Superman and Spider-Man are the most popular superheroes at DC and Marvel Comics, respectively, and the two will have an epic crossover in 2026 to mark the 50th anniversary of their first crossover. In 1976, DC and Marvel Comics collaborated on Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man: The Battle of the Century, the first crossover between the two comic publishers. It set the stage for many other crossovers and is a landmark moment in comic history, one that both DC Comics and Marvel Comics will celebrate in a big way with republishes of the original stories and new crossovers.
DC Comics just confirmed that they are teaming up with Marvel for a series of comics featuring Spider-Man and Superman. In 2026, DC will publish Superman/Spider-Man #1 in March, followed by Marvel Comics publishing Spider-Man/Superman #1 in April 2026. The creative teams have yet to be announced, but each one-shot comic book will feature original stories crossing over Superman and Spider-Man. In addition, on January 7, 2026, DC will publish Treasury Edition 50th Anniversary of Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man #1, a reprint of the original iconic storyline from 1976. On February 4, DC and Marvel Present: Superman and Spider-Man Treasury Edition #1 will be released in comic book stores, reprinting Marvel Treasury Edition #28, a 1981 follow-up story with Superman and Spider-Man that has been out of print for four decades.
DC and Marvel Crossover History
While DC Comics and Marvel Comics are known as the biggest competitors in the comic book industry, the two publishers have also had several crossovers. In 1982, they published both Batman vs. The Incredible Hulk and The Uncanny X-Men and The New Teen Titans. In 1996, as both companies faced a collapsing comics market, they published DC vs. Marvel, pitting many of their iconic heroes and villains against one another. This also led to the Amalgam Universe, which combined the two companies’ characters. The last major collaboration during this period occurred in JLA/Avengers, which united the two iconic superhero teams and was published from 2003 to 2004.
Two decades later, DC Comics and Marvel Comics finally came together for Batman/Deadpool, which was published in September 2025. The comics also featured backup crossover stories, such as Wonder Woman and Captain America, John Constantine and Doctor Strange, and Ms. Marvel and Static, among others. This suggests that the Superman and Spider-Man crossover might include backup stories, or perhaps even revisit some of the Almagmation characters, such as Spider-Boy, a composite character of Spider-Man and Superboy.
Despite DC and Marvel fans often pitting the two companies against each other, they share a great deal of overlap. They tend to have a fair amount of crossover talent, given that the people creating these titles often share a passion for both publishers. On the film side, James Gunn has transitioned from directing Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy to overseeing the entire DC Universe, having worked on projects such as Superman, The Suicide Squad, and Creature Commandos. While fans might not want to hold their breath for a Superman and Spider-Man crossover on film, or any DC and Marvel crossover outside the comics, the fact that it is even happening at all is worth celebrating.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
