Marvel Announces New Exclusive Agreement with Brian Michael Bendis

Shortly following the CBR-exclusive news that Brian Michael Bendis is leaving "Uncanny X-Men" and "All-New X-Men," Marvel has made it clear that the high-profile writer is remaining with the company, with the announcement that he's renewed his exclusive agreement. Terms and length of the agreement have not been disclosed.

"There's been some speculation that I will be leaving comics because of other cool things going on in my life but I wanted to let everyone know that isn't the case," Bendis said in Marvel's announcement. "I get it, sometimes when people have something going on in other media they tend to drift away from comics. But that is the opposite of what my life's goals are."

Those "other cool things" include a TV show based on "Powers," the long-running creator-owned series by Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming, which is scheduled to debut on the PlayStation Network on March 10. Along with his work on the X-books, Bendis is the current writer of Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" comic book series, and will write "Secret Wars" tie-in series "Ultimate End" -- and Marvel promises another Bendis-written "Secret Wars" tie-in soon to be announced.

"I want to bring people into comics so they can see the original wonderful magic we have to offer every single week," Bendis is quoted in Marvel's press release. "My partnership with Marvel, since the first day they hired me, has been a continuous dream come true and I'm honored that I get to continue this partnership for many years to come."

Bendis made his Marvel debut with "Ultimate Spider-Man" #1 in 2000, soon becoming -- and remaining -- one of the company's most visible and prolific writers. Marvel's Icon line has been the home for his multiple creator-owned works over the past decade.

Marvel's full press release follows below.

Official Press Release

BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS MAKES HIS MARVEL WITH NEW EXCLUSIVE AGREEMENT!

Iconic Writer Re-Signs Exclusive Agreement with Marvel Entertainment

New York, NY - February 4th, 2015 - Marvel Entertainment is excited to announce a renewed exclusive agreement with legendary comic writer Brian Michael Bendis!

The multiple Eisner award-winning writer has come to be one of the premier voices in the comic industry with iconic runs on many of Marvel's most popular titles including Guardians of the Galaxy, Daredevil, Uncanny X-Men, All-New X-Men, and more. Bendis also boasts two of the longest comic runs in American comic book history with his eight year stretch as writer of Avengers and over 200 consecutive issues of Ultimate Spider-Man - which saw the introduction of hit character, Miles Morales, to Marvel's Ultimate Universe.

Reflecting on his lengthy career at Marvel, Bendis says, "There's been some speculation that I will be leaving comics because of other cool things going on in my life but I wanted to let everyone know that isn't the case. I get it, sometimes when people have something going on in other media they tend to drift away from comics. But that is the opposite of what my life's goals are."

"I want to bring people into comics so they can see the original wonderful magic we have to offer every single week," Bendis continues. "My partnership with Marvel, since the first day they hired me, has been a continuous dream come true and I'm honored that I get to continue this partnership for many years to come."

The writer's lengthy stint at the House of Ideas is set to continue with a new exclusive agreement and a wealth of new stories in 2015 including the cataclysmic closure of the Ultimate Universe with Secret Wars: Ultimate End and a soon-to-be announced Secret Wars series that will have all Marvel fans keeping their eyes on Battleworld!

In addition to Brian's Marvel Universe work, he will continue with his critically-acclaimed creator-owned series under Marvel's ICON imprint, POWERS. The first issue of POWERS, by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming, returns to comic shops for a brand new jumping on point in POWERS #1 and, debuting March 10th, POWERS will now be a live-action drama available only on the Playstation Network.

Once again, Marvel is pleased to welcome Brian Michael Bendis back for his unique blend of action, humor, and heart, exclusively to the Marvel Universe and beyond in 2015.