Via IGN, Marvel have announced they have acquired the comic book licenses to the Alien and Predator franchises, bringing to an end the comics that had been published by Dark Horse since 1988.
In the announcement, Marvel’s editor-in-chief C.B. Cebulski declared, “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! 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!”
Editor Jake Thomas added, “The incredible legacies of both franchises offer some of the most compelling and exciting worldbuilding in all of science fiction. 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.”
Dark Horse began publishing “Aliens” comics in 1988, and “Predator” ones in 1989: that same year, artist and editor Chris Warner came up with the idea of pitting the two monsters against each other in the pages of “Dark Horse Presents,” and the two 20th Century Fox franchises became inseparable in fans’ minds, leading to the concept being adapted into video games, and films. Dark Horse also published a number of prose novels in the universe under its imprint DH Press from 2005 to 2008, and a line of comics based on the Alien prequel Prometheus.
The two series are now the latest Disney-owned properties to have moved to Marvel, after the “Star Wars” books in 2015. That decision followed Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm in 2012, while this one follows the finalization of their acquisition of Fox (now renamed 20th Century Studios) last year. The final miniseries in Dark Horse’s line-ups are now set to be “Alien: The Original Screenplay,” which will begin August 5, and “Predator: The Original Screenplay,” which is currently undated after the COVID-19-induced Diamond shutdown. Currently, Dark Horse still holds the license to comics of Disney’s animated output.
The announcement was accompanied with artwork by David Finch of the Alien and Predator, respectively in the Guardians of the Galaxy’s ship (nearby Star-Lord’s Walkman), and at Avengers HQ (holding Iron Man’s spine). While IGN said this should not be seen as confirmation of a crossover, there were DC crossovers at Dark Horse, and Finch said he “cannot wait to see them wreaking havoc in the Marvel Universe. I drew my pictures of them with a massive smile on my face.”
