Marvel's Midnight Suns may have been met with rave reviews, but that has not translated to sales. The turn-based strategy game failed to attract enough players to become a commercial success, and that has put the future of the title in jeopardy. It seemed like Firaxis was hoping Marvel's Midnight Suns would spawn a major franchise, and that hope has left the game on a cliffhanger.
Just like in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel's Midnight Suns had a post-credit scene that alluded to an even greater foe on the horizon. While some believed that the DLC would explore what happens next, it has mostly been a self-contained narrative that runs alongside the larger story. Currently, it seems like Firaxis was setting up a sequel, and the sequel is likely to never come out. There is a strong chance that players are left to simply wonder what happened next, but Firaxis needs to make sure that is not the case.
Firaxis Needs to Ensure Midnight Suns' Cliffhanger Gets Resolved
At the end of Marvel's Midnight Suns, the Hunter and Lilith become trapped inside the Darkhold. While it seems like the main character and antagonist are killed off, a post-credit scene sees a shrouded Doctor Doom claims the Darkhold for himself as he calls its past users amateurs. This seemingly sets Doom up as the next villain that the Midnight Suns will need to defeat, but it is unlikely that players will get to see this play out.
The DLC content could have been where Firaxis expanded upon these events, but each chapter has been a part of a very different narrative. Apparently, Dracula had been working alongside Hydra as the Midnight Suns were fighting Lilith's forces. His vampyres caused chaos throughout the world, and the Hunter was forced to team up with three new heroes to combat this threat. While Midnight Suns' Deadpool, Venom, and Michael Morbius were not actively involved in the main campaign, it seems like they were dealing with a different threat alongside the greater narrative.
Unless Marvel's Midnight Suns adding Storm completely changes the direction of the DLC story, it seems like Doctor Doom will not be appearing in the game. The post-credit scene seems to have been Firaxis' way of setting up a sequel where Doom would have been the primary antagonist. That could have led to a very exciting next chapter for this turn-based strategy series, but that sequel will likely never see the light of day if Marvel's Midnight Suns is not profitable.
While there may never be a Marvel's Midnight Suns 2, Firaxis owes it to the players to show what happens with Hunter and Lilith next. The game should not be left on an immense cliffhanger like that, and Doctor Doom presents Firaxis with immense story potential that it needs to explore. It could tie this story up in a second Marvel's Midnight Suns DLC wave, have it actually play a part of the current wave, or even simply conclude it in a tie-in comic. Whatever choice the studio makes, actually finishing this story would be a great treat for fans.
There is a chance that Marvel's Midnight Suns has seen the legs that Firaxis wanted it to, and it may have become profitable after the first three DLC packs. If it did make a profit, then Firaxis may end up developing a sequel, but it currently seems like it will not be able to make a franchise out of this. If that is the case, then it needs to give players some type of resolution because Marvel's Midnight Suns does not deserve to be left on a Doom-sized cliffhanger, and the fans should not be left to wonder about what could have been.
Marvel’s Midnight Suns is out now for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, with PS4, Switch, and Xbox One versions coming later.