"This One's Gonna Hurt": Marvel Writer Confirms Several "Brutal and Bloody" Deaths in Upcoming Crossover

The Marvel franchise is no stranger to epic crossovers, and it’s a trend that continues to this day, whether it’s with theatrical installments such as Thunderbolts (2025)–the MCU’s umpteenth superhero ensemble that hits theaters on May 2–and the highly anticipated upcoming Avengers: Doomsday (2026), which will mark the end of “The Multiverse Saga”.

Revealed during a recent multi-hour stream, several actors from previous MCU films will return in Doomsday, including Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Paul Rudd (Scott Lang/Ant-Man), Sebastian Stan (Bucky Barnes), Tom Hiddleston (Loki), and Letitia Wright (Shuri/Black Panther). But where major Marvel crossovers are concerned, it’s not all about the movies.

The ongoing Marvel comic books–of which there are countless–is where crossovers first started. And, like the films, they continue. So, it’s even less surprising when a new superhero team-up event is announced in the comic book world. Take the recently announced “Wolverines and Deadpools,” for instance. Awesome? Definitely. Surprising? Not really.

An Unexpected Marvel Crossover Event

What has surprised fans, though, is a newly announced “Kills the Marvel Universe” limited series. Marvel comic book enthusiasts will be familiar, recalling “Punisher Kills the Marvel Universe” and “Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe.” But this time, the character filling that blank at the start of the title is, in fact, not even a Marvel character: it’s the Predator.

Yes, the dreadlocked alien warrior from the franchise of the same name will be going up against the Marvel Universe in an upcoming limited series, as revealed exclusively by IGN.

Related: Marvel Reveals New Spider-Man Following News of Tom Holland’s ‘Doomsday’ Absence

Following on from “Predator vs. Black Panther,” Predator vs. Wolverine,” and “Predator vs. Spider-Man”–whose first issue is out now —“Predator Kills the Marvel Universe” will culminate writer Benjamin Percy and artist Marcelo Ferreira’s overarching “Predator vs.” Saga while following the blood-soaked trend set by the “Kills the Marvel Universe” titles.

“Over the past few years, I’ve been having the time of my life writing the Predator Vs. series,” Percy told IGN. “The Yautja [the official name given to the Predator species] have hunted Wolverine across the decades. They’ve battled Black Panther and plundered Wakanda of its vibranium. And they’ve faced off against Spider-Man and Kraven during a blackout heat wave in New York. These stories have been patiently building toward something epic. Their interconnectedness will be revealed in this explosive, blood-drenched, five-part story.”

But does the title suggest that every Marvel hero is at risk, or is it just a bit of fun? Surely, Predator is no match against the likes of The Incredible Hulk, right? Or the God of Thunder, Thor? Well, previous “Kills the Marvel Universe” comic book entries suggest a massacre. Percy, on the other hand, teases “an extinction-level event” in the upcoming crossover event.

“That title? It’s not misdirection,” he said. “This one’s gonna hurt. Your favorite heroes and villains will fall — even as others rise up against this extinction-level event. The Predator King is here — the Yautja are armed with vibranium — and Earth is now a hunting preserve.”

Seeing Earth’s Mightiest Heroes such as Iron Man/Tony Stark, Steve Rogers/Captain America, Thor, Peter Parker/Spider-Man, and The Incredible Hulk, and other characters that span the Marvel Universe (heroes and villains alike, as Percy reveals) being butchered by the most fearsome alien warrior to have ever landed in Hollywood, will be an ultra-violent and disturbing addition to the wider franchise. And all the more reason to be excited.

“The playing field has not only been leveled — it’s tipped in the favor of the Yautja. I can’t tell you everything, because ‘Predator Vs. Spider-Man’ hasn’t released yet [#1 is now out] , but something game-changing happens at the end of it that will make people drop their jaws,” Percy teased.

“But here’s something you’ve already clocked, if you’ve been following along. In ‘Predator Vs. Black Panther’ (which is now available as a graphic novel collection), the Yautja raided the Wakandan mines. We all know how obsessed they are with tech and weaponry, so just imagine what they can do with the motherlode of what they refer to as ‘godmetal.'”

“Every character is on the chopping block,” he added. “No one’s safe. No one. The brutal and bloody first issue makes that immediately clear. We’re not holding back, so armor up.”

Over on the Predator side of things, it seems Disney is pushing the franchise back into the mainstream following its acquisition of Fox in 2019.

Dan Trachtenberg’s Prey broke streaming records when it landed on Hulu and Disney+ in 2022. Now, the director has returned for two more Predator films; the live-action sequel Predator: Badlands and the animated anthology film Predator: Killer of Killers.

Check out both new trailers from 20th Century Studios below:

Predator: Badlands

Predator: Killer of Killers

Related: ‘Predator’ Establishes Shared Universe With ‘Alien’ and ‘Independence Day’

Predator: Killer of Killers will stream on Hulu in the United States and on Disney+ internationally on June 6. Predator: Badlands releases in theaters on November 7.

“Predator Kills the Marvel Universe” #1 will be released on August 13.

Are you excited for all the upcoming Marvel and Predator content? Let us know in the comments down below!