Star Wars Quietly Teased A Secret Star Trek Crossover Theory
After decades of fan theories about the possible connections between two reptilian species in "Star Trek" and "Star Wars," a comic book from the latter franchise finally paid homage to it, opening the door to an amusing crossover between the two universes. Those species are the Gorn, who first appeared in "Star Trek: The Original Series," and the Trandoshans, who were first featured alongside Boba Fett in "Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back."
For a while now, fans have believed that Bossk, the Trandoshan bounty hunter seen in "The Empire Strikes Back," was inspired by the Gorn who Captain Kirk (William Shatner) fights in the "Star Trek" episode "Arena." The similarities are indeed striking. Both are lizard-like humanoids with similarly shaped heads; both are ferocious fighters; and both are known for hunting their prey. That makes a subtle comic book homage to their likeness an intriguing twist in the lore of both species.
In Marvel Comics' "Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #11" (by Ethan Sacks, Paolo Villanelli, Arif Prianto, and Travis Lanham), we see the Trandoshan bounty hunter Bossk smash his opponent in a fight with a massive rock. It's a clear reference to "Arena," where Kirk's Gorn opponent flings a midsize boulder at the Starfleet captain, a moment beloved by "Star Trek" fans for the absurdity of its visuals as the Gorn actor, Bobby Clark, hilariously encumbered by his obviously fake rubber suit, tries his best to look threatening as he lobs what is evidently a foam rock at Shatner. But more than being a reference to that iconic "Star Trek" moment, does Bossk's rock throwing signal an opportunity for a crossover between the two franchises?
A Gorn and Trandoshan crossover is possible, but unlikely
While the reference to the Gorn in "Star Wars: Bounty Hunters #11" is a witty nod to the obvious comparisons between the two species, it also opens the door to a crossover between "Star Wars" and "Star Trek." Might it be possible for a Trandoshan to show up on one of the Enterprise's voyages? What about a Gorn bounty hunter making a cameo on "The Mandalorian"?
Anything is possible, of course, but an actual "Trek Wars" crossover is highly unlikely. Even if the creatives working on the two franchises were game to establish an in-universe connection between Trandoshans and Gorn, the barriers to doing so are high, primarily due to corporate control. The "Star Wars" franchise has been owned by Disney for the past decade, while "Star Trek" is a Paramount brand, so any kind of crossover event would need to be hammered out in legal negotiations beforehand. Even in cases where IP licensing is synergistic, such as Sony Pictures working with Disney to create the Tom Holland "Spider-Man" trilogy, the hurdles can be immense. The desires of fans and creatives are often not in alignment with those of executives, who are used to competing against rival studios and worry about things like brand dilution.
A cheeky Easter egg like the artwork referencing the Gorn in "Star Wars: Bounty Hunters" may fly under the radar, and we're not likely to see the two species together on-screen anytime soon.
Could Trandoshans really be related to Gorn? Sort of
Due to their visual similarities, some fans of "Star Trek" and "Star Wars" have suggested that Bossk might secretly be a Gorn. But both the Gorn and Trandoshans have had their lore expanded upon since their initial appearances in their respective franchises, making them less alike in the process.
"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" developed the Gorn into a terrifying threat for the crew of the Enterprise, revealing that they lay their eggs inside of human hosts, "Aliens" style. In earlier incarnations, though, they're surprisingly human-like, with their own culture. It's the kind of nuanced take on alien life fans have come to expect from "Star Trek." The Trandoshans, too, have had their time in the sun since Bossk first appeared in "The Empire Strikes Back." Far from all being ruthless bounty hunters, several were Jedi, most notably Sskeer, who fought in the Order during the High Republic Era.
More broadly, whereas the Gorn of "Strange New Worlds" invade planets to use their inhabitants as hunting targets or breeding stock, the Trandoshans are more likely to find themselves hunting as a form of employment. Bossk ends up using his rock-smashing move because he's been employed by the Malastare Banking Clan to aid "prey" in their survival as powerful figures watch for entertainment. Still, both species have cultures focused around hunting other intelligent beings, so there's always the chance they could secretly be the same aliens with two different names, or even two branching cultures from the same parent species.
At the end of the day, though, if Trandoshans ever show up in "Star Trek" or Gorn in "Star Wars," let's hope they aren't wearing those hilarious rubber costumes.