The MCU is undoubtedly popular, but Marvel characters haven't traditionally seen the same success in video games as their film counterparts have. All that is seeming to change, however, with the release of Marvel's Spider-Man, Marvel's Avengers, and Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy which have dominated the gaming conversations when it comes to superheroes in recent years. Square Enix in particular seems like it's going to have a Marvel focus for the next several years as the company struck a deal with Disney in 2018. While the reception to Marvel's Avengers was mixed, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy has been received much better causing fans of Marvel comics to have hope that Square's next game will be an even bigger success.
When looking at the positive aspects to both of Square Enix's Marvel games, it seems like the next step for the company would be to make a game centered around one of Marvel's most popular superhero teams ever: the X-Men. It certainly makes sense why Square would prioritize the Avengers and the Guardians of the Galaxy when it comes to its first entries in the superhero genre due to their MCU success, but now that they have their games, it's time for a new superhero team to take the spotlight.
The Rising Popularity of Superhero Team Video Games
Although Marvel's Avengers received mixed reviews, it definitely has a major fanbase that returns to it with each new expansion, and the praise that Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy has been receiving for its clever writing and heartfelt character moments have saved it in the minds of many fans from its relatively lackluster combat mechanics. No matter how anyone feels about either of the games' quality, it's clear that Square has begun to really understand what makes superhero teams work and how to implement that to make interesting games.
Square Enix isn't the only company publishing superhero team games, however, with Warner Bros. gearing up to publish two team-up titles of its own, Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and Gotham Knights, next year. While both Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy have certainly left the doors open for sequels, it might make more sense for Square to start working on a new Marvel property that hasn't seen nearly as much representation in recent years as either of their teams.
The Next Logical Step for Square Enix is the X-Men
By combining the interesting use of drastically different powers from Marvel's Avengers with the heartfelt writing and strong characters from Guardians of the Galaxy, Square Enix could set itself up to make the best X-Men game ever made. Based on its other two team-up outings, it's proven that its studios are able to handle the different aspects of what makes the X-Men such an interesting team, the company just needs to put everything all together for a game. Whether it's by taking control of Professor X and navigating the dicey political waters that the team constantly finds itself in or by playing as the more combat-focused members of the team for beat-em-up sections, there's the potential for a great game as long as the publisher can also avoid some of the pitfalls that its other two titles fell victim to.
With the rise of superhero teams in gaming, the X-Men just seems like an obvious choice based on the sheer number of characters who've been a part of it over the years and the storytelling potential of setting the game in the present day with the many issues that our world faces. That said, with the number of superhero team games set in the modern world, it could be interesting to see the X-Men in their early days as depicted in the films and in the comics. Either way, Square seems to have set itself up for introducing the mutants at some point in the near future.
Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.