There has been no shortage of Marvel games as of late, and it does not seem like they will be stopping anytime soon. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is set to drop later this year, while all signs point to Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 currently being in development. A NetherRealm-made fighting game set within the Marvel universe has been rumored, while an XCOM-like game set in that same world has been rumored.
However, despite all these Marvel games being in active development, all seem to be set on doing their own thing with the comics canon. While this is all well and good, it would make sense if the games started to lean more into the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After all, the MCU is largely responsible for making superheroes so popular in the modern era, as the long-running franchise has made the brand more valuable than ever. While it has been nice to see suits and moves from the MCU in Marvel’s Avengers and other video games, it is about time that a new game directly connected to the MCU released – and the new series What If…? provides the perfect jumping off point.
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Why What If…? Should Become A Video Game
For those unfamiliar with What If…?, the series is essentially based on the concept of creating new stories with existing heroes. Peggy Carter becomes a super soldier instead of Steve Rogers, for instance, while T’Challa becomes Star-Lord. Alongside some neat animation, many of the same actors return to voice their characters, keeping a sense of continuity. Not only would this visual style translate well to a video game, but a What If…? game would not interfere with the MCU.
What If…? essentially explores the multiverse, letting viewers see the things that could have been if different choices were made. As such, it manages to be canon without directly influencing the main run of movies, letting fans enjoy something that takes risks and is extremely different from what they already know. Viewers still get to see their favorite characters in action, but they get to view them from entirely different angles. With The Avengers already adapted via a high-profile game, and the likes of Spider-Man already having several solo outings, a What If…? game would be an easy way to deliver a new experience with some of the same elements that fans have come to know and love.
What If…? also cycles through several characters, which is something that would translate well to a video game. Players could control Captain Carter for a few levels, then switch over to Party Thor for another batch of missions. All these alternate reality characters could come together at the end of the game, too, letting players control each of them in the grand finale. This would open a lot of gameplay variety, as each hero would surely have some different combat mechanics. Just like the show, the game could tell a series of fully original stories that are canon to the MCU but do not interfere with the main timeline – making it the safest way to dabble with the tie-in game concept.
Expanding The MCU Through A Whole New Medium
Outside weak and forgettable tie-in games that released alongside some of the Phase 1 and 2 games, the MCU has yet to properly mess with the realm of video games. That can and should change, however. The Disney+ shows have been a terrific way to expand on some of the characters that previously had small roles, with Scarlet Witch and Falcon now set to push the MCU forward in a big way. Likewise, Loki revealed the new big bad for Phase 4, showing that the Disney+ shows are just as important as the movies. With Marvel Studios and Disney finding success with this strategy, the same level of buzz could be generated from some canon video games.
What If…? is the safest place to start given its unique spot in the MCU’s continuity, but there is no reason that the experiment would need to end there. Quality games that are made with the same love and planning as an MCU film could be worthwhile, as they would let fans spend more time with the versions of the characters that they love from the movies. While it is nice to see new takes on the characters like in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, there is something to be said for making a game that continues the story of the MCU versions. The same actors could return to voice their respective heroes, and with someone like Kevin Feige overseeing the project, the story of these hypothetical games could fill gaps between the shows and films. With players only seeing some of each hero’s adventures, and windows of time often skipped in-universe, Marvel games with official ties to the MCU seem like a perfect next step.