The Marvel universe is entering a galaxy far, far way in the Star Wars/Marvel: Hope Assembles crossover comic. Written by Kevin Smith (Clerks, Daredevil) and drawn by David Marquez (Uncanny X-Men), the five-issue series will bring together heroes and villains from both pop culture worlds. The collaboration between Marvel Comics and Lucasfilm Publishing begins in January 2027.

Following a reality-warping spell, the heroes of Earth-616 will witness events on Earth that are similar to the ones that occurred in Star Wars: A New Hope. The Avengers, Spider-Man, and more Marvel heroes will team-up with Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Chewbacca to stop the alliance between Doctor Doom and Darth Vader.

“Back in the early ‘80s, I had a subscription to Marvel’s Star Wars comics. And as fun as it was to follow the adventures of Luke, Leia, and Han, I always wished that Spider-Man or Doctor Doom could cross over into their cinematic saga,” Smith said. “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 history between Star Wars and Marvel goes back to 1975 when Star Wars advertising publicity supervisor, Charles Lippincott, approached Marvel Comics’ publisher, Stan Lee. Lippincott’s goal was to get comics in the hands of potential viewers before the movie was in theaters as a way to promote the upcoming release.

The first installment of the six-issue movie adaptation went on sale April 12, 1977, a little over a month before Star Wars saw theatrical release. It became a high seller, leading to renegotiations on the royalties for Lucasfilm. The initial adaptation, written by Thomas with art by Howard Chaykin, concluded with Star Wars #6, the December ’77 cover-dated issue.

“On April 12, 1977, Marvel Comics introduced readers to a galaxy far, far away with Star Wars #1. Now, 50 years later, it’s only fitting that the Star Wars galaxy collides with the Marvel Universe to celebrate the 50th anniversary of A New Hope,” Lucasfilm Publishing Creative Director Michael Siglain said. “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.”

“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,” Marvel Editor-in-Chief Stephen Wacker said. “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!”

“My time at Marvel has been filled with many ‘dream come true’ moments but this Hope Assembles crossover is truly one of our proudest. 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,” C.B. Cebulski, outgoing Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief and Consulting Editor, said. “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.”