Batman and Deadpool to Headline First Marvel and DC Crossover in 22 Years

The rivalry between Marvel and DC may be legendary, but the two companies are putting aside their differences long enough to publish their first crossover comics since 2003's JLA/Avengers. And who better to usher in this new era of cooperation than Batman and Deadpool?

As revealed by Entertainment Weekly, Marvel and DC are teaming for a pair of one-shot specials featuring the Dark Knight and the Merc With a Mouth. Marvel will publish Deadpool/Batman #1, by writer Zeb Wells (The Amazing Spider-Man) and artist Greg Capullo (Batman), while DC will publish Batman/Deadpool #1, by writer Grant Morrison (Batman) and artist Dan Mora (Superman/Batman: World's Finest). Both comics will also include "backup adventures" that pair more characters from the Marvel and DC Universes.

As mentioned, this project marks the first overt Marvel/DC crossover in more than two decades (unless you count Fortnite's Omniverse). Prior to that, the two publishers had a history of collaborating on crossovers, dating back to 1976's Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man.

"It happens kind of once every generation of readers. I'll leave you to draw your own conclusions as to why," DC's President, Chief Creative Officer, and Publisher Jim Lee tells EW. "The timing has to be right in that you don't want to do these too often. You want them to feel special. It is sort of finding that right moment for both companies to come together because it is complex. There's a lot more coordination, collaboration, approvals that have to be done. And, obviously, from the business side, you're sharing revenue, but it's going to be a big deal. So you want the story, creatively, to warrant the hype of it all."

As for why the two companies chose Batman and Deadpool of all characters to ring in this event, Marvel Entertainment President Dan Buckley explains that it just seemed like the right oddball combination of characters.

"It just felt like a fun combo. I'll be quite frank. It was nothing more complicated than that," Buckley says. Like, Deadpool hanging out with Batman. There's a lot of levity to be had in there, a lot of fun. And it would also be a little bit uber violent at the same time.... Our big thing is we want to do something that is a lot of fun, showcase comics, generate excitement, and bring new readers or lapsed readers back into the industry."

Deadpool/Batman #1 will be released on September 17, 2025, followed by Batman/Deadpool #1 in November. EW also reveals that Marvel and DC are already developing another pair of crossover one-shots for 2026, though neither is revealing which characters are involved just yet.

Which Marvel/DC crossover do you want to see next? let us know in the comments below, and be sure to check out Batman's 10 greatest crossovers of all time.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on BlueSky.