Published Jul 1, 2026, 7:56 PM EDT
Nicolas Ayala is a Senior Writer for the Comics team at ScreenRant, with over five years of experience writing about Superhero media, action movies, and TV shows.
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Marvel reveals a brand-new universe where the Avengers go full Dungeons & Dragons. One of the Avengers’ strengths is their extraordinary adaptability across genres and historical periods. Captain America is a World War II super-soldier, but he can also be a medieval knight or a futuristic resistance leader. Thor’s mythological nature allows him to exist naturally in fantasy realms, but also in sci-fi futures far removed from his real-life ancient roots, and Iron Man’s role as humanity’s technological pioneer translates effortlessly into steampunk, cyberpunk, and space opera settings.
Marvel has repeatedly demonstrated the Avengers’ versatility by reimagining Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in radically different alternate realities and historical settings. In the cyberpunk future of Marvel 2099, icons such as Spider-Man, Doom, Punisher, and Ghost Rider were reinvented for a dystopian world dominated by megacorporations. Meanwhile, Marvel 1602 transported the heroes of the Marvel Universe to the Elizabethan era, and Marvel Noir relocated heroes and villains to the bleak landscape of the Great Depression. The Mangaverse adapted Marvel’s mythology through the conventions of Japanese manga, while the Ultimate Universe reconstructed classic heroes for the twenty-first century with modern sensibilities and political realities.
There are many different settings that the Avengers can still explore, one of which Marvel is about to introduce.
Marvel introduces a brand-new universe from the pens of Preeti Chhinber and Lorenzo Tammetta. Realmguard draws inspiration from tabletop role-playing games and establishes a timeline where Marvel’s heroes exist in a fantasy setting. Readers will experience Realmguard through the eyes of characters like a bard Peter Parker and Mary Jane, who claim the titles of Silk-Tongued Spider and Lady Jackpot. A few of these character redesigns were devised by artist Peach Momoko, who infused Realmguard with some of her signature whimsical style.
Besides Spider-Man and Mary Jane, Realmguard introduces new versions of Marvel icons like Black Panther, Shang-Chi, Scarlet Witch, Namor, Doctor Doom, Hawkeye, Black Cat, Mystique, Nightcrawler, and Rogue. Of course, Iron Man and Captain America will also be present; Tony Stark wearing a cyberpunk suit of armor and Steve Rogers wielding a sword alongside his shield. Some of the most dramatic design changes include Doctor Doom’s half mask, Namor’s blue skin, Shang-Chi’s bead necklace, Mystique’s hood, and Black Panther’s bulky knight armor.
Much of Marvel’s mythology already draws from the conventions of epic fantasy. Thor and Asgard derive directly from Norse mythology, Doctor Strange weaponizes arcane knowledge, Black Knight embodies Arthurian legend, and characters such as Scarlet Witch, Magik, and Loki find their bread and butter in prophecy and magic. Marvel has repeatedly demonstrated the viability of a fantasy universe approach through stories such as Avengers: Endless Wartime, Avengers: No Road Home, and The Queen’s Vengeance, which plunge Earth’s Mightiest Heroes into quests involving ancient gods and mythical realms.
Thor debuts a new design and and an alliance with some of Marvel’s most powerful characters, teasing his next arc in the Marvel multiverse.
That said, Marvel has only scratched the surface of what classic fantasy settings can offer. Most of Marvel’s fantasy stories are temporary excursions into magical dimensions rather than fully realized alternate universes. Arcs like *Avengers Forever *and Contest of Champions have featured alternate realities with medieval aesthetics, and events involving Weirdworld have demonstrated how readily Marvel characters can be reimagined within sword-and-sorcery conventions. Marvel’s *Realmguard *may finally kick off the most comprehensive fantasy timeline that stands firm alongside Marvel Noir, 2099, and 1602.
Which Marvel character would you like to see reimagined in Realmguard?
*Realmguard Infinity Comic *#1 is available July 1st from Marvel Comics