Star Wars and Marvel to Launch Official Crossover Event

Fans of Star Wars and Marvel have plenty to enjoy, and the future brings even more. Star Wars is approaching its 50th anniversary in 2027, and Lucasfilm is celebrating with a huge slate of new stories from across the galaxy. At the same time, some exciting ideas emerge from unexpected places. Star Wars: Visions breakout story The Ninth Jedi redefines what it means to be a Jedi, while Shawn Levy’s upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter promises a Top Gun: Maverick-inspired return to big-screen space combat.

Marvel is also gearing up for major moments. Spider-Man: Brand New Day has crossed $1 billion at the box office, and all eyes now turn toward Avengers: Doomsday, where Doctor Doom looks ready to make good on the movie’s ominous title. For those waiting on the movie, Marvel is also exploring what happens when Doom takes on the multiverse elsewhere.

What remains for two franchises with so much activity involves introducing Luke Skywalker to Captain America.

Marvel Comics and Lucasfilm are doing just that with Star Wars/Marvel: Hope Assembles, the first official crossover between the two universes.

The galaxy far, far away just got a lot closer

First revealed by Entertainment Weekly, Hope Assembles is a five-issue limited series written by Kevin Smith, featuring art from Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man and Uncanny X-Men artist David Marquez. The first issue arrives in January 2027.

This release is not just another Star Wars comic published by Marvel. Hope Assembles brings the classic A New Hope-era cast directly into Earth-616, the main continuity of Marvel Comics, where they meet major heroes and villains. Luke Skywalker and Captain America share a page. Han Solo and Chewbacca encounter Wolverine and the Guardians of the Galaxy. Princess Leia works alongside Black Widow and Black Panther. Obi-Wan Kenobi meets a welcoming committee consisting of Deadpool, Daredevil, Hawkeye, and the Human Torch.

Villains also join the crossover. Early art pairs Darth Vader with Doctor Doom, Thanos, and Ultron.

The official description explains how the Death Star and the Daily Bugle enter the same universe: “Hope Assembles will anchor the Star Wars franchise firmly in Marvel’s 616 universe as Earth’s Mightiest Heroes see the events of A New Hope unfold on Earth and before their very eyes after a reality-shattering spell.”

Smith has waited a long time to create this crossover. The filmmaker and comics writer told Entertainment Weekly that he subscribed to Marvel’s Star Wars comics in the early 1980s, wishing that Spider-Man or Doctor Doom might wander into the adventures of Luke, Leia, and Han.

“With Hope Assembles, Kevin Smith has written a true love letter to Star Wars, to Marvel, and to comics in general,” Michael Siglain, creative director at Lucasfilm Publishing, told Entertainment Weekly. “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.”

The series begins in January 2027, the year A New Hope turns 50, and runs monthly through its fifth and final issue in May.

After half a century of Star Wars, few franchise firsts remain, though Chewbacca meeting Wolverine stands out as one of them.

 

Source: Polygon