Brian Michael Bendis renewed his exclusive agreement with Marvel Entertainment after announcing his departure from the X-Men franchise. Bendis will make his exit with the milestone Uncanny X-Men #600.
The current Guardians of the Galaxy writer is launching a Guardians Team-Up book. Both titles will tie into the just launched Black Vortex crossover with All-New X-Men.
Bendis is reuniting with this original Ultimate Spider-Man artist Mark Bagely for Ultimate End, the final Ultimate Universe story.
All these stories come just before the big Secret Wars event where the Marvel and Ultimate Universes are destroyed and there is only Battleworld.
After acclaimed runs on Avengers, Daredevil, X-Men and Ultimate Spider-Man, which Marvel heroes will he take on next?
Here are our picks for the next big thing for Bendis and Marvel:
Black Panther
The dethroned King of Wakanda hasn’t starred in his own series in a while but he’s been a critical character in Jonathan Hickman’s New Avengers epic.
Marvel Studios announced Black Panther will appear in Captain America: Civil War before appearing in his own film and possibly Avengers: The Infinity War. Longtime readers know T’Challa’s story and the history of Wakanda and now it’s time for the world to bow to the King.
T’Challa is a genius inventor who can talk tech with Tony Stark, Reed Richards and any other brainiac and a skilled fighter and master strategist like Captain America or Cyclops. He’s a noble but tragic figure always sacrificing love and happiness and his good name for the sake of his people and country. T’Challa is a modern man of science tied to mysticism and tradition of the past.
Black Panther has been a behind the scenes player with the Illuminati in Game of Thrones worthy plots and counter-plots in New Avengers. I would love to see Bendis take T’Challa, Wakanda and Shuri into the forefront of the new Marvel Universe. Earlier this year we named Black Panther as the new Avengers leader as one of our 15 geek wishes for 2015. Bendis may not return to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes but could make Black Panther lead of a new franchise for Marvel.
Doctor Strange
Bendis recruited Stephen Strange for his New Avengers run and X-Man Magik is studying under Strange from the past.
Benedict Cumberbatch is playing the Sorcerer Supreme in a Marvel movie so now’s a magic time to launch a new Doctor Strange ongoing and let Bendis conjure new supernatural heroes and villains while reintroducing readers to the classic cast of Strange’s world: Night Nurse, Clea, Dormannu, Mephisto and Baron Mordo.
After seeing Strange tutor Magik I’d like to see the Master of the Mystic Arts evolve into a Professor X for young people gifted or cursed with supernatural powers and legacies.
This was another of our 15 geek wishes for 2015.
Adam Warlock
Keeping it cosmic. The famous cocoon of this space savior was one of the many Easter eggs Guardians of the Galaxy.
With the huge success of Star-Lord and company and the cinematic march to Avengers: The Infinity War, fans will go starry-eyed for the return of Adam Warlock, the Magus, The Enclave and other cosmic characters inspired by epics like Infinity Gauntlet, Watch & Crusade and Annihilation.
Movies don’t always follow comic canon but Adam Warlock is central to Marvel’s space epics. This could be a launching point for new adventures exploring Marvel origins. In the Guardians of the Galaxy Bendis took us to the Planet of the Symbiotes and the origin of Venom. I can see Bendis “Assemble” a new team to venture even further into the post Secret Wars universe.
And our fourth and final….
Fantastic Four
This would certainly silence the critics.
After Avengers and X-Men, Bendis could breathe new life into Marvel’s First Family after several restarts. I loved how Bendis wrote Susan Storm and Wolverine together in Age of Ultron. Seeing Reed and Sue on rival sides in Jonathan Hickman’s New Avengers Time Runs Out has been exciting.
The FF have a tradition of famous replacements. Earlier this year we suggested that the Fantastic Four didn’t have to be Reed, Sue, Johnny and Ben. What if the first four moved on to new roles and new heroes emerged in their legacy in the tradition of Young Avengers.
Prepare for an All-New, All-Different Fantastic Four? (Yes, this was one of our 15 geek wishes for 2015, too)
What Marvels do you want to see Bendis take on next after Secret Wars? Share with us in the comments below or join the conversation with us on Twitter.
By Editor