In a comic book fan's perfect world, franchise crossovers would not be so limited by IP laws and licensing agreements. Obviously, such legalities are in place for a reason, but how great would it be if dream collaborations like Marvel vs. DC, Marvel vs. Capcom, or even Marvel vs. Star Wars just happened without contractual obstacles getting in the way? After Disney purchased major content entities such as Lucasfilm and Twentieth Century Fox, it seemed like merging popular franchises with each other could actually be possible; however, it looks like it isn't as straightforward as it may appear to be.
In the case of Marvel vs. Star Wars, the studio itself has confirmed that such a crossover will not happen – at least, not in the near future. AC Bradley, the head writer for Marvel's What If…? on Disney Plus, recently told GamesRadar that Marvel refused to let him introduce any of the Star Wars characters into the animated series. Marvel has written it into stone that the Star Wars timeline is not in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and not even a show like What If…? — where the possibilities are literally endless — could change that. Bradley even went on to says that Marvel had to keep reminding him that Luke Skywalker is not an Avenger.
RELATED: Marvel's What If Can Serve As A Test For Future Storylines
As incredible as it would be to see our favorite Rebels fight alongside our favorite Avengers, it would just be way too complicated to combine the two universes with each other. Kevin Feige has been tasked with revitalizing Star Wars, but it's unlikely that merging it with the MCU is part of his plan. Both franchises have undergone massive worldbuilding and their respective storylines are so intricate that it just wouldn't make sense to merge them. Besides, bringing Star Wars characters into What If…? would technically turn them into MCU canon, which would have a ripple effect on everything Marvel has worked so hard to establish in the MCU up to this point.
Of course, that hasn't stopped the fans from hoping that the crossover will still happen someday. Even Spider-Man actor Tom Holland, who is a huge Star Wars fan, is on board with the idea — in fact, he's known to insert pop-culture references into his conversations with his superhero friends wherever he can. That said, if neither Holland nor Bradley could convince Marvel to greenlight the idea, it's probably not going to happen any time soon.
At this point, fans will have to get their 'Marvel vs. Star Wars' fix from easter eggs like Holland's references, which can sometimes be found throughout the MCU films. And, if that doesn't suffice, there's always fanfiction…
Marvel's What If…? makes its streaming debut on Disney Plus this August 11.
MORE: What If…?'s Protagonists Are Actually Captain Carter And The Watcher
Source: GamesRadar