Art by Alex Ross

Marvel announced Saturday it has snagged the license to Ultraman, the Japanese superhero, and will launch new comics and graphic novels featuring the character in 2020.

Information regarding creators and release dates was unavailable.

Produced by Tsuburaya Production, Ultraman and his many permutations have been fighting kaiju, or giant monsters, since 1966 across movies, TV and manga.

Ultraman joins “Star Wars” and the characters of author Robert E. Howard in Marvel’s license pool. Marvel reintroduced Howard’s Conan the Barbarian in January of this year, and recently announced expansion plans for series featuring Howard’s Dark Agnes and Solomon Kane, starting with a crossover that features Marvel’s Moon Knight.

“As one of the world’s most popular franchises, Ultraman has brought together some of the most passionate fandoms in pop culture today, and we can’t wait to bring his story to even more fans around the globe,” said Marvel Editor-in-Chief C.B. Cebulski, who once wrote comics under the pseudo-Asian pseudonym Akira Yoshida, in comments supplied by the publisher. “Like Marvel, Ultraman captivated generations by telling spectacular stories grounded in the real world, and it continues to be a beloved classic through its television shows, movies, toys, games, comics and more. We are so thrilled to introduce new chapters to the Ultraman Multiverse next year.”

“We are delighted to announce the partnership with Marvel, one of the leading entertainment companies that has produced fascinating characters and stories loved by fans across the globe for over 80 years,” said Tsuburaya Productions CEO Takayuki Tsukagoshi. “We can’t be more excited to explore and create new stories for the Ultraman franchise with Marvel and bringing them to both Marvel and Ultraman fans all around the world.”