The nerdiest fever dream of all time is finally coming true. Next year, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Star Wars, characters from a galaxy far, far away will travel to Earth-616 to team up with the likes of Captain America, Wolverine, and Spider-Man. Yes, Star Wars and Marvel are finally, officially, crossing over. As a comic book
Entertainment Weekly broke the news of the titanic team-up, which is called Star Wars/Marvel: Hope Assembles, and will be written by Kevin Smith with art by David Marquez.
“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,” Smith said in a statement. “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!”
It’s not exactly clear how, or if, this crossover is explained, but apparently the story will basically be the events of A New Hope, on Earth, within the Marvel Universe. The first issue of the five-issue series will release in January 2027, and the last will be in May, just in time for the re-release of A New Hope and the new film, Star Wars: Starfighter.
“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, said. “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 EW article also has quotes from former Marvel EIC C.B. Cebulski, current EIC Stephen Wacker, and several other pieces of cover art which, ultimately, build into this. Head there to see each image in more detail.
As a fan of both Star Wars and Marvel, I’m honestly not sure how I feel about this. Is it a fun idea? Of course. Is Kevin Smith a talented enough writer to pull it off? Sure. But there’s just something about it that’s not exactly sitting right. We aren’t mad that it’s happening. More worried that it’s going to be a disaster. But, honestly, that’s how most Star Wars and Marvel fans feel every day.
Are you going to pick up Star Wars/Marvel: Hope Assembles? Let us know below.
Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
