Despite taking over Hollywood and streaming services, the superhero movement has only extended a passing glance at the gaming industry. During its introductory phase, the Marvel Cinematic Universe flirted with the idea of producing licensed games to accompany its cinematic releases. Unfortunately, Sega's tie-in titles were rushed and garnered deservingly poor reviews, quickly bringing to an end this project.
As splendidly demonstrated by 2018's Spider-Man, games offer fans the ultimate means to truly become their favorite comic personalities. Here are ten other Marvel characters who deserve to follow in Spidey's footsteps and star in their own video games.
Disclaimer: Any character expected to be playable in 2020's Marvel's Avengers will not be considered.
10 Moon Knight
Marc Spector is traditionally considered to be Marvel's version of Batman, a DC hero who has a couple of solid titles under his belt. Despite debuting in the '70s and having arguably one of the coolest looks out of Marvel's many fashionable heroes, Moon Knight has remained somewhat of a b-tier character; however, with Spector getting a Disney+ series, this seems like the perfect time for a tie-in game.
Known for battling mental illness and having multiple alter egos, Moon Knight is a fascinatingly complex character and one who is not overpowered in the slightest. While he does utilize a couple of cool weapons, mainly his Truncheon and Crescent Darts, a game focusing on Moon Knight would need to highlight the character's personal struggles and focus more on street-level crimes.
9 Daredevil
Now, to get the most obvious entry out of the way, a proper AAA game starring Daredevil needs to happen at one point or another. The 2003 live-action adaptation starring Ben Affleck did spawn a GBA title, but Matt Murdock deserves a more ambitious video game.
Daredevil's hand-to-hand combat expertise should complement a fast-paced action game, but it would be more interesting to see how a developer might employ the character's heightened sensory abilities to expand the gameplay. Murdock's attorney life also cannot be ignored; in fact, half the game should focus on proper investigations and completing trials.
8 The Punisher
Focusing on another New York-based character, Frank Castle offers a completely unique perspective to Daredevil or Spider-Man. While Peter Parker handles the supervillains and Murdock focuses more on street-level crime and the law, the Punisher rummages in New York's underground. Over the years, The Punisher has gotten a handful of games, although the last one was released in 2009.
An FPS akin to Doom or Bulletstorm would probably be for the best, although a Punisher game cannot simply be a power fantasy. Castle is not a hero to be emulated or worshipped, so while the gunplay has to be engaging, the story itself would need to closely examine the protagonist's psyche and motivations.
7 Doctor Strange
Marvel's games have played things relatively safe, but the MCU proved that the general market is ready for something a touch more mystical and strange. Terrible puns aside, Doctor Strange helped introduce an important Marvel character to non-comic readers, making it the perfect time for the Master of the Mystic Arts to receive his own game.
Strange's encounters tend to be astonishingly large scale, often with more than just the fate of Earth on the line. More importantly, Strange's powers open up a world of possibilities, particularly the character's abilities to travel across dimensions and use illusions.
6 Sleepwalker
As a concept, Sleepwalkers hold so much untapped potential, even if Marvel largely seemed to leave this idea back in the '90s. Safeguarding people's dreams, Sleepwalkers enter someone's mind who has been possessed and try to eliminate the threat. Through the interference of a villain known as Cobweb, one Sleepwalker ends up trapped inside the mind of a college student, with the two ultimately coming to an agreement that allows the Sleepwalker to take charge while the latter sleeps.
Sleepwalker has an entertaining (albeit slightly silly) rogues' gallery and the hero's main reality-bending ability - the Warp Gaze - sounds like something right up Remedy Entertainment's alley.
5 Rogue
Most of the X-Men's main members could easily headline their own video games, but a couple of characters stand-out in a big way. While her TV and film adaptations have been rather hit and miss, Rogue is nothing short of brilliant in the comics. Through physical contact, the Southern Belle can absorb the powers, personality, or physical strengths of another person. Most famously, Rogue absorbed Carol Danvers and Wonder Man's abilities, granting the mutant a wide-range of overwhelming powers.
Rogue isn't quite an X-Men version of Kirby, as a game would probably focus on a specific era of the character, either her time with the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants or her initial run with the X-Men. Either way, Rogue will shine.
4 Nightcrawler
Insomniac Games did a fantastic job handling Spider-Man's acrobatic fighting style, so much so, the same studio should be more than capable of crafting a splendid Nightcrawler game. In certain ways, both characters approach combat similarly, although Nightcrawler relies on a mix of acrobatics and teleportation to stay one step ahead of his opponents.
Stealth would also need to play a more central role in a Nightcrawler game, highlighting the mutant's camouflage ability. Ideally, the story would revolve around Kurt Wagner's troubled upbringing and struggle to find a home where he is not considered a monster.
3 Jessica Jones
Completing the New York trifecta, thanks to Netflix's series, Jessica Jones has never been more popular than she is at the moment. A private investigator with superhuman strength, a grim backstory, and a fondness for alcohol, Jones started out as a crime fighter but, following an incident involving the Purple Man (Kilgrave), ended up going down a dark path.
Unlike Daredevil or Spider-Man, Jones is a reluctant hero. While a game could jump back and forth between the character's time as the superhero Jewel and her post-Kilgrave era, the focus should be on the latter. This would need to be a rather personal tale. In terms of genre, something in the vein of Life is Strange might be perfect for Jessica Jones.
2 Gambit
Remy LeBeau deserves to be treated as a far bigger deal than he typically is, especially outside of comics. Toeing the line between anti-hero and thief, Gambit has a likable personality, a unique and versatile moveset, and an insatiable penchant for getting under the skin of other X-Men characters.
Whether serving as one of Apocalypse's Horsemen or as a member of the Marauders, Gambit offers a world of potential for a fascinating video game adaptation. Realistically, it would be more of a brawler that makes use of the mutant's Molecular Acceleration ability, which essentially allows objects to be turned into bombs.
1 Mystique
Raven Darkholme is an enigma. A shapeshifter with a mysterious past and a tendency to switch allegiances at the drop of a hat, Mystique lives up to her name. Whether escaping death alongside Wolverine or her storied history with both Professor Xavier and Magneto, Mystique's unpredictability could make for a fascinating video game experience.
Raven's powers also amount to far more than merely shapeshifting, although that would probably serve as the core mechanic of any title starring Marvel's character. A superheroic take on Hitman doesn't sound like the worst idea.