When Disney acquired both Lucasfilm and Marvel Studios in the 2010s, it created a pop culture powerhouse where actors could literally play in two of the biggest sandboxes in entertainment. For performers, landing a role in either franchise is a career highlight—but scoring parts in both? That's like winning the nerd lottery. From bit parts to leading roles, dozens of familiar faces have appeared in both the Star Wars saga and the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Here's a look at some of the most notable crossovers.
Paul Bettany: From AI to Crime Lord
Paul Bettany has one of the most unique trajectories in both universes. In the MCU, he started as the voice of J.A.R.V.I.S., Tony Stark's AI assistant, before physically embodying the android Vision in Avengers: Age of Ultron and the Disney+ series WandaVision. He's set to return in the upcoming VisionQuest. Meanwhile, in a galaxy far, far away, Bettany played the ruthless crime syndicate leader Dryden Vos in Solo: A Star Wars Story, a far cry from his gentle synthezoid persona.
Emilia Clarke: From Game of Thrones to Space and Spies
Though best known as Daenerys Targaryen, Emilia Clarke has also dipped into both Disney-owned franchises. She played Qi'ra, Han Solo's childhood friend and love interest, in Solo: A Star Wars Story. In the MCU, she took on the role of G'iah in the Disney+ series Secret Invasion, a Skrull rebel who becomes one of the most powerful beings in the universe by the season's end. Clarke has openly expressed disappointment that both projects weren't better received by audiences.
Rosario Dawson: The Defender Turned Jedi
Rosario Dawson first entered the MCU as Claire Temple, a nurse who appeared across Netflix's Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and other Defenders shows. She later made the leap to Star Wars, bringing the fan-favorite animated character Ahsoka Tano to live-action in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, before headlining her own series, Ahsoka. Her portrayal of the Togruta Jedi has made her a beloved figure in both fandoms.
Benicio del Toro: The Collector and the Codebreaker
Benicio del Toro brought his signature intensity to both franchises. In the MCU, he played Taneleer Tivan, the Collector, in Guardians of the Galaxy and Thor: The Dark World. In Star Wars, he portrayed DJ, a cynical codebreaker in The Last Jedi who famously refuses to pick a side. Both characters are morally ambiguous outsiders, a role del Toro plays masterfully.
Giancarlo Esposito: A Villain in Both Galaxies
Giancarlo Esposito, known for his iconic TV roles, has also crossed over. In the MCU, he voiced the villainous Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian—wait, that's Star Wars. Actually, Esposito has yet to appear in the MCU, but his Star Wars role as Moff Gideon is so memorable that fans often assume he's been in Marvel too. (He hasn't, but we're keeping an eye out.)
Other notable crossovers include Richard Armitage, who appeared as a Naboo fighter pilot in The Phantom Menace and as Hydra agent Heinz Kruger in Captain America: The First Avenger. The list goes on, proving that when you're the biggest entertainment company on Earth, you attract the biggest talent—and sometimes they just can't stay away from one universe.
For more on how these franchises connect, check out our feature on actors who bridged Middle-earth and a galaxy far, far away, or dive into classic Avengers episodes that still hold up.
