Earlier this year, Marvel’s biggest foray into the manga world came to an end, as the Merc with a Mouth’s Shonen Jump story released its final chapter. Deadpool: Samurai ended in the perfect way for Wade Wilson, as the Marvel mercenary destroyed Shueisha’s offices while strolling off into the sunset. Unfortunately, it seems that Deadpool isn’t the only Marvel hero who is preparing to say goodbye to the manga world, as New York City’s favorite web spinner is preparing to do the same. Ultraman: Along Came a Spider-Man saw Peter Parker teaming up with a legendary Japanese hero, and while this crossover might end, the series will not.
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This crossover series that brought together Marvel and Tsuburaya’s biggest heroes first began in 2024, seeing Spidey and Ultraman unite in the face of Dr. Doom’s new machinations. In a recent social media post, series artist Tomo Hirokawa confirmed that chapter 43 brings this crossover to an end. Luckily, the series will continue and just follow Ultraman, as Hirokawa confirms, “Ultraman Along Came a Spider-Man Episode 43 is now available on Tsubuima! The content included in Comics Volume 4 ends here! Starting next time, all episodes will feature Ultraman, and the part for the final Volume 5 begins!” While the story might have reached its natural conclusion, there is another big reason as to why this manga crossover is ending.
The Marvel Manga Era Has Ended
In recent years, Marvel has struck a partnership with Shueisha, creating manga under the “Shonen Jump” banner. Unfortunately, this crossover was announced to end in March of this year, meaning that offerings like Deadpool: Samurai wouldn’t continue. While the Ultraman crossover doesn’t fall under this umbrella, it might prove that the comic book publisher is pulling back on teaming up with the manga world. Specifically, the original statement confirmed that the partnership ended on March 31st of this year, “Important notice. Shogakukan-Shueisha Productions will be terminating its publishing agreement with U.S. Marvel Comics as of March 31, 2026. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused and kindly ask for your understanding and cooperation.”
Despite the rise in popularity for the medium, Marvel has shockingly not dipped its toes into the world of anime as of late. While we have seen characters such as Iron Man, the X-Men, Blade, and Wolverine given their own anime adaptations from Studio Madhouse, these series debuted decades ago. With Disney seeing success in Star Wars: Visions, the anime anthology series that sees anime studios create new stories within the universe of the Jedi, many have wondered if Marvel might eventually take a similar route. As of the writing of this article, however, none of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes have been confirmed to receive a new anime series. Luckily, even if it never receives an anime adaptation, you can read the latest crossover between Spider-Man and Ultraman by clicking here.
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