Today, Marvel is one of the world’s biggest entertainment brands with a cinematic universe that has grossed approximately 31 billion dollars since Iron Man in 2008. But it wasn’t always this way. For a variety of complex reasons, Marvel Entertainment filed for bankruptcy in the late ’90s. The company canceled much of its once-expansive comic book line and, by the early 2000s, had to rethink its entire publishing strategy. One of Marvel’s most successful publishing initiatives happened during this period of rebirth—Marvel’s Ultimate line of comics. And that Ultimate Universe informed not just the MCU, but all Marvel movies, period.
Ultimate Spider-Man and Ultimate X-Men Launch in 2000
In 2000, after 40 years of entangled continuity, new Marvel Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada realized they had to bring in new readers or die off slowly. Under the guidance of up-and-coming writers Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Millar and beloved artists Mark Bagley and Adam Kubert, their two biggest properties, Spider-Man and the X-Men, received fresh 21st-century beginnings. Not to mention brand new first issues. The Ultimate Comics line would start a new universe from scratch. It was a universe with both Peter Parker and Xavier’s mutants starting out in the modern day. The entire storytelling approach was updated, more like shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and hit movies like The Matrix. The edict for the Ultimate line was to reimagine the Marvel Universe as if it were a blockbuster movie. Incorporating the storytelling language of Hollywood was the goal.
The Ultimate Universe Reinvigorates Marvel Comics
This approach worked beyond Marvel’s wildest dreams. In the early 2000s, Ultimate Spider-Man and Ultimate X-Men ruled the monthly comics sales charts, often outselling the legacy Marvel comics. The Ultimates, a version of The Avengers, soon followed in 2002, and Ultimate Fantastic Four two years later. Retelling classic stories with a fresh approach, fans and critics alike flocked to the Ultimate line. After retelling most of Marvel’s greatest hits, the line simply ran out of steam by 2015. But before it folded, the Ultimate line made a massive impact on how Marvel’s characters were portrayed in live-action. This is how the Ultimate line influenced the MCU, and Marvel movies overall.
The Fox X-Men Films Find Early Ultimate Comics Inspiration
The influence of the Ultimate Universe started even before the MCU, with the Fox X-Men films. However, in this case, the X-Men films (or just singular film at this point) helped to inform the Ultimate X-Men series by Mark Millar and Adam Kubert. X-Men became a smash hit in the summer of 2000, and when Ultimate X-Men #1 hit that December, the inspiration was obvious. Instead of brightly colored costumes, the X-Men all wore black leather. Magneto’s look was very inspired by Ian McKellen’s costume in the film. But as the cinematic franchise rolled on, Ultimate X-Men began to influence the films.
One of the early story arcs saw a military raid on Xavier’s School. This was a direct influence on the storyline in 2003’s X2. (In the comics, it was Colonel Wraith, who became Stryker in the film.) Also, for better or worse, the way Ultimate X-Men handled the Dark Phoenix Saga was the movie’s template. The idea that Jean Grey always had a Phoenix persona inside her, one that Xavier tried to psychically control, came in Ultimate X-Men first. Magneto’s attack on the White House in Days of Future Past, as well as reprogramming Sentinels to do his bidding, also originated in Ultimate X-Men. The Fox films did differ from Ultimate X-Men in several key ways though. Wolverine was far more amoral in the comics. He even tried to kill Cyclops, hoping to remove him as a romantic obstacle with Jean Grey. We’re grateful Hugh Jackman never went there.
The Ultimate Spider-Man Influences on the Cinematic Wallcrawlers
The original Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy took most of its inspiration from the classic Stan Lee/Steve Ditko era of comics. This makes sense, as those were the comics that Raimi grew up on. Ultimate Spider-Man was barely on comic book store shelves when David Koepp was writing the script for 2002’s Spider-Man. One relatively small thing from Ultimate Spider-Man influenced Raimi, as he picked up on Brian Michael Bendis’ idea of Peter and MJ meeting first in high school. The genetically enhanced spider that bit Peter coming from Oscorp was also a Bendis idea that also made its way into the Amazing Spider-Man films.
But the MCU Spider-Man really is where the Ultimate Spider-Man influences began in earnest. The Tom Holland Spidey spent his entire trilogy in high school, just as the Ultimate version did throughout his run. This Peter was less of a lone wolf, and found mentorship from not only Nick Fury, but also Tony Stark. Both of these were key elements in the MCU version of Spider-Man. And although his Aunt May wasn’t as young and attractive as Marisa Tomei, Ultimate Spider-Man’s May Parker was an influence, as she was far more contemporary, and not a doddering old lady. We’d also be remiss not to mention Miles Morales, who has yet to appear in live-action. But he’s made a huge stamp in cinema in the Spider-Verse animated films. And he’s another Ultimate universe creation.
The Ultimates Became a “Rough Draft” for the MCU Avengers
Without a doubt, the biggest Ultimate Comics inspiration for the films came from 2002’s The Ultimates, which was essentially “Ultimate Avengers” in everything but name. The MCU borrowed a metric ton from this series. Several elements came directly from Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch’s 25-issue opus, which told of the formation of an Avengers-style team on Earth-1610. For starters, the most obvious one is Nick Fury. In the original Marvel comics continuity, Fury was a Caucasian World War II vet, now head of S.H.I.E.L.D. Ultimates reimagined him as looking just like actor Samuel L. Jackson. So when the time came to make Iron Man, they cast the actual Sam Jackson in the role.
