5 Times A-List Celebrities Jumped Into Comics & Changed the Game

High-profile celebrities lending their cache and creative juices to a comic book is exciting on many levels in terms of injecting new life, ideas, and perspectives into a long-standing industry. It also sparks excitement in terms of their fan base having a direct line into the world of comics (especially those who haven’t been exposed to the joys of this visual medium of storytelling).

When executed with thoughtfulness and intentionality, not only do readers get a tapestry of new stories, but it reinforces the pillars that the comic book industry was founded upon — that it is a wholly welcoming and collaborative environment.

5

Ronda Rousey

Expecting the Unexpected

comic book celebrities

The famed UFC and WWE fighter kicks butt and more with an all-star team-up with artist, Mike Deodato Jr. Her first graphic novel, published by AWA Studios and published in October 2025, is a dizzying high-octane story that’s described as the love child of Knocked Up meets John Wick.

The story draws up motherhood, action, and romance — whose source material was inspired by her life and career. The story centers around a hit-woman with the code-name ‘Mom’ who uses a fake baby bump to harbor her weapons. All is steady in her life (she’s rising through the ranks amongst her assassin compatriots)…that is, until she falls in love and unexpectedly becomes pregnant in real life. Naturally, the timing is such that she must now fight off a litany of killers (who were allegedly her allies) now out for her head.

The synergy between Mike and Ronda’s team-up was electric and Rousey was adamant about accuracy to the point where she choreographed the fight scenes so that Deodato Jr. could capture the art in the book with authenticity.

4

Post Malone

Big Rig

title cover

The famed musician and actor has sunk his teeth into comics — an inevitability since he’s a self-proclaimed nerd who also released a song in 2018 for the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse. The lore states that Malone pitched out the concept to co-founder Adrian Wassel of Vault Comics, who found it “amazing” unto itself (not due to the singer’s fame).

The superhero adjacent tale, co-written by Malone and Wassel, is premised upon a 25-ton, 18-wheeler Mack truck that ends up as a sent-from-heaven-above savior to a former priest (referred to as ‘Trucker’) who uses it to fight an onslaught of demons in Medieval Europe. Unlikely allies include Edda, a self-described and spunky ‘crazy witch’ who is out for revenge against the undead (including Lucifer as the primary antagonist) who killed her family; and Batu, a protector and the ‘gunner’ who operates a .50 caliber machine gun (conveniently mounted on the big rig).

3

Keanu Reeves

BRZRKR

BRZRKR

BRZRKR, pronounced as ‘Berserker’, is an earth-shattering and hyper-violent comic book created and co-written by Keanu Reeves and Matt Kindt with art by Ron Garney (published by Boom Studios).

The story follows “B”, a cursed, immortal half-god warrior who has lived through over 80,000 years of civilization and has been fighting in wars non-stop, we learn in flashbacks. In the present, he engages in dangerous missions (no human can survive) for the U.S. Government in exchange for time with the research lab. He’s there to work with scientists, learn about his storied roots, and seek out a way to die (and finally, rest in peace, especially since he has only known carnage and suffering the majority of his life).

The series has had record-breaking moments (for instance, becoming the highest funded comic book Kickstarter of all time, raising nearly $1.5 million) to the point where the universe has expanded with spin-offs such as BRZRKR:Bloodlines, akin to an anthology spotlighting standalone stories from historical moments in time.

2

Mark Hamill

The Black Pearl

dark horse comics

Our iconic Luke Skywalker AKA Mark Hamill, uses ‘The Force’ (well, tangential talents) for comics. Between 1996 and 1997, he worked on a five-issue limited series with his cousin Eric Johnson with art by H.M. Baker — published by Dark Horse Comics.

Described as a (film) noir style crime thriller, the duo opted to venture into genre rather than the standard superhero story. The piece centers around Luther Drake, an ‘every day’ man who accidently rescues a woman from an abduction. Somehow, the mainstream media catches wind of the incident and decides to sensationalize the encounter, now (re)birthing him as a sort of vigilante hero referred to as The Black Pearl (hence the name of the comic). Originally penned as a screenplay, with an attempt to transform it into an adapted film — it has remained in Hollywood (production) limbo as of 2010.

Ultimately, it remains a must-read comic as it explores themes that remain relevant to this day — such as reporting the news versus making it a circus spectacle — especially when these acts affect the lives of real people (like our protagonist) who struggles with conflicting identities (core self vs one fabricated by the public).

1

Franklin Jonas

Lost Fantasy

LostFantasy_05-_cvrA

Franklin — the youngest brother of the famous Jonas trio (Kevin, Joe, and, Nick) — has become a cultural darling in his own right as a lauded American singer, actor, and TV personality.

Citing comics as a longstanding passion since childhood, he’s always been a superhero fanatic, reading about Marvel and making frequent visits to his LCS, House of Secrets.

From 2025/2026, he transitioned from fandom reader to a professional co-writer when he collaborated with Lost Fantasy creator Curt Pires (with art by Maxi Dall’o) on issue #5, released in November 2025. Now that he’s whet his appetite for storytelling, Pires and Jonas’s run together continues full-steam ahead, with him being co-writer again on issue #6 that debuted in January 2026.

Described as a genre-blending, action-mystery with futurist/Japanese RPG homages to Final Fantasy (whose plot experiences an alternative history where a world of magic and monsters exist underneath the earth’s core), be on the lookout for more world-building within this Lost Fantasy universe as Franklin spearheads a new venture by working on a soon-to-be-announced spin-off series.

Headshot Of Ronda Rousey

Birthdate

February 1, 1987

Birthplace

Santa Monica, California, USA


Headshot Of Keanu Reeves In The Los Angeles Premiere Of Lionsgate's 'John Wick: Chapter 4'

Birthdate

September 2, 1964

Birthplace

Beirut, Lebanon


Headshot Of Mark Hamill In The Premiere of Disney's Star Wars

Birthdate

September 25, 1951

Birthplace

Concord, California, USA


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