Since both Marvel and Star Wars are owned by Disney, it’s only natural that the two mega-franchises would reference each other now and then. For one thing, it’s an excellent example of that classic business term “corporate synergy,” where its various brands can acknowledge and support each other through tie-ins, crossovers, or even a couple of well-placed references. Business considerations aside, it just makes sense that the characters populating the Marvel Cinematic Universe would engage in discussions that included allusions to the world’s favorite space opera because it is as deeply ingrained in our culture as something like Greek mythology. Star Wars is so ubiquitous now that it would be weird if Marvel characters didn’t mention it.

That being said, there aren’t nearly as many references as you might expect. If corporate synergy really were the goal here, you’d think every entry in the MCU’s timeline would include an overt nod to the legendary series. Instead, most of these references are subtle. In some cases, the references are so tangential that they don’t even deserve to be mentioned here. Although a lot of folks would consider any character losing a hand or arm (as a bunch of Star Wars characters did, including both Luke and Anakin Skywalker) to be a direct reference to the sci-fi saga, Star Wars didn’t invent the severing of limbs, so we have chosen to omit them. Also, we’re only including references made in the official MCU film canon. So, spinoffs with questionable ties to the franchise have also been omitted (sorry, Agents of S.H.I.E.LD).

7 Captain America: The Winter Soldier

     Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

The second (and perhaps best) Captain America film, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, shows us that Steve Rogers has been trying to catch up on all the cultural milestones that occurred while he was frozen for almost seven decades. He has a little notebook he uses to keep track of things he needs to look up. There is only one entry that was crossed off, suggesting he finally looked it up for himself and that is Star Wars. Of course, one of the first things a character who lives in a cinematic universe owned by Disney who missed the 70s would do is watch Star Wars. The question is: did he watch all of Star Wars or just the original trilogy? Just one of those unsolved MCU mysteries.

6 Captain America: Civil War

The third (and perhaps most fun) entry in the Captain America film franchise, Captain America: Civil War introduces us to the MCU’s rendition of everyone’s favorite web-head: Spider-Man! In his fight to prove that heroes should register/cooperate with the government, Tony Stark (or Iron Man) recruits a teenager from Queens named Peter Parker. While drafting a kid into a battle with a slew of more experienced (and powerful) adults should probably be a crime, Peter more than holds his own and even offers a tactical solution that helps end the battle thanks to The Empire Strikes Back. He suggests tripping Ant-Man (who is now enormous) like the All Terrain Armored Transport (AT-AT) in that classic (or “old,” as he puts it) film.

5 Spider-Man: Homecoming

     Sony Pictures Releasing

Although Tom Holland doesn’t exactly look like he would be considered a nerdy high school loser, the fact that he and his best buddy Ned make plans to work on a LEGO Death Star (complete with Emperor Palpatine) instead of doing something dangerous or exciting (like most teenagers in movies) helps to sell the idea that they don’t quite fit in with the “cool” kids. Not that liking Star Wars (one of the single most popular and successful franchises in history) makes one nerdy or lame, but planning to assemble such a massive undertaking, as seen in Spider-Man: Homecoming, could at least be viewed as kind of pathetic in movie terms — not in the real world.

4 Spider-Man: Far From Home

Peter wears his Star Wars fandom a little more on his sleeve in the second MCU Spider-Man film Spider-Man: Far From Home. In Civil War, he referred to Empire as an “old movie.” in Homecoming, he kept his LEGO project with Ned on the down low, but in Far From Home, he has a TIE Fighter on display and Nick Fury has to explain to him that “uneasy is the head that wears the crown” doesn’t come from Star Wars. Also, in the short film Peter’s To-Do List (included on this film’s blu-ray), Peter sells a Lobot action figure to help pay for the gift he gives MJ in Venice.

3 Eternals

     Walt Disney Motion Pictures

Maybe Eternals didn’t set the world on fire the way other Marvel movies did, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth your time. Especially given our topic, seeing as there is a visual reference to Star Wars. Once again, it’s a reference to The Empire Strikes Back, which is on a television screen on Kingo’s private jet. What’s interesting about this is that the scene from Empire that’s being shown is when Han Solo gets frozen in carbonite. It’s about the loss of a friend, and it’s the moment things really start going badly for our heroes from a galaxy far, far away. At the same time, the Eternals are reuniting after centuries apart. It both mirrors and subverts what’s going on in the Star Wars film.

2 Spider-Man: No Way Home

The two references in the third (and by far the best) MCU Spider-Man film Spider-Man: No Way Home are callbacks to the first movie. We see the LEGO Death Star again and little, plastic Palpatine. At least the Palpatine figure is a purposeful callback since Peter is now living on his own and nobody he knows has any memory that he exists. Therefore, the Emperor is a little, bittersweet memento of a life only he can remember.

1 Black Panther: Wakanda Forever

Some would say that Shuri’s hair in the original Black Panther is a reference to Princess Leia, but it is just dissimilar enough to not warrant its own entry on this list. What does earn a spot is the late princess from a galaxy far, far away getting name-checked in the sequel Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. While much of that film’s massive runtime is dedicated to exploring manifestations of grief with powerful potency, there is still plenty of fun to be had. One such moment comes when the brilliant Riri Williams (aka Ironheart) points out that when the antagonists in movies give women outfits, it usually doesn’t work out for them. One of the names she listed was Princess Leia, who was forced to wear that gold bikini courtesy of Jabba the Hutt.