Disney Releases First Official Image of Darth Vader Claiming Infinity Gauntlet

Published Oct 20, 2026, 3:48 PM EDT Robert Wood is a writer and editor based out of Cheshire, England. He is the author of 'The False Elephant: and 99 Other Unreasonably Short Stories' - 100 stories, each told in exactly 100 words. Rob got into comics via Bendis' Ultimate Spider-Man and the UK anthology 'The Mighty World of Marvel,' which was running Frank Miller's Daredevil, Classic Hulk and Contest of Champions II. Prior to journalism, he worked in copywriting and copyedited for Oxford University Press. He is on X as @PinchTwigs and Instagram as roobwoodjourno. Sign in to your ScreenRant account As part of New York Comic Con, Disney just revealed a shocking first look at Star Wars' Darth Vader claiming Marvel's Infinity Gauntlet, ahead of the Star Wars/Marvel: Hope Assembles #1 crossover, which will see heroes including the Avengers take on the Empire and the Sith. The art, from Rafael Albuquerque, was released as part of the Marvel Comics: House of Ideas Panel - one of several variant covers depicting images that would once have seemed impossible from an official source. Star Wars/Marvel: Hope Assembles #1 is coming from Kevin Smith and David Marquez. The image shows a shadowy Darth Vader wielding the glowing Infinity Gauntlet, mastering a source of power greater even than his mighty Force abilities. Along with images of Spider-Man teaming with Luke Skywalker and Captain America battling Stormtroopers, it's a jawdropping vision of what's to come. The Marvel/Star Wars Crossover Is Already Epic The idea of a Marvel/Star Wars crossover was so unlikely that in 2013, comedian Patton Oswalt got laughs improvizing a pitch for the story in a 2013 Parks and Recreation episode. Now, it's almost here, and neither franchise his holding back. The new variant covers revealed by Marvel show the incredible scope as these two iconic fictional universes collide. In-world, the crossover will be explained by a malfunctioning spell, causing "the events of A NEW HOPE to unfold on EARTH-616." At this point, Darth Vader was chafing under Emperor Palpatine's control, making it entirely possible he'll seek out the reality-altering Infinity Gauntlet to topple his master. With Thanos shown on David Marquez's connection cover for issue 1, it's possible fans might even get to see Darth Vader take on the Mad Titan for possession of Marvel's ultimate weapon. It certainly seems like he'll face off against master sorcerer Doctor Doom, who might even be the source of the series' pivotal spell. Why Marvel Is 'Adapting' A New Hope It's crucial to acknowledge that this isn't just any Marvel/Star Wars crossover. The story is intended to celebrate 50 years of Star Wars, honoring the anniversary of A New Hope. It's for this reason that the story won't just see the two universe combine, but the events of the first movie specifically play out on Earth-616. That adds a whole new layer to the crossover's potential, since characters like the Avengers, Fantastic Four and Spider-Man are being hurled into events including Princess Leia's rescue, Luke Skywalker's Jedi awakening and the destruction of the Death Star. In this context, it would actually make even more sense for Darth Vader to seek out the Infinity Gauntlet. A New Hope sees the Empire attempting to launch its galaxy-controlling superweapon, so in a world where the Infinity Gauntlet exists, why would the Sith not take the opportunity to seize it instead of constructing their planet-killer? Whether Star Wars' Darth Vader will actually attempt to claim Marvel's Infinity Gauntlet is not yet known, but this tantalizing image shows that nothing is off the table as Hope Assembles' launch approaches. This is a developing story, more will be added shortly... Star Wars/Marvel: Hope Assembles #1 is coming January 13 2027. TV Show(s) The Mandalorian, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Lando, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Resistance, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, Star Wars: Visions Video Game(s) Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II - The Sith Lords, Star Wars Battlefront (2015), Star Wars: Battlefront 2 (2005), Star Wars: The Force Unleashed , Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor First Film Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope Cast Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Ian McDiarmid, Ewan McGregor, Rosario Dawson, Lars Mikkelsen, Rupert Friend, Moses Ingram, Frank Oz, Pedro Pascal Created by George Lucas Movie(s) Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, Star Wars: New Jedi Order