Fans of the Avengers can finally take on some of Marvel's biggest baddies as Earth's Mightiest Heroes themselves! After all, in Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics' Marvel's Avengers, players get an action-adventure superhero experience. Moreover, they can take on the roles of Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Black Widow, Hulk, and even Miss Marvel alongside their incredible powersets. As such, players who can't wait for new superhero games can definitely give Marvel's Avengers a spin.
However, in Marvel Comics, the Avengers aren't the only teams out there to save the world from various threats. In fact, other teams may have answered the call when it comes to any extraordinary danger that comes to Earth. Aside from the Avengers, just what other Marvel teams deserve the Marvel's Avengers treatment? Moreover, what are some teams that devs should leave in the comics?
10 Make A Game: Young Avengers
Who better to have their own game than the successors of the Earth's Mightiest Heroes? Like the Avengers, the Young Avengers all possess unique superpowers and abilities. Moreover, all their members often come in the form of teenagers or young adults with connections to the Avengers, making their stories (and perhaps games?) intertwined in some fashion.
In fact, this suggestion might come to fruition soon with Kate Bishop's introduction in Marvel's Avengers. After all, fans might remember her as the Young Avengers' Hawkeye. As such, a game with the Young Avengers can have the same intensity of Marvel's Avengers, with a fun youthful twist.
9 Stay In The Comics: Guardians Of The Galaxy
Given that their adventures happen in the sheer craziness of outer space, it only makes sense for the Guardians of the Galaxy to have their own sci-fi adventure game, right? Granted, the Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series didn't do well, but surely an adventure title would redeem the superhero team's foray into video games?
Thing is, while a Guardians game makes sense from an experience standpoint, it's yet another game that will add to the oversaturated sci-fi market. Moreover, until the MCU fully fleshes out its repertoire of alien visuals and aesthetics, a Guardians game might just have "similar" aesthetic directions with other popular titles.
8 Make A Game: The Defenders
When Marvel fans hear Defenders, they might think of the original 1971 team (Doctor Strange, Hulk, Namor, Silver Surfer) that fought against mystical threats. It's actually thanks to Netflix's The Defenders in 2017 that this image changed. In the 2017 Netflix series - and comics! - the Defenders protected New York from various threats. They're composed of Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and the Iron Fist.
While the series itself garnered mixed reception, their lineup might make for an interesting game. Instead of the usual "grand slam" theatrics of Marvel's Avengers, a Defenders game may be a martial arts-focused superhero title with immersive superpower elements as they protect the city. As such, players of such a game may string combos of different fighting styles, depending on which hero they play. Moreover, they may have access to special abilities - such as new forms of navigation for Daredevil, stronger defenses for Luke Cage, and chi attacks from Iron Fist.
7 Stay In The Comics: Deadpool Corps
If fans loved the 2013 Deadpool game, it makes sense to up the ante by including all of the Deadpools in a title! Thankfully, the comics makes this possible with Deadpool Corps. In the comics, a crazy series of events bring Deadpool on an adventure alongside his multiversal counterparts. As such, players deal with not just one, but sometimes five simultaneous sets of voices at once.
Ideally, such a crazy cast of members might make for a crazy action game. Unfortunately, Deadpool Corps may work better as a comic instead of a title. Given all of them are essentially Deadpool, players may just opt for a typical FPS. Plus, it's much more entertaining to read Deadpool Corps as a comic book.
6 Make A Game: Agents Of SHIELD
In Marvel comics, SHIELD acts as the central intelligence team that ensures Earth remains safe against various threats it may or may not have any idea about. In the MCU and Agents of SHIELD series, the organization appears to have extremely advanced technology and rigorously-trained operatives. And as shown by the Agents of SHIELD series, their stories have potential to enter spy-fi territory.
Unlike other potential Marvel-based games, Agents of SHIELD may focus on a team of SHIELD Agents working behind the scenes to stop certain threats from destroying Earth. Moreover, given the spy-fi nature of SHIELD-related stories, an Agents of SHIELD game may focus on stealth elements using various high-tech gadgets as well as slick action gameplay.
5 Stay In The Comics: Fantastic Four
Who better to defend the world than the First Family of superheroes, right? The Fantastic Four remains one of the most iconic superhero teams of all time. After all, their blue suits with the iconic "4" emblazoned on the center only denotes crazily-fun and mostly wholesome adventures involving science and mystery. Moreover, the unique abilities of Mister Fantastic (elasticity), the Invisible Woman (invisibility and force fields), the Human Torch (flight and pyrokinesis), and The Thing (strength and durability) made them quite the perfect team for these adventures.
Unfortunately, they might not become as ideal in a video game. A lot of the team's best adventures involve intricate plots and sci-fi concepts, leaving not a lot of room for the action most adventure games demand.
4 Make A Game: Runaways
What happens to a group of childhood friends who discover they all have superpowers... and their parents are all supervillains? This adrenaline-filled, high-stakes chase story takes place in Runaways, a superhero story set in the Marvel universe. And unlike most Marvel stories, Runaways tells the adventures of teenagers with various abilities (and their pet dinosaur!) as they run away from their supervillain parents with connections to popular Marvel foes.
A Runaways game can become Marvel's best foray into a unique non-superhero open-world adventure game. When Alex Wilder, Nico Minoru, and the gang end up in the city, they have to work together and use their powers to blend in, do odd missions, and unravel the true nature of their parents' schemes.
3 Stay In The Comics: Inhumans
Marvel comics know about the Inhumans thanks to its noble family. Black Bolt, the silent King of Attila, can create massive shockwaves with just a whisper. Moreover, Black Bolt finds himself surrounded with various allies, each with abilities of their own. And interestingly enough, other Inhumans in the human populace could be "awakened" with the mysterious Terrigen Mist.
Unfortunately, dismal reception from fans might suggest that The Inhumans can't serve as an ideal material for a video game. Granted, a game featuring their various adventures may showcase their multitalented roster. Unfortunately, the lack of a huge fanbase might not make for a suitable environment to release an Inhumans game.
2 Make A Game: Secret Avengers
Players who loved the jam-packed action in Marvel's Avengers might want to try something new with a similar team. Interestingly, Steve Rogers himself will come to lead the Secret Avengers - a black ops team inside the main Avengers team. While its comic book line only ran from 2010 to 2015, it does give an interesting look into a "secret division" with the Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
As such, a Secret Avengers game might have both stealth and action-adventure parts. Moreover, with a roster including Moon Knight and Agent 13, it makes sense for such a game to focus on spy-fi elements.
1 Stay In The Comics: X-Men
Despite the popularity of the X-Men, the team should probably give other superhero teams a chance to have their own games. After all, X-Men already fought Street Fighter characters. Moreover, Cyclops and other X-Men members also represented part of Marvel's contingent in Marvel vs. Capcom. The team also had their own tactical games, alongside movie game tie-ins.
As such, yet another X-Men title in the vein of Marvel's Avengers might oversaturate the brand. Moreover, given their absence in the MCU, devs might want to wait for their arrival to get a grasp on fan reception to dictate the future direction of such a title.