Marc Guggenheim has devoted much of his time in recent years to DC Comics-based TV series "Arrow," but he's back at Marvel in August for a stint on "X-Men," as first revealed by IGN.

Guggenheim's run starts with issue #18, following the departure of initial series writer Brian Wood. An interior artist has not been announced for Guggenheim's story; Matteo Buffagni is solicited to draw Wood's final arc.

Guggenheim told IGN that the book will retain its all-female cast, with the "same concept, same conceit" as Wood's run. "My goal is to pick up where Brian left off," Guggenheim said. "It's not going to be this radical change. It should be a very nice, even, easy transition from his last issue to my first issue."

RELATED: "Arrow" EP Marc Guggenheim Spies First Novel "Overwatch"

The four-part story will take place in space, with S.W.O.R.D. enlisting the X-Men's help after Shi'ar warrior Deathbird arrives at the Jean Grey School "at the brink of death." Guggenheim said the story was partly motivated by his own nostalgia.

"The Brood Saga grabbed me as an early reader," Guggenheim is quoted. "I didn't want to do another Brood story, because Chris Gage had done 'Children of the Brood,' which was fantastic. But I liked the idea of taking this all-female team of X-Men and putting them in outer space. In doing something that was a little different than 'The X-Men meet Star Wars,' this was more along the lines of "The X-Men meets Aliens.' It's darker, it's a little more mysterious, and it's scarier."

Guggenheim has an extensive background in both comics and television. Prior to his current role as executive producer of "Arrow," he wrote multiple comics for both Marvel and DC, including the "Civil War" tie-in issues of "Wolverine," "Young X-Men" and "Justice Society of America."

Wood took to Twitter to curtail potential speculation surrounding his departure: "I left the title on my own accord, no drama, no pressure, just moving on."

Keep reading CBR for more from Guggenheim on "X-Men."