Marvel Comics has announced “Planet of the Apes vs. the Fantastic Four,” the first crossover series between the legendary film series and the House of Ideas superheroes. Premiering in February of this year, the four-issue series, written by Josh Trujillo (What If…? Galactus) with art by Andrea Di Vito (Emma Frost: The White Queen), will find Marvel’s First Family trapped in the world of the original 1968 film.
Cover of Planet of the Apes vs. Fantastic Four #1 (Greg Land)
Marvel’s First Family is stranded on the Planet of the Apes! Witness history as the Fantastic Four meet Cornelius, Zira, Ursus, and of course Dr. Zaius for the first time. But they don’t go alone! Familiar foes from the Marvel Universe set their sights on Ape City, setting the stage for a battle royale that fans won’t soon forget.
Trujillo said, “I grew up watching Planet of the Apes marathons on Saturday afternoons, so it’s such a thrill to write for these iconic characters! It’s so much fun to see Marvel’s First Family face off against Cornelius, Zira, and Dr. Zaius, and I can’t believe I’m the one to tell this epic story. It’s a mashup that’s been decades in the making, so I hope you’ll join me!”
Di Vito added, “It may seem like a strange meeting at first, but then you realize that these two franchises were meant to meet sooner or later. Exploration has always been the main driving force for the Fantastic Four, and the ending on Planet of the Apes is absolutely perfect for the classic Final Fantasy adventure set within the immortal tone created by Stan (Lee) and Jack (Kirby). We are honored to be able to describe this ‘first official meeting’ between the Marvel Universes.” And Planet of the Apes. ”
Marvel originally published the Planet of the Apes comics from 1974 to 1977, then reinstated the license in 2022. In the intervening years, publishers were publishing works like BOOM! The studio has produced crossovers with DC’s Green Lantern, Star Trek, King Kong and other films, but until recently, none with Marvel, which has been reluctant to do crossovers between companies. This crossover comes as a surprise considering that Marvel has only released two new POTA miniseries since regaining the rights (the second was released in early 2024 ahead of its predecessor, the Apes series), while the original film’s 60th anniversary won’t be until 2028.
But while the Fantastic Four headline Marvel’s latest film, returning to the decade in which both franchises originated, they also coincidentally just starred in the Gargoyles crossover and the DC Universe Infinite exclusive Flash team-up against Gorilla Grodd. Considering that Planet of the Apes is also a racial allegory, it’s an appropriate choice for a book to kick off Black History Month.
“Planet of the Apes vs. Fantastic Four #1” will be released on February 4th and will be covered by Greg Land. In the meantime, you can check out interior art by Di Vito and Eric Arciniega below, featuring Ben Grimm doing his best Charlton Heston impression.
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