Can the Architect of the MCU Catch Lightning in a Second Bottle? Let’s Talk Ekos
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
David Maisel, the mastermind behind the MCU, is returning to the world of comics to revive Michael Turner's 'Ekos' via Kickstarter, aiming to build a new 'empathy-powered' universe that spans comics and animation.
Right, pull up a chair and let’s have a proper chat. You know that feeling when you manage to cast a high-level spell on your first try and everyone thinks it was a fluke, but deep down, you’re itching to prove you can do it again? That seems to be exactly where David Maisel is sitting right now.
If the name doesn’t immediately ring a bell, his work certainly will. Maisel is the bloke who essentially founded Marvel Studios and kicked off the Marvel Cinematic Universe back in 2008. He’s the one who looked at a 'D-list' character like Iron Man and saw a gold mine while everyone else was busy looking for the exit. Now, as first reported by Samantha Nelson over at Polygon, Maisel is pivoting back to his roots to build a new kind of universe—one built on the bones of a project that’s been sitting in a sort of stasis for two decades.
Enter *Ekos*.
I’ve been digging through the details of this all morning, and bloody hell, it’s a bit of a wild ride through comic book history. The project is a revival of the work of the late, great Michael Turner (the legendary co-creator of *Witchblade*) and Geoff Johns. Back in 2004, they released a tiny six-page teaser for *Ekos* in *Wizard* magazine. It featured a feline humanoid named Grell, whose world was being invaded by us lot—humans. If that sounds a bit like *Avatar*, you’re not far off; apparently, James Cameron was such a fan of Turner’s work that he was once attached to adapt Turner’s other series, *Fathom*.
But here’s where the 'cautiously optimistic' part of my brain starts tingle. After that 2004 teaser, the fans actually voted *against* making *Ekos* next, choosing a series called *Soulfire* instead. Then, tragically, Turner passed away in 2008. The dream of *Ekos* seemed to have vanished into the digital ether. But Maisel, ever the seeker of hidden gems, has spent the last few years leading the charge to bring Turner’s characters back to life in partnership with Aspen Comics’ Peter Steigerwald. They’ve just launched a Kickstarter for *Ekos* Volume 2, following a massively successful first run that pulled in nearly a quarter of a million dollars.
Now, let’s talk about the 'why' here, because that’s what actually matters to us gamers and tech-heads. Maisel isn't just trying to print some pretty pictures (though with artists like David W. Mack and Alexander Lozano involved, the pictures are indeed very pretty). He’s trying to build a cohesive 'Turner-verse.' We’re talking an Avengers-style team-up featuring characters from *Soulfire* and *Fathom* joining Grell to save the planet.
But here is the twist that caught my eye: Grell isn’t your typical 'punch-first-ask-questions-never' hero. In this new iteration, he’s an empath. His whole deal is using his powers to connect people and wake them up to the dangers of war and extinction. In a gaming landscape often dominated by 'press X to decapitate,' a narrative focus on empathy as a primary mechanic—or at least a primary plot driver—is actually quite refreshing. I reckon we could use a bit more of that in our storytelling, don't you? It’s a bit like playing a high-Charisma build in an RPG where you actually try to talk the dragon out of burning the village instead of just looting its hoard.
Of course, I wouldn’t be your favorite skeptical wizard if I didn't point out the elephant in the room: the 'Cinematic Universe' fatigue. Maisel himself admitted to Polygon that building these things is bloody hard. Since he sold Marvel to Disney in 2011, everyone and their dog has tried to make a 'shared universe' work, and most have tripped over their own capes. DC has been rebooting itself more often than my old PC, and even the MCU has been looking a bit ragged lately—sort of like a high-level wizard who’s run out of spell slots but keeps trying to fight the final boss with a stick.
Maisel’s ambition doesn’t stop at the page, either. He’s already pitching an *Ekos* animated movie, citing *Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse* as the blueprint. It’s a bold move. On one hand, you’ve got a guy who has literally done the impossible before. On the other, the market is currently screaming for original, standalone stories rather than another ten-year roadmap of interconnected lore.
From a Web3 and community perspective, there’s something quite interesting happening here. By using Kickstarter, Maisel is bypassing the traditional gatekeepers to see if the community actually wants this. It’s that 'community-first' ethos we talk about so much in the decentralised gaming space. He’s essentially crowdsourcing the validation for a new franchise. If it works, it proves that you don't need a massive corporate machine to kickstart a 'universe'—you just need a dedicated fanbase and a solid IP.
But let’s be real for a second: is *Ekos* going to be the next *Avengers*? It’s a massive hill to climb. The original source material is twenty years old, and while Turner’s art style is iconic, the '90s/early 2000s aesthetic can be a bit of a niche taste these days. However, Maisel’s track record of spotting the 'human story' inside the corporate shiny bits is what makes this worth watching. He’s looking for the 'heritage' of Michael Turner, trying to give a legendary creator the legacy he deserved before his time was cut short.
So, do I reckon you should back it? If you’re a fan of high-concept sci-fi and gorgeous comic art, it’s a no-brainer. But if you’re looking for the 'next big thing' that’s going to change the face of media, maybe keep your wand at the ready but don't cast your biggest spell just yet. It’s a beautiful tribute to a lost talent, and if Maisel can weave even half the magic he did at Marvel, we might just be looking at the start of something genuinely special.
At the end of the day, whether it becomes a global franchise or stays a beloved cult hit for comic nerds, it’s nice to see someone in the industry swinging for the fences with something that isn't a recycled reboot of a reboot. Just don't expect a Grell skin in your favorite battle royale next week—we’ve still got a long way to go before this universe is fully formed. But hey, stranger things have happened in the digital realms, right?
Tags: Comics, Kickstarter, MCU, Transmedia, WorldBuilding
Original article: Polygon