The creator of Ultimate Spider-Man discovered in the middle of a creative meeting that his universe’s days were numbered
During the passage New York Comic ConMarvel Comics confirmed something many fans feared: The Ultimate Universe will end next year with the event Final finale. But the most surprising thing is this the decision didn’t come from Jonathan Hickmanthe architect of this new era of stories, but straight from the upper echelons of Marvel.
Ultimate Universe: Marvel’s most ambitious experiment
Since Hickman and Bryan Hitch revived the concept with The last invasion In 2023, the new Ultimate Universe has become a perfect playground for reinventing classic heroes. In this line, Peter Parker is not your average young student, but a husband and fatherwhich gave the character a maturity that many fans had been asking for for years.
The relaunch was a complete success. With titles like The definitive Spider-Man or The definitive X-MenMarvel has proven that it can offer new stories without losing the essence of its characters. However, The publisher has decided to end the experiment before it becomes repetitive or chaotic.just like what happened with the original version of the universe over the last decade.
Hickman learns the news by surprise
Dan Buckley, president of Marvel Comics, said it Pop verses as Hickman discovered that his universe’s days were numbered. “We were on one of those creative retreatstalking about future projects, and he said, “Well, when we finish our stories, you can do whatever you want.” And I said, ‘No, you’re going to finish.'”
Buckley recalls the screenwriter’s reaction with humor: “Jonathan looked at me and said, ‘What do you mean we’re done?’ And I said, ‘We closed everything. It’s the end, right?’”
This anecdote proves it Hickman did not foresee an immediate endalthough it is a story with a defined structure: beginning, development and conclusion. Buckley insisted that this closed format is part of what makes this editorial line special. “We wanted it to be a complete experiencesomething that readers can revisit and recommend as a complete work from start to finish,” he explained.
Of course the manager made it clear They have no intention of doing the same with the main Marvel universe616. “This is a narrative experiment, not a model that we will apply throughout our continuity,” Buckley stressed.
The return of the Creator and the beginning of the end
The big bad behind the whole arc is the creatora twisted version of Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic) from the original Ultimate universe. In The last invasionthis character created a world in which heroes never existedmanipulating history as he pleases. However, fate always finds a way for heroes to reemerge, and figures like Spider-Man and the Ultimates began to challenge its dominance.
Now, with his liberation from interdimensional prisonthe Creator will be the catalyst of Final finalea five-issue miniseries that will start in December and promises to close this stage in style.
An ending planned… but not by who you thought
While many thought that Hickman engineered the rebirth of the Ultimate Universe with a pre-planned end, it appears so the decision to conclude that it was corporate. Marvel wants to leave it as a “closed work,” an example of what can be achieved when a group of creators have total freedom to construct a story with a defined destiny.
In a certain sense, the closure comes at the best time: before the line loses strength or becomes redundant. The original version of the Ultimate Universe, we remember, ended up saturated with crossovers, gratuitous deaths and unnecessary twists. This time, Marvel seems to want to avoid that mistake.
And although the farewell may hurt fans who appreciated this more adult and familiar version of Peter Parker, Hickman leaves behind one of the most daring experiments in modern comics. Final finale it will not only be the end of a line, but also proof that superheroes can still reinvent themselves without losing their soul.
