The Marvel/Star Wars Comic Book Crossover Has One Giant Problem

In 1945, a struggling Universal Pictures sold a quarter of the studio to British industrialist J. Arthur Rank, hoping that what wound up being a four-way merger would change the company's fortunes. The opposite occurred. New studio head William Goetz's attempt to make more prestige films almost led to a declaration of bankruptcy. Typically, the company could lean on its Universal Monsters film series, but those movies were waning in popularity. So, the desperate studio enlisted its bankable comedy duo of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello to team up with the likes of Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Wolf Man. The resulting "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" wound up being the highest grossing movie featuring The Monster since James Whale's original 1931 "Frankenstein" adaptation. The revival was short-lived, but Universal got a much-needed hit.

In the years since, crossover events have been employed to juice renewed interest in struggling franchises. Think "Alien vs. Predator," "Freddy vs. Jason," or "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice." We've seen this done on television and, most frequently, in comic books. In the latter medium, crossovers aren't necessarily a sign of desperation. Marvel was on an upswing when it mashed together a big chunk of its roster for "Secret Wars" in 1984. And oddities like "Superman vs. Muhammad Ali" or The Avengers dropping by "Late Night with David Letterman" were just-for-fun larks.

As for the just announced, Kevin Smith-penned "Star Wars/Marvel: Hope Assembles," which will launch in January 2027? This feels ultra-sweaty. When I was eight years old, the idea of Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia joining forces with Spider-Man, Captain America, and the Hulk would've been sweet. But with both film franchises scrambling commercially, I'm inclined to view this as a hail mary.

Yes, I'm quite aware that "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" is currently breaking box office records, but the webslinger has consistently been a commercial juggernaut since Sam Raimi's 2002 movie. Even when the films stink (e.g. "The Amazing Spider-Man 2"), people show up in droves.

Spider-Man and Deadpool movies aside, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has had more disappointments than hits since "Avengers: Endgame" hit theaters in 2019. Meanwhile, the "Star Wars" franchise is in complete disarray. Like Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm diluted its brand with an onslaught of streaming series. A new "Star Wars" movie used to be a once-every-three-years event. Nowadays, you can't escape the galaxy far, far away.

For Lucasfilm, it feels like this year's "The Mandalorian and Grogu" was an inflection point. With a worldwide take of $345.2 million against a $165 million budget, it's the lowest-grossing live-action "Star Wars" movie and a loud signal that the "Star Wars" TV shows are niche undertakings. Add in the anemic box office for last year's "Captain America: Brave New World" and "Thunderbolts*," along with the ho-hum reception that greeted "The Fantastic Four: First Steps," and two of Disney's most prized franchises are on unsteady legs, if not on the ropes. It's what makes me wonder if "Star Wars/Marvel: Hope Assembles" is a dry run for a big screen crossover.

It'll be interesting to see how Marvel Comics and "Star Wars" fans react to this announcement. Kevin Smith is an avowed fan of both universes, so he's as qualified as anyone to give this a shot. But superhero and "Star Wars" fatigue is real, and I just don't sense that there's much excitement for either franchise right now. According to 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."

If this limited series is a hit, and all involved parties decide to explore a movie version, they'll either have to go with an animated rendition or a live-action feature starring the characters from the sequel trilogy and, provided it's a success, Shawn Levy's forthcoming "Star Wars: Starfighter." (I refuse to entertain an AI approach.) I couldn't be less excited about any of this, but, hey, it'd be hard for Marvel and Lucasfilm to do worse than, with a few exceptions, what they've been doing throughout the 2020s. It's just sad that it's come to this. Although if you turn the film into a comedic vehicle for Keke Palmer and SZA, my tune will change dramatically.