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.
The world leader, who has repeatedly faced criticism for featuring songs from artists who do not want their music connected to his political views, shared a viral clip of We Can’t Be Friends (Wait For Your Love) that focused on the lyric: “Me and my truth we sit in silence.”
The footage shows Trump at a rally while the statement “Men can’t have babies and should never compete in women’s sports” appears on screen.
The Team Trump TikTok account posted the video with the caption: “This shouldn’t be controversial! #trump #arianagrande #maga.”
Ariana responded in a comment that was later removed, saying: “Never use my music again. Also, your truth is false.”
Trump has a well known record of opposing transgender rights, and the US Supreme Court recently ruled that states can prohibit transgender women from taking part in women’s sports. In a 6 to 3 ruling, the justices determined that such laws do not breach Title IX or the Constitution’s Equal Protection Clause.
The decision in June came after several other actions by the Trump administration involving transgender policies. Earlier in May, the Supreme Court also permitted the administration to continue with its “Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness” order, which would prevent transgender individuals from serving in the US military.
Ariana’s statement arrived soon after Taylor Swift also took steps to stop Trump from using her music on TikTok. Trump had featured a number of her songs in his social media posts, including a video of him and his wife Lady Melania Trump watching fireworks accompanied by August.
The song was later taken off the post and replaced by a notice that read: “This sound isn’t available.”
Trump appeared to deliberately select Taylor’s track, adding the message: “I’m sure @Taylor Swift is going to be super excited we used her song!”
He also responded to the Team Trump video with: “Mood because it’s August and Donald Trump is your president.”
Other Taylor Swift songs that were removed from Trump’s TikTok content included The Fate of Ophelia and Father Figure.
Trump previously made headlines when he wrote “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” on Truth Social after the singer publicly announced that she planned to support Kamala Harris in the previous presidential election.
