A DC Comics and Star Wars Crossover Didn’t Happen For One Straightforward Reason

Comic books aren’t just the inspiration behind some of the biggest movies and TV shows. 

They’re also a unique and creative medium that can bring joy to people who may not have explored them before. 

Comics allow for stories and ideas that can’t always be done in movies or TV because the only limits are what the artist can draw and what the writer can imagine. 

This even includes crazy crossovers, like "King Kong" meeting "Planet of the Apes." Surprisingly, we almost had a DC Comics and "Star Wars" crossover a few years ago. So why didn’t it happen? That’s where things get frustrating.

For some background, writer Kurt Busiek shared on Twitter in 2017 that he and famous artist Alex Ross were working on a "Superman/Star Wars" crossover. 

However, the project was cancelled because the companies involved couldn’t agree on how to split the profits.

Busiek revealed that they had even created concept art of Superman fighting Darth Vader, but the project was ultimately scrapped.

At a more recent Tampa Bay Comic Convention, former DC publisher Dan DiDio talked about this potential crossover. 

Although the timing is unclear, we do know that Marvel Comics took over the "Star Wars" license in 2015 after Disney bought Lucasfilm. DiDio confirmed that the project reached his desk, but it never moved forward.

Would a Superman and Star Wars crossover even make sense?

Dan DiDio was co-publisher of DC Comics from 2010 to 2020, alongside Jim Lee, who later became President of DC Comics in 2023. 

The idea for the Superman and Star Wars crossover likely came about during the time when DiDio and Lee were leading the company. 

At that time, Dark Horse Comics was in charge of publishing Star Wars comics before the rights returned to Marvel in 2015, and this was before Disney owned Lucasfilm.

However, it seems that disagreements between the companies stopped the project. 

Crossovers like these can be difficult because each company wants to protect its characters. 

For example, if Superman defeats Darth Vader, Lucasfilm might not be happy, and if Darth Vader hurts Superman with a lightsaber, DC wouldn’t like that either. Every detail needs to be carefully worked out. 

That’s also why a Marvel/DC crossover in live-action is unlikely to happen. DiDio mentioned that the creators, likely Busiek and/or Ross, were disappointed when the project fell apart.

DiDio seems to suggest that the crossover didn’t make sense from a business standpoint. But would it have worked story-wise? Superman is an alien from Krypton so that part fits with the sci-fi world of Star Wars.