It’s official: Star Wars and Marvel will cross over
Marvel Comics is marking the 50th anniversary of 'Star Wars' with a five-issue limited comic series written by a very familiar name — one you probably didn’t expect.
Right, here’s something I honestly never thought I’d be typing: we're finally getting a proper Star Wars and Marvel crossover. Not just a cheeky cameo or a throwaway Easter egg, but a full-blown comic series where the two universes actually collide, lightsabres and all. It’s called Star Wars/Marvel: Hope Assembles, and it’s set to be the big-ticket item of the Star Wars 50th anniversary slate next year.
If you know your comic book history, you’ll remember that Marvel had the Star Wars licence back in the late 1970s and 80s, before Dark Horse swooped in. Once Disney finally hoovered up both Marvel and Lucasfilm, it became almost inevitable they’d cross the streams one day — but even then, they waited. Now, come 2027, the wait’s over: Marvel and Star Wars are officially sharing a page.
Star Wars/Marvel: Hope Assembles launches in January 2027 and wraps up in May, right before Star Wars turns 50 on 25 May 2027.
The Team and the Plot
Filmmaker Kevin Smith — who’s made no secret of his Star Wars fandom, and actually wrote Marvel’s Daredevil: Guardian Devil arc back in the 90s — is scripting this five-part limited series. The artwork's down to David Marquez, who’s definitely proven he can handle spandex and capes over at Marvel. The basic premise: all your favourite Star Wars heroes (think Luke, Leia, Han) link up with the biggest names from Marvel’s Earth-616. And given who they’re up against (the combined nastiness of Darth Vader, Doctor Doom, Thanos and the Empire itself), it’s safe to say subtlety isn’t on the menu.
- The run starts with Issue #1 in January 2027
- Final issue out May 2027, just days before the original’s 50th birthday
- Star Wars heroes fighting side-by-side with Avengers — with Vader, Doom and Thanos doing their worst
- Tied in directly to Star Wars’ official anniversary schedule
How It Finally Happened
Smith being handed the crossover keys isn’t exactly random — he’s been referencing Star Wars in his films for decades and was, in his own words to Entertainment Weekly, that kid hoping Spider-Man might just swing into Mos Eisley one day. Here’s how he described landing the job:
‘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!’
The higher-ups are rolling out the hyperbole too. Lucasfilm Publishing’s Michael Siglain calls Smith’s script a ‘love letter’ to Star Wars, Marvel, and comics in general, and reckons Marquez’s artwork nails it. He promises hero/villain crossovers the likes of which we’ve never properly got, with big emotional stakes tucked in among the lightsaber clashes and shield throws. Outgoing Marvel boss C.B. Cebulski said it’s been on their bucket list since Marvel got Star Wars rights back in 2014, and having Lucasfilm finally say yes now — as the 50th crunches into view — felt like being told by Han Solo himself that 'You’re all clear, kid!'
The new Marvel EIC, Stephen Wacker, chimed in too, making it clear this isn’t just a one-off stunt, but a celebration of two brands that have pretty much shaped global fandom together for five decades. At the risk of stating the obvious, fans have been baying for this sort of cross-pollination since before Return of the Jedi even hit VHS.
The Bigger 50th Anniversary Bonanza
This comic marks just one slice of what Disney’s cooked up for the Star Wars 50th anniversary blow-out. Over in California, Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge is getting a fresh coat of paint and an ‘original series’ makeover just for the occasion. The real kicker for old-school diehards: in February 2027, the proper, unaltered 1977 cut of Star Wars is finally getting a theatrical re-release, stormtrooper head-bump and all.
If that’s not enough, Star Wars Celebration 2027 kicks off on 1 April and is expected to bring plenty of headline news — including updates on the Ryan Gosling fronted Star Wars Starfighter, eyeing cinemas 27 May 2027, to echo the original’s 1977 premiere spot. Suffice to say, if you’re a Star Wars obsessive, you might want to block off your calendar for the first five months of 2027.