Death Stranding, God of War, Spider-Man PS4…E3 2016 proved to be one for the ages, as Sony rolled out trailer after trailer showcasing many of the games headed to PlayStation 4 in the not-so-distant future. For all of the excitement generated by Kratos, Atreus, and Norman Reedus clutching onto his (?) stillborn foetus, it was really the unveiling of Insomniac’s licensed Spidey game that instilled a renewed sense of hope in Marvel’s gaming output.
The as-yet-untitled Spider-Man PS4 is by no means a one-off, either; immediately after E3, Marvel’s Vice President of Games Jay Ong asked the question: “Is [Spider-Man] a signal of things to come? Oh, yes. Absolutely. And we can’t wait to tell the world about it.” Matching AAA properities with AAA developers is something fans have been crying out for for generations, and after persevering through an era of rushed, downright terrible video game tie-ins, Marvel Games is beginning to turn a corner. Gone are the days when the comic book giant was beholden to a standing agreement with Activision, one which resulted in a string of licensed titles of diminishing returns.
In one corner, Insomniac Games has been tasked with reintroducing everyone’s favorite friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man, while the Guardians of the Galaxy have found a home at Telltale Games. Star-Lord and the gang have proven fairly popular, too, what with reports claiming that former Deus Ex dev Eidos Montreal is also ready to spin out their own version of Awesome Mix Vol. 1.
That tidbit in question was unearthed right around the time when Square Enix and Marvel officially joined forces for a “multi-game partnership.” Beginning with The Avengers project, the creative team-up will involve both parties developing and publishing “original games based on beloved Marvel superheroes.”
No further details were disclosed, but more information on both The Avengers project and other licensed titles is expected in 2018. So far, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes are locked in, while an Eidos-developed Guardians game is all but confirmed, but what about Marvel and Square’s other gestating projects? Supposing that that multi-game partnership spans all genres, The Avengers project could herald the start of something special, and here we’ve compiled a list of potential Marvel candidates ripe for an adaptation.
Because let’s face it, the term ‘superhero’ is arguably one of the most flexible in the business. It’s not so much a genre as it is a loose category of Messiah complexes and costumed crusaders, and one need only look to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as an example of creators retooling the formula to fit a wide variety of films. You have Guardians of the Galaxy and its sci-fi sensibilities, while Peyton Reed’s Ant-Man movie is essentially a heist movie wrapped up in a snug (and tiny!) superhero skin. Can Square Enix and Marvel nurture a similarly diverse roster of titles? We certainly hope so, and here, we’ve earmarked six properities and/or characters to consider.
What do our readers make of Square and Marvel’s multi-game partnership? Indeed is there one character/property in particular you’d like to see leap from the comic book panels? Let us know below.
Essential Reading:
- Nioh Review – It’s Never Over (PS4)
- Report: The Deus Ex Franchise Is Taking a Break
- Square Enix and Marvel Announce The Avengers Project, Multi-Game Partnership
Marvel/Square Games Feature Feb. 2017
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Ooga Chaka!
Marvel's famous vault is teeming with characters ripe for a video game adaptation. But which of those costumed crusaders made the cut? Let's get to it.
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Hulk
Mark Ruffalo’s mighty green rage monster was, without question, the unsung hero of Joss Whedon’s 2012 ensemble movie. But for all of the praise heaped upon Hulk’s monstrous shoulders, Marvel has been notoriously coy about a possible solo movie. Granted, Taiki Waititi’s upcoming Thor: Ragnarok reportedly incorporates many of the story strands found in the beloved Planet Hulk comic — the gladiatorial arena, the war-torn battle of Sakaar.
But if history has taught us anything, it’s that Hulk’s video game lineage is spotty and best. Two separate and largely unrelated video game tie-ins were launched in 2003 and 2008 — right around the time that Eric Bana and Edward Norton were unleashing mayhem on the silver screen — and both struggled to leave much of an impression. Assuming Hulk is promoted to a lead character in one of Square and Marvel’s upcoming video games, chances are both parties will favor a sandbox action game, one that isn’t beholden to its cinematic next of kin. Heck, if there’s one element of the MCU that Marvel and Square could emulate it’s the decision to introduce Bruce Banner/Hulk in an ensemble piece first (The Avengers project?) before spinning out a solo effort.
