The news broke yesterday that Marvel Comics has appointed a new Editor-in-Chief in former Amazing Spider-Man editor Stephen Wacker. This comes as the publisher prepares to move from New York City to Burbank, where it will now operate out of the same location as Marvel Studios.
C.B. Cebulski has been EIC since 2017, but is moving to Japan to become Editor, Asia Originals, at Marvel in Tokyo. That's somewhat ironic, given the controversy surrounding his writing comics under the pseudonym Akira Yoshida to circumvent a Marvel policy that prevented editors from concurrently working as writers.
Wacker being announced as Marvel Comics' new EIC a week before the San Diego Comic-Con can't be a coincidence, and many fans are expecting a major shakeup. As editor, Wacker oversaw the "Brand New Day" and Superior Spider-Man eras of Amazing Spider-Man, along with Daredevil, Hawkeye, and Captain Marvel. He's also credited as one of Ms. Marvel's creators.
Wacker later co-produced Marvel Animation series like Rocket & Groot, Avengers Assemble, Ultimate Spider-Man, and Guardians of the Galaxy. More recently, Wacker served as EIC for Jonathan Hickman's 3W3M Substack.
"Picking up Marvel Two-in-One #50 as a kid is what made me a comics fan, so returning to Marvel as Editor-in-Chief is a full-circle moment that I'm still wrapping my head around," Wacker said of his new Marvel Comics role. "I'm proud to join Kevin, Brad, David, and this incredible staff and amazing array of talent to build on the work started by Stan, Jack, Steve, Flo, John, and so many more."
"I truly believe the best Marvel comics have yet to be written and drawn, and I can't wait to get to work adding some new floors to the House of Ideas."
Addressing his exit, Cebulski shared, "I'm incredibly proud of everything we've accomplished at Marvel Comics during my time as EIC, and I'm excited for this new role the leadership team has created for me. I'm looking forward to pursuing new opportunities across Asia while staying close to Steve and Marvel's brilliant publishing team, who are all like family to me."
Brad Winderbaum, Head of Marvel Television, Animation, Comics & Franchise, added, "Few editors have had as long and accomplished a career as C.B. I'm grateful for his partnership over the past decade and thrilled that he'll be on the ground in Japan, connecting with local artists and overseeing Marvel's original graphic fiction and manga in the region."
"At the same time, I'm excited to welcome Stephen Wacker back to Marvel," he continued. "He is a tremendous editor, a passionate advocate for creators, and someone who deeply understands that Marvel Comics is the source code of our entire enterprise, with a publishing resume that includes some of our most beloved modern runs."
Something has to change at Marvel Comics. DC Comics has completely dominated sales in recent years, with Amazing Spider-Man the only title that's consistently given the Distinguished Competition a run for its money.
Plans are already in place to relaunch Avengers later this year, while the Midnight Universe is Marvel's answer to DC's Absolute line. However, those were greenlit on Cebulski's watch, and Wacker is bound to have his own ideas.