Marvel fighting games have heavily relied on the Marvel vs. Capcom franchise, but the development of recent Marvel video game projects has proven there are other options. Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel’s Avengers, and Marvel’s Spider-Man have established the comic book giant can expand into other genres. Instead of developing another Marvel vs. Capcom title, Marvel should embrace one of its darker continuities to pit its characters against one another.
Marvel vs. Capcom games have historically embraced cartoonish, Street Fighter-styled designs but can adopt a more mature tone with darker universes. DC pursued a unique style with its successful Injustice series, which features playable characters from Batman to Black Manta. Marvel should turn away from its Capcom dependency and turn to some of its original works as inspiration for a new Marvel fighting game.
Recent MCU projects have begun to explore the multiverse, which enables Marvel to have significant creative freedoms for the foreseeable future. One universe that a Marvel fighting game could explore delves into Civil War, where conflicting ideals pitted Earth’s heroes against one another. The world was subsequently torn apart by superpowered individuals fighting for their version of justice and freedom, unable to compromise. Crafting a fighting game around these two warring sides would be the perfect introduction for a mature-themed campaign and intense bouts of combat. Civil War debuted in the MCU with Captain America and Iron Man facing off against one another after the Sokovia Accords, which could also tie into the project.
Marvel’s Apocalyptic Universes Would Be A Perfect Fighting Game Setting
Another Marvel universe that would be the perfect setting for a Marvel fighting game would be the Age of Apocalypse. This world resulted from Legion, son of Charles Xavier, accidentally murdering his father while trying to kill Magneto. The mutant Apocalypse subsequently conquered North America and gathered mutants under his leadership. Thus, Marvel’s heroes and villains could face off in a Marvel fighting game to decide the fate of an entire continent. Additionally, characters from another Marvel Earth could join the heroes in freeing the world from the Age of Apocalypse.
Like Civil War, Marvel’s Age of Ultron universe is another incident that appeared in the MCU and could create an exciting fighting game setting. In one universe, Ultron claimed victory and began hunting down Earth’s heroes. Players could take control of robotic and human versions of their fan-favorite heroes and villains. The game’s association with the Avengers films could contribute to the game’s visibility and allow casual fans to be aware of the story.
Though the Marvel vs. Capcom model has seen good levels of success, Marvel’s expansion into new, mature themes of games should continue to the fighting game genre. The Marvel comics, movies, and shows have explored many reaches of the multiverse that could improve on the Marvel vs. Capcom formula. DC’s success with Injustice and Mortal Kombat crossovers proves that darker themes and stories can propel a fighting game’s popularity quite far, and Marvel has many universes that would be the perfect setting for hero vs. hero or villain vs. villain action.
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