Star Wars / Marvel Super Heroes Crossover "Hope Assembles" Announced by Marvel Comics

Has Luke Skywalker ever met Captain America before? Only in the minds of imaginative kids (and adults, maybe?) who love the Star Wars and Marvel super hero franchises so much they want to see them mashed together. Well now, thanks to certified imaginative kid Kevin Smith and the partnership of Marvel Comics and Lucasfilm Publishing, Earth-616 is about to collide with A Galaxy Far, Far Away. More details below.

What's happening:

• Via an exclusive reveal in Entertainment Weekly, Marvel Comics has announced a new five-issue limited series in partnership with Lucasfilm Publishing that will see a long-awaited crossover between the universes of Marvel super heroes and the Star Wars galaxy.
• This miniseries will be written by filmmaker and comics scribe Kevin Smith (Clerks, Daredevil: Guardian Devil) with art by David Marquez (The Uncanny X-Men), with the first issue hitting comic shops in January 2027, meaning that the fifth issue will arrive in May 2027, just in time for the 50th anniversary of the original Star Wars film.
• EW's story mentions appearances by characters like Chewbacca, Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Darth Vader, Captain America, Black Widow, Spider-Man, Hulk, and Doctor Doom. Many of these are confirmed on the five-issue connecting cover viewable below. This story also supposedly takes place in the Earth-616 timeline, though I think we can safely assume that Hope Assembles will not be considered "canon" in either the Star Wars or Marvel super heroes chronologies.

What they're saying:

• Kevin Smith: "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 Creative Director Michael Siglain: “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.”
• Marvel Comics Outgoing Editor-In-Chief C.B. Cebulski: "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!’"
• Marvel Comics Incoming Editor-In-Chief Stephen Wacker: "Marvel and Star Wars’ histories have been intertwined for 50 years and continue to set the standard for storytelling across the world…and across the media landscape. Lifelong lovers of both Star Wars and Marvel have a lot to look forward to as we finally bring the characters together in ways fans have been dreaming about for decades!"

More Marvel Comics News:

• A battle to the death between two X-Men favorites has been teased for the current DNX miniseries event.
• Avengers and Inhumans characters are featured on new Alex Ross Marvel Timeless Variant Covers.
• Check out The Muppet Show variant covers coming to Marvel Comics in celebration of that series' 50th anniversary.