For years, fans have wondered what Star Wars might look like if Lucasfilm embraced the kind of alternate-universe storytelling that has become a hallmark of Marvel. While projects like Star Wars: Visions — which gives creators freedom to tell standalone stories outside the main continuity — and various LEGO Star Wars projects have played with the franchise's characters and lore in imaginative ways, a true What If…?-style series has never quite materialized for the galaxy far, far away.
That's about to change, and the occasion couldn't be more fitting.
Star Wars Meets the Marvel Universe
The project is Star Wars/Marvel: Hope Assembles, a five-issue comic-book crossover written by Kevin Smith and illustrated by David Marquez. The series launches in January 2027 as part of Star Wars' 50th anniversary celebrations.
Rather than imagining an alternate version of a familiar story, Hope Assembles asks what happens when characters from two of the biggest franchises in entertainment collide head-on. Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Han Solo, and Chewbacca will encounter Marvel characters including Spider-Man and the Avengers, while Darth Vader and Doctor Doom form an alliance. The crossover takes place in Marvel's Earth-616 universe — making this considerably more than a LEGO-style reimagining.
The timing carries real historical weight: Marvel published its very first Star Wars comic in 1977, the same year A New Hope debuted in theaters. Hope Assembles brings the two franchises together 50 years later.
Part of a Much Bigger Anniversary Celebration
Hope Assembles is just one piece of a larger 50th anniversary slate. Here's what else is on the horizon:
- Star Wars: The Experience – A Journey Through the Galaxy will open at Philadelphia's Franklin Institute in February 2027.
- The original Star Wars (1977) will return to theaters for a limited engagement on February 19.
- Star Wars: A New Hope – Triple Take retells the original film through the perspectives of Luke, Leia, and Han.
- The Welsh-language Star Wars: Gobaith Newydd arrives on Welsh broadcaster S4C and its streaming platforms on Christmas Day, 2026.
So while Hope Assembles isn't quite a full Star Wars: What If…? series, it may be the closest Lucasfilm has come to giving fans an official answer to that long-asked question.
Would you like to see Lucasfilm create a full Star Wars: What If…? series? Let us know in the comments below!