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Dan Buckley has seen Marvel Comics change from a comics publisher with dreams of TV and film success into a franchise and a brand where comics is a smaller but integral part inside a massive multimedia empire. Buckley has been Marvel Comics' publisher for the past 23 years, leading it to become the modern comic company it is while also being a key part of its transition into movies, TV, gaming, and being a department of the monolithic Walt Disney Company. 

But now, Buckley is leaving (not retiring) from Marvel after a nearly seamless tenure with the company beginning right after he graduated college in 1991. For context, he joined the company when modern epics such as Infinity Gauntlet and the 'Weapon X' storyline were not even midway through release on comic shelves that month. But things have changed tremendously in the intervening 35 years, and while he's said to be staying a full year to help with the transition, one major thing seems to not be transitioning with him.

For the first time in its 87 years, Marvel Comics has no publisher... and has no signs of getting one.

And while Dan Buckley for now seems the last publisher of Marvel Comics, its not something that's evaporating with his departure... it's quietly been happening for years. In the summer of 2025, Marvel quietly retired the job title of publisher, with Buckley's official title becoming as of June of last year to be 'Head of Marvel Comics & Franchise.' Those within Marvel Comics wanted to continue using the 'publisher' title, so Buckley continued to be referred as such in its comic publications. 

While no one at Marvel was able to speak on the record about this situation, Buckley quietly updated his LinkedIn profile recently to note 'publisher' was no longer one of his titles.

With Buckley's departure, his new title (and some job duties) have been passed to Brad Winderbaum, adding to his role as the executive in charge of Marvel's TV and animation work. Comics can't be Winderbaum's full time job, so while he, from what I'm told, helps to foster a creative environment for Marvel Comics (and not just editorial), Disney Music Group's general manager David Abdo is coming in to handle what I've been told as the day-to-day operational duties Buckley handled. 

But publisher? From Marvel's official announcement of it on their website, there isn't one going forward, and there wasn't one in recent memory even before Buckley's impending exit was announced. It's possible Winderbaum could get 'publisher' added to his title, he's already got two commas and an ampersand there already.

Related: Marvel's comic book boss is calling for a "reset" of his company, and the entire comics system

Buckley has been a key component in virtually all of Marvel Comics' efforts in modern history, including the codification of annual crossover events that have been great comics (and sometimes inspired great movies & TV series), as well as smaller but equally pivotal comics such as Matt Fraction and David Aja's Hawkeye, Tom King and Gabriel Hernandez Walta's The Vision, and the Jonathan Hickman-led 'Age of X' era. And it was Buckley who just two years ago was saying it was an opportune time for a "reset" for the US comics industry, including Marvel Comics.

In a statement from Marvel Comics' ultimate boss Kevin Feige (who oversees every company with the word Marvel attached inside Disney), Buckley is framed as someone who was instrumental in Marvel's modern comics presence, particularly with his foster of the environments for the Civil War comic (which became a movie), the Secret Wars comic (which is going to be a movie), and the Hickman X-Men era (which isn't a movie yet, but...)

"From events like Civil War, Secret Wars, X-Men: Age of Krakoa, and the soon to be released Marvel Midnight imprint, to the expansion into video games, television, animation, and more, Marvel’s influence on popular culture expanded under Dan’s leadership, bringing our characters and stories to new fans around the world," says Feige. "Dan has left a lasting mark on Marvel’s legacy and on the comics industry, and I’m deeply grateful to him and pleased we will have his full support through this transition.”

What you see in this shift isn't to make Marvel comics tie-ins to Marvel Studios movies and TV series, but rather to break down the artificial walls between departments and also trying to shirk any good-intentioned but outmoded ideas of what Marvel comics should be.

Want more? Make sure you've read our list of all the best Marvel Comics stories of all time, and get ready for all the free Marvel comics coming as part of this year's Free Comic Book Day 2026 / Comics Giveaway Day  2026 events.