Shueisha's Contract to Publish Manga with Marvel Characters Ends on September 30
Shueisha, Japan's largest manga publisher, has announced that its licensing agreement with Marvel Comics will end on September 30, 2026. From that date, the publication of five different manga series featuring Marvel characters will cease. The decision marks the end of a four-year collaboration between the two giant companies.
According to a July 1, 2026 report by Anime News Network, Shueisha will no longer print the series "Deadpool: Samurai", "Marvel's Secret Reverse", "Spider-Man: Fake Red", "Avengers: The Comic", and "X-Men: The Manga" published under the agreement. These manga will be removed from sale both digitally and physically in Japan. Existing stock can still be sold until it runs out.
The partnership between Shueisha and Marvel was first announced in 2019, and the series starting with "Deadpool: Samurai" in 2021 quickly gained great interest. In particular, the samurai-themed take on Deadpool by Sanshirō Kasama and Hikaru Uesugi went viral among Western fans, and the series' English translation was also published via VIZ Media. "Marvel's Secret Reverse" had drawn attention as one of the last projects of Yu-Gi-Oh! creator Kazuki Takahashi.
This development means a weakening of the cultural bridge between the Japanese manga industry and the American comic book giant. Marvel has previously made similar collaborations with local publishers in different countries, but most were short-lived. Behind Shueisha's decision not to renew the agreement may be licensing costs and a desire to shift focus to its own original series. For fans, the biggest loss is that no new volumes or chapters will be added to these manga. Still, existing volumes may gain value in the second-hand market.
It remains uncertain whether Shueisha will make another agreement with Marvel in the future. For now, the company signals that it will focus on its own owned series such as Jujutsu Kaisen, One Piece, and Chainsaw Man. Marvel fans should remember that they have until the end of September to collect these manga.
