EA and Marvel Games have joined forces to develop a series of games, with the recent announcement and reveal of Iron Man by EA Motive and Black Panther by Cliffhanger Games. These games do not have titles yet and little information is known about them, apart from the genre they fall under. It is unclear if all of the collaboration's games will be announced soon, but the selection of characters by EA and Marvel suggests a pattern emerging.
Insomniac's Marvel's Spider-Man seems to be the sole provider of standalone experiences for the character, and it has also extended its reach to Wolverine and potentially other X-Men characters. However, Skydance's untitled Marvel game features Black Panther as one of four playable protagonists, indicating that other games can still incorporate their own interpretations of the same characters. This could imply that EA is focusing on Marvel's most iconic and unexplored superheroes.
EA May Only Be Tackling Marvel’s Most Popular Heroes Left on the Drawing Board
EA may be capitalizing on the current popularity of superhero media by selecting Marvel game characters that are both popular and largely unexplored. With the lack of remarkable Iron Man games in the past, there is immense potential for a modern AAA game. EA Motive's Iron Man game has the opportunity to greatly enhance the gaming experience compared to previous standalone games, drawing inspiration from titles like Marvel's Avengers or Marvel's Midnight Suns. Despite the unusual circumstance of Black Panther having two future game releases, this only reinforces the notion that the character is highly sought after in the gaming industry.
Black Panther may not initially appear to be the most dynamic or versatile character to choose, but it will be intriguing to see the similarities and differences between EA and Skydance's interpretation of Black Panther. Both the Iron Man and Black Panther games indicate a noticeable trend, suggesting that only a limited number of iconic characters will be considered for EA's collaboration.
If it is indeed true that three games are being considered, it cannot be wholly assumed that Captain America would take the third opportunity. Captain America would undoubtedly be the most popular character option, given how the MCU has elevated him alongside Iron Man. However, there are also other contenders for an EA Marvel game, with Hulk likely ranking high on that list.
It will be fascinating to see who EA and Marvel select for their third game, as the future potential for more collaborative games may rely on the success of their initial releases. It would be wise for them to feature a beloved character in order to ensure strong performance, rather than allowing EA to experiment with a less popular or unfamiliar character.
Many Marvel fans have expressed a desire for a Daredevil game, but based on EA's current collaborations, it appears they will instead capitalize on the success that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has brought to its characters. We can only speculate on the direction this partnership will take, but for now, we can expect EA's Iron Man and Black Panther games to follow the recent trend of impactful Marvel games.
Cliffhanger Games and EA’s Black Panther game is currently in development.
