Classic Cartoon Network series Ben 10 is getting the Spider-Man treatment with its new 2026 reboot. The beloved animated series, which ran from 2005 to 2021, has not been heard from since its cancellation just over four years ago. There were initially plans for a live-action movie set in its super-powered sci-fi universe, but (as revealed to The Direct in September 2024) that project was ultimately scrapped, leaving audiences with no avenue to indulge in their love for the franchise.
Ben 10 will make a big comeback in 2026, with a brand-new comic story from the show's original writer, Joe Casey. Not only will this mark the franchise's grand return to the public sphere, but it will also see the characters and world of Ben 10 taking a page out of Spider-Man's book.
In a conversation with Bleeding Cool, Casey revealed that the upcoming Ben 10 comic series can be described as "This is 'Ultimate' or 'Absolute' Ben 10," referencing the Ultimate Spider-Man reboot the franchise underwent in the early 2000s (and again over the last couple of years):
"This is 'Ultimate' or 'Absolute' 'Ben 10.' We guarantee, this is the best that Ben 10 has ever been."
Instead of continuing the story set forth by the original animated series, this comic will serve as the ultimate redefinition of the Ben 10 canon, according to Casey.
"This is basically a straight-up superhero comic," the writer added, presenting "a vision of Ben and his mythology in the manner and format that we’ve always wanted:"
"'Ben 10' is obviously very close to our hearts, and has been for the last twenty years. So we’re psyched to finally present a vision of Ben and his mythology in the manner and format that we’ve always wanted to see. This is basically a straight-up superhero comic that’s going to compete with every major series out there."
For those who are unfamiliar, Marvel's Ultimate line (popularized by Ultimate Spider-Man) and DC's Absolute line have served as outlets for these long-running comic lines to rework a particular hero's story from the beginning.
This often results in familiar characters and story moments being present, while doing its own thing, providing an easy entry point for new fans and a fresh twist on the story they love for longtime readers.
The Ben 10 franchise ran for 16 years on Cartoon Network in one form or another, eventually comprising a mainline series, three sequel spin-offs set in the same continuity, and an animated reboot which took place in another Ben 10 universe entirely.
The Ben 10 comic will hit store shelves starting in February 2026. Written by original series scribe Joe Casey, the new comic story will reboot the Ben 10 continuity, with fellow series veterans Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau, and Steven T. Seagle joining Casey on the project.
Will Ben 10 Ever Return to the Screen?
While fans itching for more Ben 10 will finally get it in the new 'Ultimate' Ben 10 comic series, this story's release will almost surely bring up questions of where/when the next on-screen appearance of the franchise will happen.
There was, at one point, a live-action Ben 10 movie in development at Warner Bros., but that title was ultimately scrapped, and the franchise was left by the wayside. According to filmmaker Steve Richards, the reason the movie did not happen was because the "rights...expired:"
"I have to admit, I should update my IMDb. No. So, when I was working with Joel Silver, we had the rights to that, and, yeah, that expired... But it should get made, right?"
That does not mean they could not be picked up again for another stab at a big-screen Ben 10 adaptation. Given the series' dominance on TV and its impending impact on the comic book world, the cinema seems like the next logical place to expand the franchise.
If not that, then it would not be surprising if this new comic venture were to be successful, especially if a new animated series set in the comic's new, Ultimate Spider-Man-esque rebooted continuity were to see the light of day.
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