan began. Everything from my book and everyone else’s book are all converging. It’s gonna be definitive, it’s going to be big, it’s going to be emotional, there’s going to be death…it’s just wild.”
Additionally, Dan Buckley, Head of Marvel Comics and Franchise, highlighted the lasting impact of this narrative arc, stating, “You’ll be able to take this journey—the beginning, middle, and end—and digest it for years to come and pass it on to others.”
In more uplifting news from the panel, Marvel unveiled an upcoming monthly **Iron Man** series, set to be penned by Joshua Williamson (**Superman**) and illustrated by Carmen Carnero (**Exceptional X-Men**).
Iron Man (2026) #1 Preview Gallery
Marvel describes the narrative of the new series: The unapologetic Iron Man is a once-in-a-lifetime hero – but the beating heart behind the armor is a once-in-a-century genius. Years ago, Tony Stark was knocking on death’s door, so he created the Iron Man armor to survive! What happens the next time death comes calling? What weapon does he create then? What if…someone else creates it first? These questions have haunted Tony for years, a ticking time bomb inside of him waiting to explode. Femme fatale Madame Masque has also asked these questions, and with the power of Advanced Idea Mechanics behind her…she’s ready to create the next great weapon.
Mark your calendars: **Iron Man #1** will be available in stores on **January 28, 2026**.
In other news from NYCC, it was revealed that **Batman: Knightfall** is receiving an animated movie adaptation, alongside the revival of a controversial canceled **Swamp Thing** comic by DC.
Based on reporting by Jesse Schedeen. Read the full story at IGN.
