The Marvel Universe is gearing up to debut a new Winter Soldier, which means it’s so long, Bucky, and hello…Logan?
The Ultimate Universe soft reboot commenced in 2023, reimagining the alternate universe concept established by the Ultimate Marvel comics, which ran from 2000 through 2015. Jonathan Hickman and Bryan Hitch’s “Ultimate Invasion” began the new chapter of this Multiverse-exploring series in late 2023, with current ongoing series including “Ultimate Spider-Man,” “Ultimate Black Panther,” “Ultimate X-Men,” and “The Ultimates.”
Now, comic book fans know where the series will go next and with who.
Wolverine Becomes the Winter Soldier
Announced during New York Comic-Con on October 17, 2024, Marvel confirmed what is next for its recently rebooted Ultimate Universe comic book event.
“Hitting stands in January, ULTIMATE WOLVERINE will be written by rising star Chris Condon (That Texas Blood, VENOM WAR: DAREDEVIL) and drawn by MOON KNIGHT powerhouse artist Alessandro Cappuccio,” reads Marvel.com‘s follow-up announcement. “True to the character’s origin as a government weapon, Ultimate Wolverine is an unwilling agent of the Maker, the secret creator of this corrupt universe.”
The kicker really comes with what Marvel says next: “Mindwiped and used as an assassin, he’s still the best there is as at what he does… even if he’s not in control of who he does it to.”
Sound familiar?
In 2014, Kevin Feige’s superhero franchise revealed that Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, the presumed dead best friend of Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), had undergone experiments making him a powerful and menacing weapon: the Winter Soldier. Over the course of the MCU’s Phases Two and Three, the MCU explored the aftermath and fallout of Bucky’s actions as the superpowered assassin.
Stan’s character was last seen in live-action in Phase Four’s Disney+ series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, where the character teamed up with Anthony Mackie’s Sam Wilson, AKA Falcon, to take on a global threat. He is slated to return to the franchise in a leading role capacity alongside Florence Pugh in Jake Schreier’s Phase Five finisher, Thunderbolts* (2025). Pugh will co-star as Yelena Belova, reprising her role from Black Widow (2021) and Hawkeye.
As for this next chapter in Marvel Comics’ Ultimate Universe, writer Chris Condon explained why “Ultimate Wolverine” makes him excited.
“When Wil Moss called me and asked me if I wanted to take on this title, I jumped at the chance and immediately had an idea of what to do with it,” said the writer. “I’m bringing my essence of storytelling from That Texas Blood to the Marvel Universe with Wolverine, looking back at what came before and bringing us something new.”
“You might notice that there’s a Red Star on his costume, and you might wonder why,” Condon continued. “If you look at that mask, there’s a muzzle on him, and that’s because he’s wild.”
Marvel teased the events of “Ultimate Wolverine,” saying, “In order to maintain control of their corner of the Maker’s world, three members of his council – Magik, Colossus, and Omega Red – deploy their most lethal asset: The Winter Soldier!” And there will be no surprise whose face is behind the mask.
Before the second year of “Ultimate” stories commence in January with “Ultimate Wolverine,” Marvel has shared that Logan will make an appearance in the “Ultimate Universe: One Year In #1,” which is a “special one-shot that concludes the first year of Marvel’s new Ultimate Universe and sets up the next year of stories, including the Maker’s long-awaited return!”
The first issue of “Ultimate Wolverine” will hit shelves on January 15, 2025.
It’s Wolverine’s World, and We Are Just Living in It
The iconic character of James Howlett, AKA Logan/Wolverine, recently debuted in the MCU with Hugh Jackman reprising his role from the Fox superhero movies. In Deadpool & Wolverine (2024), Logan and Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds) took on an existential threat, which marked Disney and Marvel Studios’ first foray into R-rated storytelling.
It was a risk that paid off. Deadpool & Wolverine quickly crossed the billion-dollar mark and became the highest-grossing R-rated movie in history, surpassing the Joker (2019) and Oppenheimer (2023). Despite the commercial success of Deadpool & Wolverine, the studio has yet to greenlight a sequel, although it can be expected as the franchise races to the end of Phase Five with Captain America: Brave New World (2025) and the aforementioned Thunderbolts*.
Related: Marvel Reveals First Look at Recast Character After Actor Exits MCU
Fans may presume that Sebastian Stan will show up in Julius Onah’s Brave New World, being part of the Captain America mythos and all, but it seems like Bucky will be noticeably absent–unless these recent rumors end up being true.
That said, fans of Stan’s anti-hero can find him in Thunderbolts*, where he will seemingly enter a dangerous plot alongside, as Disney puts it, “the MCU’s least anticipated band of misfits.”
How do you feel about this new take on the Winter Soldier? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!
The post Goodbye, Bucky Barnes: Marvel Officially Reveals the New Winter Soldier appeared first on Inside the Magic.