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Captain Marvel
It’s no secret that Carol Danvers has waited an awful long time to leap onto the silver screen. As the Marvel Cinematic Universe evolved into a lucrative, critically-acclaimed juggernaut, the proposed Captain Marvel solo movie languished on the sidelines, and it’s only after the casting of Brie Larson (Room, Kong: Skull Island) that a 2019 release date was locked in.
Who is Captain Marvel, exactly? She’s arguably Marvel’s most iconic female hero, one imbued with superhuman strength, endurance, stamina, flight, and seven razor-sharp senses. She is the very definition of OP, which may cause a few headaches for Square Enix should Danvers be selected on the publisher’s shortlist. Marvel Heroes and Marvel: Ultimate Alliance notwithstanding, the fact that Captain Marvel is yet to headline her own video game opens up the field for creators to engineer something truly unique. An origin story, perhaps?
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Doctor Strange
Once an ancillary character in the grand scheme of things, thanks to Scott Derrickson’s mind-bending solo movie, the Sorcerer Supreme is very much in vogue.
Much of that success can be traced back to Benedict Cumberbatch's performance as the prickly, intelligent Doctor Strange, and with an Infinity War role locked in, the sorcerer's future in the MCU is effectively locked in.
But what about the video game industry? Outside of the mobile space, players are yet to experience a high-profile Doctor Strange game, but the advent of The Avengers project represents an opportunity for Marvel and Square Enix to introduce an assembly of characters, before potentially spinning out solo efforts -- not unlike Marvel's approach in the aftermath of Joss Whedon's 2012's ensemble movie.
Besides, when it comes to Doctor Strange, Marvel's Sorcerer Supreme boasts a back catalogue teeming with galactic villains, each more eccentric than the last. Think of Rocksteady's approach to the Arkham series, only swap out the dark and gritty tone for something much more fantastical.
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Black Widow
Ever since her introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, ScarJo’s kick-ass agent has become something of a fan-favorite and even to this day, Black Widow’s impassioned fanbase continue to drum up support for a spinoff movie featuring Natasha Romanoff. Joss Whedon's Age of Ultron merely hinted at Romanoff’s harrowing past, but it's something we'd love to see explored in full via a standalone game.
A third-person action/adventure in the vein of Square's rebooted Tomb Raider series? It's possible. The Black Widow brand doesn't hold a candle to the great Lara Croft, but swap out plundering tombs for espionage action and you could carve out a new recipe for success.
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Ant Man
If you've seen Ant-Man, you've no doubt revelled in the cracking screen chemistry between Paul Rudd and Michael Peña’s Luis. The latter was simply bursting with crackerjack energy, and his inclusion elevated an otherwise average story.
Now imagine if a developer took that dynamic and moulded a buddy cop comedy, one featuring Luis and Paul Rudd’s diminutive hero. But if comedy is a tough sell in cinema, it's often ten times more difficult in the video game industry. Aside from the recent South Park games, you'd struggled to locate a title that delivered a good bang for buck ratio.
But if Square Enix selected a talented pool of writers, anything's possible. Ant-Man was designed to be a heist movie, first and foremost, so there's always room for some action elements, too.
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The Inhumans
Black Bolt, Medusa, Gorgon, Triton, Crystal, Maximus the Mad — all characters that you aren’t likely to find hanging up in college dorm rooms. Yes, The Inhumans may not be as popular as, say, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, but as a dysfunctional superhero group, Marvel’s Royal Family is practically in a league of its own. Once angled as a live-action feature, the studio has now repackaged The Inhumans into a big-budget TV series, one that will share a home with Marvel’s long-running Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D..
It’ll premiere fall 2017 and, providing the ratings are to Marvel’s liking, could boost the popularity of Black Bolt and Co. exponentially. Compared to other candidates on our list, The Inhumans is steeped in rich sci-fi, of far-flung worlds like Attilan and powerful cosmic beings. But then again, so is Guardians of the Galaxy. All it takes is for a writer-director to find levity and heart amid the stars. And then maybe -- just maybe --you’ll begin to see posters of Medusa, Crystal and Maximus the Mad adorning college dorm rooms.
