The Most Surprising Marvel Crossover Ever Is About to Overshadow Avengers: Doomsday

Image: Zade Rosenthal/Marvel Studios/Everett Collection

While I am certainly looking forward to seeing the Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four collide on the big screen in Avengers: Doomsday this winter, Marvel just unveiled a crossover event that feels tailor-made for my inner child. Arriving this September, the one-shot comic The Muppets Take the Marvel Universe will commemorate 50 years of The Muppet Show by bringing Jim Henson’s iconic ensemble into the heart of the Marvel multiverse.

Last year, to celebrate the Muppets’ 70th anniversary, Marvel showcased a series of variant covers featuring the cast in heroic roles—think Sam Eagle as Captain America or Kermit channeling his inner Thor. While those images were delightful, they were purely aesthetic. This upcoming release, however, promises actual narrative crossovers, weaving the chaotic charm of the Muppets directly into the fabric of Marvel’s short-story universe.

Image: Marvel

The project boasts a powerhouse creative team, including writers like Chip Zdarsky, Phillip Kennedy Johnson, and Kyle Starks, joined by artists such as Paco Medina and Nick Bradshaw. The confirmed story lineup is a fantastic mix of the logical and the wonderfully absurd. We’ll see Bruce Banner and Hank Pym collaborating with the mad geniuses at Muppet Labs to tinker with Gamma Rays and Pym Particles, while the Swine Trek crew is set for a high-stakes encounter with Rocket Raccoon and Groot. Other, more bizarre pairings include the villainous Mojo kidnapping Rowlf the Dog, and a surreal kitchen-based adventure involving Doctor Strange and the Swedish Chef.

Image: Marvel

With more stories still under wraps, the possibilities are endless. I’m personally holding out for an encounter between Wolverine and Animal, or perhaps a masterclass in snark where Statler and Waldorf go toe-to-toe with Professor X and Magneto. Hell, imagine Namor’s reaction to Lew Zealand using fish as projectiles. If the lineup is even half as imaginative as I’m picturing, we’re in for a treat as limitless as Fozzie Bear’s repertoire of questionable jokes.

Source: Polygon