Iron Maiden has teamed up with Marvel for a new collection of exclusive merchandise themed around iconic Marvel characters.
This collaboration interweaves the universes of both brands, with designs that pay tribute to characters like Wolverine, Venom, Thanos, and Deadpool. The characters will appear in variations of the band’s album and single artwork, including for Fear of the Dark, Killers, and “The Trooper.” Iron Maiden’s iconic mascot, Eddie, will also appear in the artwork.
“Eddie has long stood shoulder to shoulder with the greatest superheroes and we’re also pretty proud of the Worlds we created for his many incarnations — from battlefields to Egyptian tombs to frozen icescapes or futuristic cities,” Iron Maiden manager Rod Smallwood said in a statement. “Juxtaposing some of the most recognizable characters in pop art and comic book culture into planet Maiden has been an ambition of ours for years and working with Marvel and their unparalleled character-based IP is the perfect fit in this day and age.”
He added, “To see such iconic characters alongside Eddie is something our fans have discussed for years and we think that the twist of placing Venom, Thanos, Thor, or Deadpool in our Maiden worlds will excite fans of both cultures.”
“Marvel is cool and aspirational, and has inspired the greatest artists, musicians, and creators for more than 80 years,” Paul Gitter, SVP, Marvel Licensing, added. “This collaboration offers another exciting example of how the Marvel brand continues to push into lifestyle areas, with music being a top priority, and the collection allows fans to pay tribute to our iconic characters while celebrating the legendary Iron Maiden.”
The collection is available via Iron Maiden’s online store, specialty retailer Hot Topic, and German e-tailer, EMP. Items include T-shirts and a Deadpool-themed sweater.
Iron Maiden’s most recent album, Senjutsu, dropped in September. The band recorded the record back in 2019 at Guillaume Tell Studios in Paris with longtime producer Kevin Shirley (bassist Steve Harris co-produced the record). The album marks the metal outfit’s 17th studio record and first since 2015’s The Book of Souls.
Fontaines D.C. have teamed up with Rosalía for their new collaboration, Where Is Gone?.
The song features on the Irish rock band's forthcoming album, Dopamine Chamber, which arrives on Friday (16.10.26). For guitarist Carlos O’Connell, working with the Spanish superstar is particularly special because of his own Spanish roots.
He explained: “I’ve admired Rosalía ever since her debut album, which I thought was absolutely beautiful.
“What excited me most was the way she continued to preserve Spain's musical traditions, something that felt spiritually connected to what we've been trying to achieve with Irish music. Having roots in both countries, it's been really special to witness. "She's an artist who has continued to amaze me at every point in her career.”
Frontman Grian Chatten has also described the collaboration with Rosalía as one of the most memorable achievements of his career.
He revealed that he felt "humbled" when she agreed to lend her voice to the band's album.
Speaking to NPR, Grian said: “I've always felt there's something almost like a single big idea that I'm personally trying to communicate to the world before I get old and die, if that makes sense. There's one thing I think I'll spend my life trying to express. I have a feeling she has a similar outlook. … I mean, she's an amazing arranger, composer and lyricist. It means so much that she wanted to sing on something we'd put together. It's definitely one of the highlights of my career.”
Rosalía's links to Irish rock music extend beyond Fontaines D.C. She also offered inspiration and helped develop the Spanish lyrics for U2's The Mirror Maker (Rosalía), a track from their forthcoming album, Carnaval de Luz.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last week, she spoke about frontman Bono, saying: “I don't know him personally, but he sent me a text explaining that he was working on a new project and had written a song called The Mirror Maker."
Rosalía joked that Bono had invented a few words of his own.
She recalled telling him: “I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I told him he could create his own language if he wanted to.”
She described the opportunity to collaborate with the 66 year old music veteran as a real privilege.
She added: “Bono is a legend.
“It's amazing.”
Bono recently revealed that he was worried about seeming like a stalker when he reached out to Rosalía to ask whether he could name the song after her.
