Marvel Ending a Massive Universe in 2026

Like all good stories, even the best comic book storylines eventually finish. It looks like one particularly popular series is about to reach its conclusion.

The Ultimate Universe from Marvel will conclude in April 2026. The news was revealed on October 8, 2025, during a special event at New York Comic Con. Marvel’s editor-in-chief, C.B. Cebulski, jokingly assured retailers that the announcement was genuine, despite any skepticism.

This final phase of the Ultimate Universe storyline is the result of an agreement with writer Jonathan Hickman, who has been guiding the imprint for three years. He included a clause in his contract stating the universe would conclude when the story felt complete, which is why this popular storyline is ending sooner than some might expect.

The comic book series is concluding with a special event called *Ultimate Endgame*. This event will finish the story and its first issue’s cover art is a nod to a famous poster, reminiscent of the early days of the popular Marvel movies.

The first issue of *Ultimate Endgame* is being billed as a major event years in the making for the new Ultimate Universe. Every character in this reality will team up to face a powerful enemy: the Maker, who is also known as Reed Richards from another universe. Marvel is also releasing variant covers for the first issue, so readers won’t know which cover they’re getting when they buy it.

The Origins Of Marvel’s Ultimate Universe

The Ultimate Universe began in June 2023 as a continuation of the successful Ultimate Marvel line, which originally ran from 2000 to 2015. A tragic version of Reed Richards from the earlier universe (Earth-1610) became the villain known as the Maker, and his actions set the stage for the current Ultimate Universe.

Similar to other alternate universes in comics, the Ultimate Universe features fresh takes on familiar characters. For example, their version of Spider-Man is Peter Parker who’s already married to Mary Jane Watson when he gets his powers. The universe also includes *Ultimate X-Men*, which presents Mutants with roots in magic and mythology, and *Ultimate Black Panther*, where T’Challa defends Africa against the gods Khonshu and Ra.

This new storyline introduces a revamped version of The Ultimates, spearheaded by a young Tony Stark, called Iron Lad. Alongside familiar heroes like Thor and America Chavez, the team includes a surprising addition: a different version of Reed Richards. Instead of being Mister Fantastic, this Richards goes by Doom – and fully embraces the Doctor Doom persona, complete with the iconic armor and mask.

Ultimate Endgame hits shelves and digital platforms Dec. 31, 2025.

Read More

2025-10-09 19:11