Marvel announced David F. Walker and Dave Wachter as the creative team for the publisher's upcoming Planet of the Apes series.
In June 2022, Marvel announced it had purchased the rights to publish Planet of the Apes comics, a franchise which the company previously owned the rights to during the mid-1970s. "We’re thrilled to welcome Planet of the Apes back to the House of Ideas!" Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski said at the time. "The new saga in the pipeline is going explore the limits of what this beloved franchise has to offer through bold comics storytelling, and we look forward to setting foot on this new adventure!"
Marvel has now announced the series will be helmed by Walker and Wachter, while the promotional art comes from Salvador Larroca. Walker is known for his work on Marvel's Luke Cage, Power Man and Iron Fist, Secret Wars: Battleworld, Dynamite Entertainment's Shaft and more. He has also worked with Planet of the Apes before with 2017's Tarzan on the Planet of the Apes, 2017's War for the Planet of the Apes and 2018's Planet of the Apes: Ursus. Wachter has worked on titles such as Star Wars: The High Republic, Iron Fist: Heart of the Dragon, X-Men: Legends, Blade: Vampire Nation and more.
Marvel Returns to Planet of the Apes in 2023
Planet of the Apes was originally a 1963 French novel written by Pierre Boulle that was then adapted into a Charlton Heston-starring film in 1968. The property quickly found its way into comics the same year, with Marvel then purchasing the rights to Planet of the Apes in 1974. The franchise has found a home at a number of different publishers in the decades since, including Power Records, Dark Horse Comics, Mr. Comics, BOOM! Studios and more.
A new Planet of the Apes film, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, is also currently in the works from 20th Century Studios, which is owned by the Walt Disney Company. The film is reportedly set several years after the previous installment, 2017's War for the Planet of the Apes, and will star Travis Jeffery, Neil Sandilands, Sara Wiseman, Ras-Samuel Welda’abzgi, Lydia Peckham, Owen Teague, Freya Allen, Peter Macon, Eka Darville and Kevin Durand. Directed by The Maze Runner's Wes Ball, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is scheduled to be released in theaters on May 24, 2024.
Marvel's Planet of the Apes series launches in April 2023.
Source: Marvel