Disney’s Marvel manga deal in Japan is ending. Goodbye Deadpool: Samurai?
It’s official, straight from Shueisha: the publisher is ending its contract with Walt Disney Japan to publish Marvel character manga, effective September 30, 2026. Here’s what’s ending, the full list of affected titles, and the wild way Deadpool said goodbye.
It’s official: the partnership that brought Marvel superheroes into Japanese manga is coming to an end.
In a formal notice, Japanese publishing giant Shueisha confirmed it’s ending its contract with Walt Disney Japan to publish Marvel-character manga, with everything winding down by this fall. Here’s exactly what’s happening, which books are affected, and the delightfully chaotic way one Marvel hero chose to sign off.
What Shueisha announced
Let’s start with the official word, because it comes straight from the source.
In a notice dated July 1, 2026, Shueisha Inc. announced that, effective September 30, 2026, it’s ending its contract with Walt Disney Japan Co., Ltd. regarding the manga-adaptation publishing of Marvel characters. Since Marvel is owned by Disney, this is very much a Disney story, the deal being wound down is between Disney’s Japanese arm and Japan’s biggest manga publisher.
As a result, all the Marvel collaboration titles currently being sold, the Jump Comics releases and related books, will be discontinued on the schedule below.
What it means for fans (and the key dates)
Here’s the practical part, if you want any of these books.
The wind-down happens in two ways:
Physical comics: These will be sold only while store stock lasts. Once they’re gone, they’re gone, no reprints.
Digital comics: Distribution ends across all e-book stores on September 30, 2026, at 11:59 PM (Japan time), with a phased shutdown running September 28-30. Importantly, if you’ve already bought digital copies, you’ll still be able to read them after that date.
So the clock is ticking, this fall is the cutoff.
The full list of affected titles
Here’s exactly what’s going away, per Shueisha’s official notice.
The discontinued Marvel collaboration books are:
Marvel × Shōnen Jump+ Super Collaboration (the anthology that started it all)
Secret Reverse (deluxe edition), the manga by Yu-Gi-Oh! creator Kazuki Takahashi
Spider-Man: Octopus Girl (Vols. 1-4)
Spider-Man: Kizuna (Vols. 1-4)
Deadpool: Samurai (Vols. 1-4)
If any of those are on your wishlist, Shueisha’s own advice is to buy or order them from your local bookstore soon, and they note that because stock is limited, heavy pre-orders may not all be fulfilled.
Why this matters
For manga and Marvel fans alike, this is a genuine loss.
This partnership produced some genuinely special, one-of-a-kind books, creative fusions of American superheroes and the manga sensibility, made by Japanese creators. The crown jewel was Deadpool: Samurai, which became the single most-read Marvel title in the world in 2021.
These weren’t dry translations of American comics; they were fresh, original takes, Spider-Man and Deadpool reimagined through Shonen Jump‘s lens. With the deal ending, that specific creative pipeline is closing, at least for now.
Deadpool’s chaotic goodbye
Here’s the part that’s very on-brand, and honestly kind of perfect.
Deadpool: Samurai wrapped its run earlier in 2026 with a meta, fourth-wall-shattering finale that went out exactly how a Deadpool comic should: in the last chapter, Deadpool literally blows up the Shueisha building, a cheeky, self-aware jab at the very partnership that was ending.
The finale even had the creator venting (through Deadpool) about how the collaboration worked behind the scenes. And the final chapter’s cover paid loving homage to Naruto, recreating the iconic Hokage Rock with Deadpool’s face carved into the mountain. Chaotic, meta, and weirdly heartfelt, a fitting sendoff for a book that never took itself too seriously.
Why is this happening?
The honest answer: the notice doesn’t say.
Shueisha’s statement is polite and businesslike, it thanks fans, lays out the dates, and apologizes for the inconvenience, but it doesn’t give a specific reason for the contract ending. That’s normal for these things. Licensing deals run for set terms and then expire or get renegotiated, and this one appears to have simply run its course.
What we don’t know yet is whether Disney and Shueisha, or another Japanese publisher, might strike a new Marvel-manga deal down the road. These partnerships have started, stopped, and restarted before.
The bottom line
Here’s where things land.
Disney and Shueisha’s Marvel-manga partnership is officially ending, with all affected titles winding down by September 30, 2026. It closes the book (for now) on a creative, beloved experiment that gave the world Deadpool: Samurai and a whole shelf of unique Marvel manga.
The practical takeaway is simple: if there’s a title on that list you’ve been wanting, grab it before it disappears from shelves and digital stores this fall. And whether Disney and Shueisha ever team up again remains to be seen. For now, we’ll remember it fondly, exploding Shueisha building and all. Only Deadpool could turn a licensing expiration into a mic drop.
Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
Shueisha Inc. official notice (July 1, 2026), the primary source, verified for the contract termination with Walt Disney Japan Co., Ltd., the September 30, 2026 effective date, the phased digital shutdown (September 28-30), the physical-stock wind-down, and the full list of affected titles with ISBNs
Anime News Network and ComicBook.com (February 2026), verified for the Deadpool: Samurai Chapter 26 finale, the “blow up the Shueisha building” ending, the creator’s meta-commentary, and the Naruto Hokage Rock homage
Wikipedia (2026), verified for the partnership history (the 2019 Marvel × Shōnen Jump+ Super Collaboration launch) and Deadpool: Samurai being the world’s most-read Marvel title in 2021