It seems Marvel’s attempt to launch a new, large-scale cosmic storyline has stalled, and fans have clearly shown they aren’t interested in a Captain Marvel-focused story.
In early December, Marvel announced a new, continuing comic book series called Imperial Guardians by Dan Abnett and Marcelo Ferreira. This series is a direct continuation of the story started in Jonathan Hickman’s Imperial.
However, the plans changed quickly. When details for April 2025 were announced just a month later, the series was revealed to be a shorter, five-issue story instead of an ongoing one.
Originally Pitched as a Flagship Cosmic Relaunch
Marvel announced Imperial Guardians on their website in December, positioning it as a key part of their plans for future cosmic-based stories.
Following the storyline from Hickman’s Imperial, this story features Maximus of the Inhumans creating a secret team. Their mission: to maintain peace within the newly established Galactic Union, even if it requires extreme measures.
The team includes: Gamora, Captain Marvel, Darkhawk, Amadeus Cho, and Cosmic Ghost Rider.
The movie was meant to feel like a follow-up to Guardians of the Galaxy, but with characters who felt more reckless and less safe.
From “Ongoing” to “Limited” To Cancellation
Even though Marvel heavily promoted Imperial Guardians #2 with quotes and preview covers, the latest details show the series will only last five issues. This means the comic is effectively canceled before the first issue even hits shelves.
It seems the first issue didn’t appeal much to fans of Marvel’s cosmic stories, which isn’t surprising given Marvel’s history with the cosmic line and how they’ve handled the fanbase over the last fifteen years.
Fans have expressed frustration with certain character choices, particularly Captain Marvel, feeling she’s been overly promoted. They’re also unhappy with the direction of characters like Gamora and the inclusion of Cosmic Ghost Rider, finding them unsuitable for leadership roles. Similarly, many feel Amadeus Cho doesn’t fit the Hulk persona and shouldn’t be presented as a replacement.
Darkhawk was a really interesting character, but Marvel canceled his comic series around 2010. I haven’t heard what’s happened with him since then.
Honestly, I’m hearing rumors that the She-Hulk and Nova series might not get a second season, and I wouldn’t be totally surprised. They’ve both been just… okay, you know? Kind of middle-of-the-road. It reminds me a bit of how I felt about Hickman’s Imperial event – it just didn’t really grab me.
Hey, maybe if they gave them 18 variant covers, they would still be around???
IMPERIAL GUARDIANS #2: The Galactic Union maintains peace, but it’s the Imperial Guardians who handle the dangerous jobs nobody else wants. This issue, Maximus of the Inhumans sends his elite team to deal with a sensitive problem, leading our heroes to the planet Xarth. The Xarthians, a small civilization with big dreams, have obtained a powerful artifact that could either elevate them to galactic prominence or destroy the entire Union – and they won’t surrender it easily. This issue features multiple cover variants by various artists. It’s 32 pages and rated for teens plus, priced at $4.99.
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2026-01-27 00:03