A new Marvel Cinematic Universe is coming, but it’s possible Marvel could shock everyone by returning to one of the company’s biggest past failures in order to shape a successful future for the MCU. Signs point to the return of the short-lived “New Universe” in the comics, which could set the stage for an ambitious path forward for Marvel on screen.
Battleworld #2, written by Christos Gage, with art by Marcus To, features the official return of Star Brand, who was briefly among Marvel’s most powerful heroes in the 1980s.
Yet the original Star Brand was never part of the Marvel Universe; he hailed from the “New Universe” instead, a forgotten crop of Marvel properties ripe for cinematic revival.
The Return Of ’80s Powerhouse Star Brand Teases A Revival Of Marvel’s Experimental “New Universe”
Battleworld #2, Avengers #32, And More Have Hinted At A “New Universe” Comeback
Star Brand’s return is the biggest sign yet that Marvel has plans for the “New Universe,” but it isn’t the only one. The current Avengers comic arc features Kang the Conqueror trying to kill Marvel’s current reality in order “to create a New Universe.” And it seems entirely possible he might succeed.
Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’ confrontation with Kang takes place on Battleworld, which is also the site of Star Brand’s introduction to Marvel lore proper, almost forty full years after his “New Universe” introduction. His appearance at the end of Battleworld #2 teases “a whole New Universe” in the next issue. Beyond that, the future of the “New Universe” is open to speculation.
Just like the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe beyond the next two Avengers films. Notably, Battleworld is expected to play a significant role in Secret Wars, the second half of the upcoming duology. If its Multiversal potential is taken to its fullest extent, the film could introduce the cinematic Star Brand, paralleling the comics.
Star Brand And The “New Universe” Were Too Avant-Garde For The 1980s, But They Could Be The Future Of The MCU
Marvel’s Forgotten “New Universe” Characters Have Major Cinematic Potential
In hindsight, Marvel’s “New Universe” seems more and more ahead of its time. In the late 1980s, it was essentially a disaster. Eight “New Universe” titles launched in late 1986. Sales were poor, and the overall project was tragically misunderstood. Half of the books didn’t make it through their first year.
Star Brand, the imprint’s debut title, limped along until 1989, ending after 19 issues. A different version of the Star Brand character was later incorporated into the Marvel Universe, but the OG, Kenneth Connell, languished on the shelf for years until Battleworld #2 brought him back. At least, this opens the door to other “New Universe” characters and concepts entering Marvel lore.
Yet there’s an even wilder alternative to consider. The “New Universe” might have been ahead of its time in 1986, but four decades later, its time could be now. And perhaps it was never destined for success as an alternative to the Marvel Universe, but it could be the next evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
A “New Marvel Cinematic Universe” Could Replicate The Success Of The MCU’s Early Phases
How A Cinematic “New Universe” Could Succeed Where The Original Failed
Everyone expects an MCU reboot following Avengers: Secret Wars. Marvel Studios has effectively signaled as much. The inherent problem with that, though, is whoever portrays the future film versions of heroes like Iron Man, Captain America, and the core Avengers are all going to have to act in the shadow of the originals.
An MCU reboot would be akin to Marvel’s Ultimate Universe, remixing existing mythology, reinterpreting familiar beats, and returning to recognizable iconography. Alternatively, Marvel could go back to the proto-Ultimate Universe, the “New Universe,” as the foundation for its next era of movies. We’ll call this the “New Marvel Cinematic Universe,” or NMCU.
The NMCU could start with Star Brand, and introduce more heroes through subsequent solo films, while building toward an Avengers-esque team-up, essentially trying to repeat the formula of the early MCU. It could put the “New Universe” cast of characters, who never truly got their due, to their greatest possible use.
The “New Universe” Was Ultimate Marvel Before Ultimate Marvel; Now, It Can Be The New Marvel Cinematic Universe
Existing Characters Unburdened By Excessive Lore
Marvel’s second incarnation of the Ultimate Universe, which is ending in early 2026, has been lauded for telling an overarching story across multiple titles, through the course of several years, sticking to a beginning, middle, and end that was charted out in advance. It is a new, concentrated form of Marvel’s traditional superhero storytelling.
Yet much of this was prefigured by the “New Universe.” Even the Ultimate line’s seemingly novel approach of telling its story in almost-real-time was pioneered by the “New Universe.” As such, when the Ultimate books wrap up, it would be fitting for Marvel to relaunch the “New Universe” forty years after the original, now that the comic industry is ready for it.
Beyond that, the eclectic and unique set of “New Universe” superhero characters offer a template for a New Marvel Cinematic Universe that doesn’t look anything like the old one, but could be equally captivating. Plus, if it were designed for a short 5 or so year run, the return of the classic MCU after that could generate massive buzz for Marvel.
