Star Wars/Marvel Crossover Must Deliver This 1 Fight
Adam has been writing in the entertainment news space for over a decade. Beginning his career of covering film and TV at CinemaBlend, he has also appeared on The Flash Podcast and done several radio spots.
Star Wars and Marvel have a history stretching back to 1977, the same year the former franchise’s first movie, retroactively titled A New Hope, was released in theaters. In 2015, three years after Disney acquired Lucasfilm, Marvel began publishing Star Wars comics following Dark Horse Comics’ run with stories set in a galaxy far, far away from 1991 to 2014. Over a decade later, these superhero and space opera worlds are finally crossing over for the first time.
Writer Kevin Smith and artist David Marquez are teaming up for the five-issue limited series titled Star Wars/Marvel: Hope Assembles. The story will see Star Wars characters like Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Darth Vader being transported to Earth-616, i.e. the main Marvel universe “after a spell shatters reality.” The Star Wars/Marvel crossover launches ahead of A New Hope celebrating its 50th anniversary, and there’s one specific showdown between the mightiest members from the Avengers and Galactic Empire that needs to happen.
Darth Vader And The Hulk Need To Fight In Hope Assembles
Star Wars/Marvel: Hope Assembles sees the Star Wars protagonists teaming up with the Avengers, Spider-Man, and other superheroes upon arriving on Earth, while Darth Vader and his Imperial forces will ally with Doctor Doom. Hulk is shown on one of the covers that’s been released for Hope Assembles, and while that doesn’t necessarily guarantee he’ll appear in the comic book series, it’s hard to imagine him sitting it out given his popularity. So it would be a wasted opportunity if Hulk and Vader didn’t come to blows.
There are a lot of powerful characters in the Marvel universe, and Hulk regularly ranks among the heaviest hitters, if not resting at the top of the list. The same goes for Vader in the Star Wars universe, even after most of his limbs were chopped off, and his body badly burned during his duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar in Revenge of the Sith. It’s only fitting that these two fight in Hope Assembles.
While Hulk has Vader beat in terms of sheer physical strength, Vader is one of the most skilled Force users in Star Wars history. With this mystical energy field binding all living things, he could put up a formidable telekinetic assault against the green behemoth, as well as use the Force to dull his opponent’s senses or even revert him to Bruce Banner. It’s also likely that a lightsaber would be able to cut through Hulk’s skin.
Conversely, Hulk’s strength and indomitable will means he may be one of the few beings capable of resisting Vader’s Force attacks, both physically and mentally. Plus, the longer that the fight goes on, the angrier Hulk gets, and that means he’ll become even more powerful. The question then becomes whether Vader’s Force mastery is enough to halt Hulk’s rampage.
Who Has The Edge In A Hulk Vs. Vader Fight?
It’s reasonable to assume that neither Hulk nor Darth Vader will be killed off in Star Wars/Marvel: Hope Assembles, particularly if the Star Wars characters are supposed to experience the same events from the franchise’s main continuity once they’re returned to their universe. Nevertheless, if Hulk and Vader cross paths in the comic book crossover, then unless something happens that either ends the fight prematurely or somehow results in a draw between them, there needs to be a victor.
While it’s a close call between these two titans, Hulk is currently the safer bet, assuming he doesn’t switch back to Banner. Hulk’s anger is the key to him winning, because while Vader is also capable of great rage, his power level doesn’t increase when that happens. If the Sith Lord is unable to quickly subdue the founding Avenger, then the latter will eventually become too difficult for the former to attack and contain. From there, it’s only a matter of time before Hulk crushes Vader’s cybernetic body.
Star Wars/Marvel: Hope Assembles #1 will be released in January 2027 by Marvel Comics. Once this five-issue platform has been set, Marvel and Star Wars fans will see whether Hulk and Darth Vader indeed engage in a battle for the ages.