Join The Club
Before today, if someone had asked about my favorite thing about 2026 so far — more regarding pop culture than personal life — I’d almost definitely say Seth Rogen’s pitch-perfect Muppet Show revival special. It captured the spirit of the show and its troupe as splendidly as any Muppets project in the 21st century. But now it appears that will soon be eclipsed by a completely different kind of Muppets project: a crossover with Marvel’s superheroes.
That’s right, some of Jim Henson and Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s most beloved creations will be teaming up and/or squaring off for the first time in Marvel Comics’ upcoming one-shot special The Muppets Take The Marvel Universe, an obvious play on the 1984 film The Muppets Take Manhattan. (Which itself had a comic book adaptation published by Marvel.) The crossover doesn’t technically need a reason to exist, but it’s hitting stores in September to celebrate the 50th anniversary of The Muppet Show. Check out the main cover below from artist Nick Bradshaw:
Wokka wok-kanda! Things in Space! Captain Amahna-mahna-merica! The sky is the limit, people!
Okay, as far as what fans can actually expect, here's a breakdown for some of the various mash-up stories that'll be featured:
- The crossover kicks off with a story from writer Chip Zdarsky and artist Pete Woods, in which Rowlf gets dognapped by Mojo to help jumpstart his new streaming platform. Expect to see all the biggest characters, from Kermit and Miss Piggy to Spider-Man and Wolverine, as well as Black Panther, Emma Frost, Fozzie and more.
- Writer Kyle Starks and artist Mike Henderson head to Muppet Laps where Dr. Bunsen Honeydew and Beaker are testing an experiment with Bruce Banner and Hank Pym. Everything goes according to plan, and Beaker does not panic once. Orrr not.
- When Doctor Strange is unable to reverse the effects of a mystical virus plaguing Clea, he finds himself at the mercy of the Swedish Chef, with writer Ashley Allen and artist Paco Medina bringing this one to life.
- Writer MacKenzie Cadenhead and artist David Baldeon head into orbit for a Pigs in Space crossover with Rocket Raccoon and Groot.
- More stories will be included from Philip Kennedy Johnson, Adam F. Goldberg, E.J. Su and Áthila Fabbio.
Here's a fantastically self-aware statement from prolific comic scribe Chip Zdarsky:
With the great power of two iconic properties comes great responsibility. I promise to not let down Kermit, Fozzie and Animal the way Spider-Man let down his Uncle Ben.
Chip Zdarsky
He went on to say how pumped he is to write for Miss Piggy, whom Zdarsky considers "one of the greatest icons of the last hundred years, a character who speaks to every generation," before then saying "I also got to write Deadpool." Shots fired, Wade, even if the wounds aren't permanent. Sabrina Carpenter might not have such glowing compliments, though. Teehee.
You can bet I'll be preordering Mattew Lolli's variant cover paying homage to Muppet Treasure Island for its 30th anniversary. But the first page could be made out of toilet paper and it'd still be the best thing ever. Maybe not used toilet paper.
While I don't readily have expectations for this crossover comic book to lead to new projects being added to the lists of upcoming Marvel movies and upcoming Marvel TV shows, but I don't think it would hurt those odds if the one-shot ends up being a massive success. Even if it leads to a live-action one-shot like The Punisher: One Last Kill, or even something more akin to Bluey's mini-sodes, I'd welcome it all with open arms and retracted claws.
It's already been a big year for the Muppets, who also took over Disney World's Rock 'N' Roller Coaster for some musical thrills. So look forward to The Muppets Take The Marvel Universe hitting shelves on September 23, 2026.
