Marvel is bringing the events and characters of A New Hope into its main comics continuity with Star Wars/Marvel: Hope Assembles, a five-part series written by filmmaker Kevin Smith. The series is set to begin in January 2027, as Star Wars marks its 50th anniversary.
Marvel revealed at New York Comic Con that the crossover will be canon to the mainstream Marvel Universe, known as Earth-616. The story brings the heroes of A New Hope to Earth, where they’ll meet Spider-Man, the Hulk, Iron Man, and many others. Meanwhile, Doctor Doom and several Marvel villains will join Darth Vader and the Empire’s forces.
Issues arrive monthly after that. The fifth and final issue is scheduled for May 2027, the anniversary month of A New Hope. David Marquez, known for Ultimate Spider-Man, is the series’ main artist. Marvel also revealed covers by Alex Ross and Raphael Albuquerque.
Smith said that while following Marvel’s Star Wars comics in the early ’80s, he wished Spider-Man or Doctor Doom could cross over into the Star Wars cinematic saga. He called the chance to write that story an opportunity he was “ecstatic” to take, and thanked Marvel Comics and Lucasfilm for trusting him with the project.
The premise also takes Star Wars into territory its long-form stories have rarely explored: Earth and even the Milky Way. The source describes brief, tongue-in-cheek comedy comics and short non-canon prose stories as exceptions, but says no long-form Star Wars story in the franchise’s 50-year history had acknowledged either.
The story begins when a reality-shattering spell causes the events of A New Hope to unfold on Earth. Doctor Strange doesn’t appear in the artwork, so any role for him is guesswork. The Scarlet Witch does appear, and since altering reality is her thing, she may be a clue.
Marvel editor-in-chief C. B. Cebulski said the publisher had wanted to explore a crossover since regaining the Star Wars license from Dark Horse Comics over a decade ago, but waited for the right opportunity. He said the 50th anniversary of A New Hope provided that chance. Mark Hamill has also said George Lucas drew inspiration for Darth Vader from Victor von Doom, adding another connection between the two worlds.
Smith has often turned down fan requests to write a Star Wars or Marvel movie, but this comic project is different. The first issue of Star Wars/Marvel: Hope Assembles is scheduled to arrive in January 2027.