In The Ultimates, it was S.H.I.E.L.D. who formed the team, not Hulk’s teenage buddy Rick Jones. The Chitauri, who invaded Earth in The Avengers, were also the first big threat the Ultimates faced, an alien race created for this run. Mark Millar decided the name “Skrulls” was too hokey. The MCU kept the shapeshifting Skrulls, but named the alien army under Loki’s command the Chitauri in The Avengers. Bruce Banner received his Hulk powers in an attempt to recreate the Super Soldier Serum, something not in the classic Marvel Comics, which the MCU would run with.
And while Tony Stark has always been a smug, sarcastic playboy, The Ultimates leaned into that persona far more heavily. It definitely served as inspiration for Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal in the MCU. Mark Millar also made both Hawkeye and Black Widow S.H.I.EL.D. agents. Their costumes evoked a lot of Bryan Hitch’s artwork. Mark Millar also gave Clint Barton a wife and kids, something Marvel Studios would use for Hawkeye’s backstory in The Avengers: Age of Ultron. Much of Captain America’s costume, especially in World War II, closely matched his Ultimates design.
Where the MCU Wisely Deviated from The Ultimates
Where Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige wisely deviated from The Ultimates was in the team’s personas. To put it frankly, Millar wrote almost all of them as surly jerks, with major attitude problems. Even his Steve Rogers was old-fashioned in a not-charming way, but often in a sexist, gross way. He also made Cap jingoistic over idealistic. Millar portrayed Thor as a possibly insane man who only thinks he’s a Norse god, something the MCU didn’t even toy with. And the Ultimates version of Natasha Romanoff was actually evil, a traitor to the team. She even had Hawkeye’s family murdered. Wiser heads prevailed, and the MCU Black Widow kept her classic Marvel Comics personality. In fact, almost all of the MCU Avengers retained their classic Stan Lee personalities, thank the Celestials.
Other over-the-top shock value elements from The Ultimates not used in the MCU were twins Wanda and Pietro Maximoff in an incestuous relationship. (Yes, they really went there.) Also, having Hank Pym be a rage-filled domestic abuser was tossed out when it came time to make Ant-Man. While the latter had a basis in the classic Marvel universe, that was born out of an editorial misunderstanding, and Hank’s character found redemption. There was no such redemption for Ultimate Hank. And Loki in the Ultimate Universe has none of the charm of the Tom Hiddleston version. A lot of these more cringe shock value elements from The Ultimates dated badly. Kevin Feige was wise to adhere to classic Marvel rather than try to be edgy in this instance. While The Ultimates was undeniably a big touchstone, Feige chose its plot and aesthetics over character traits.
Ultimate Fantastic Four Becomes the Blueprint for Disliked 2015 Movie
There was also an Ultimate Fantastic Four, written by Mark Millar and Brian Michael Bendis, in 2004. It didn’t have much influence on the first two Fantastic Four films, which took a sitcom approach to the original comics. But it did have a huge influence on the notorious 2015 Fantastic Four from Josh Trank. In Ultimate Fantastic Four, the characters were reimagined as being in their late teens/early twenties. Reed Richards and Ben Grimm were childhood best friends, Reed a child prodigy. Recruited into a think tank in New York, he meets Professor Storm, the head of the Project, and his children, Susan and Johnny. Reed also becomes the rival of Victor Van Damme, a fellow student. They all get their powers not via cosmic rays on a space mission, but thanks to Reed opening a portal to the Negative Zone.
Does all that sound familiar? If it does, that’s because all of this formed the basis for the 2015 Fantastic Four reboot from Josh Trank. While the comic was much better (and more clever) than the movie, it still veered away too much from what people loved about the FF. The new MCU version seems to be leaning harder into the classic Lee/Kirby Fantastic Four comics from the ‘60s. Certainly more than any previous live-action incarnation, which were always desperately trying to make it modern and “more hip.” But Millar and Bendis’ Ultimate Fantastic Four, without a doubt, highly influenced at least one live-action version of the team. While the Ultimate line proved to be a great launching pad for live-action Marvel, this is one instance where it backfired.
Without the Ultimate Universe, the MCU Looks Very Different
The Ultimate Universe in the comics eventually outlived its mandate. The MCU itself became the defacto modern version of Marvel’s classic heroes for a new generation. Besides, after fifteen years, they simply ran out of major classic Marvel comics to adapt in a more contemporary way. This is a problem the MCU is currently facing, at about the same point in its history. But recently, Marvel Comics reinitiated the Ultimate line, with even bolder takes on classic franchises, to great success once again. This time, under the creative direction of writer Jonathan Hickman. Just as the Ultimate brand found a second wind, we know the MCU will too. But without a doubt, those original Ultimate Comics left their mark, especially on Marvel as a cinematic franchise. Marvel as we know it today likely wouldn’t exist without them.