The first-ever official crossover between Marvel and Star Wars received an exciting look ahead of its 2027 release. For years, the idea of a full-blown Marvel and Star Wars crossover remained one of the "what ifs" from pop culture. Although Marvel published the original Star Wars comics starting in 1977, the heroes of Earth-616 never crossed paths with Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Darth Vader. Even after Disney acquired both Lucasfilm and Marvel, the two universes stayed completely separate, aside from some occasional Easter eggs, such as Eternals' historic Star Wars reference and a fleeting TIE fighter cameo in the penultimate episode of What If...? Season 1.
Entertainment Weekly revealed the first look at the historic crossover between the Star Wars and Marvel Comics universe titled Star Wars/Marvel: Hope Assembles. Set to launch in January 2027 (with issues monthly through May), the upcoming five-issue limited series is written by actor and director Kevin Smith with art by David Marquez (Uncanny X-Men and Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man).
The crossover features a reality-shattering spell that causes the events of Star Wars: A New Hope to unfold on Marvel Comics' main Earth-616 timeline. Characters like Luke Skywalker and Han Solo interact with heroes such as Captain America, Hulk, and Spider-Man, while the villains of both franchises, notably Darth Vader and the Empire, team up with Doctor Doom, Thanos, and Ultron.
Smith shared in an official statement that he is "ecstatic" to finally bring the two iconic worlds together:
"Back in the early ‘80s, I had a subscription to Marvel’s Star Wars comics. And as fun as it was to follow the continuing adventures of Luke, Leia, and Han, I always wished that Spider-Man or Doctor Doom could cross over into their cinematic saga. So when the opportunity arose to actually tell that story, nobody had to Force my hand! I’m ecstatic to be writing Hope Assembles for the 50th anniversary of Star Wars! Many thanks to Marvel Comics and Lucasfilm for trusting me to fly the Falcon and the Quinjet!"
Lucasfilm Publishing's Michael Siglain called the crossover "a true love letter" to Star Wars and Marvel, teasing that it will be "exciting, unpredictable, and heartfelt:"
"With 'Hope Assembles,' Kevin Smith has written a true love letter to Star Wars, to Marvel, and to comics in general. And combined with David Marquez’s incredible art, we’ll see the heroes and villains of Star Wars team up and battle with the heroes and villains of Earth-616. Hope Assembles is exciting, unpredictable, and heartfelt. In short, it’s comics at its best, and we can’t wait for readers to experience both franchises as never before."
Outgoing Marvel Comics editor-in-chief C.B. Cebulski called the crossover a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" to bring the Star Wars and Marvel corners in a unified story:
"It’s an idea we’ve wanted to explore since getting the Star Wars license back over a decade ago, but we knew we’d have to wait with the patience of a Jedi to make it happen. The 50th anniversary of A New Hope has finally given us the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring these two universes together, in this incredible story being told by Kevin Smith and David Marquez. Getting the call with the green light from Lucasfilm was a magical moment; it was as if Han Solo himself had called to tell me, ‘You’re all clear, kid!’"
Aside from the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, Defenders, the X-Men, and the Guardians of the Galaxy are poised to interact with Ben Kenobi, the Skywalkers in Tatooine, and other notable Star Wars characters.
The full look at the official Marvel and Star Wars crossover art has also been unveiled:
Other characters featured in the cover art include Professor X, the Scarlet Witch, a full wave of Stormtroopers, Wolverine, the Jawas, Venom, and Grand Moff Tarkin.
In February 2021, Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige admitted that an on-screen crossover between Marvel and Star Wars is unlikely, noting, "I don't think there's any reason for it."
"If you’d ask me if anything we’re talking about right now was in the realm of possibility 20 years ago, I would’ve said, ‘I don’t think so.' But I really don’t think so. I don’t think there’s any reason for it."
Despite that, there are clear references to Star Wars in the MCU (aside from the previously mentioned Eternals one), specifically during Phase 2 of the Infinity Saga. In the Marvel chapter, a character has their arm cut off in every Phase 2 movie, a clear reference to Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. Tom Holland's Peter Parker even referenced the Star Wars flick during the airport battle in Captain America: Civil War.
Just recently, Spider-Man: Brand New Day included footage of The Empire Strikes Back playing in the background during a key scene involving Jacob Batalon's Ned Leeds.
Marvel & Star Wars' 2027 Crossover Offers Many Storytelling Opportunities
The long-awaited crossover between Marvel and Star Wars does far more than deliver fan-service spectacle; it offers a rich avenue for storytelling that feels both fresh and exciting.
On the hero side of the equation, classic praisings of characters practically write themselves. Given that the events of A New Hope will be organically infused into Marvel's Earth-616, Luke Skywalker's idealism and growing connection to the Force can clash with Captain America's moral compass, instantly creating an unexpected mentor-mentee dynamic.
Han Solo's certain charm and bravado and Chewbacca's unwavering loyalty slot neatly alongside the likes of the Guardians of the Galaxy and the X-Men, while Princess Leia's leadership would make her a valuable ally to the likes of Black Widow and Professor X.
The villain's side is equally intriguing. Darth Vader's alliance with Doctor Doom, Thanos, or Ultron (or all of them) creates a compelling authoritarian power that can serve as a perfect exploration of how absolute authority is both dangerous and corrupting. It will be interesting to see how the Galactic Empire aligns with Marvel's more chaotic lineup of villains, or whether a civil-war-style conflict can exist.
Beyond the five-issue storyline of Hope Assembles, this Marvel and Star Wars crossover could open the door to more stories down the line, continuing the shared universe experiment while keeping both franchises' core identities intact.
