Comic book fans of aMarvelpersuasion have been spoiled rotten over the the last decade. Alongside the regular slew of new comic runs from esteemed writers and artists like Chip Zdarsky and Dan Mora, theMarvel Cinematic Universehas reigned supreme on the silver screen against competing empire DC, until the studio bit off more than it could chew. Opting to churn out an influx ofDisney Plusshows and double the number of movies on its schedule during Phase 4, this surplus resulted in an underwhelming Phase 5 debut last year with Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania.
With tensions running high behind the scenes of late, with the shelving of projects Ironheart and Armor Wars, the loss of Kang the Conqueror actor Jonathan Majors - who was set to be a major antagonist in the upcoming Avengers' events Kang Dynasty and Secret Wars - and a tidal wave of backlash towards crunch times in the VFX and writing departments, the MCU has become trapped in creative uncertainty. This is where the Marvel GamerVerse has begun to pick up the slack.
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Rise Of The GamerVerse
Within the last year,Insomniac Games’tremendous sequel,Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, was an acclaimed continuation of Peter Parker’s arc in the gaming universe, alongside protégé Miles Morales. Insomniac is now working to bring another character to life within, what’s expected to be, a similar type of game inMarvel’s Wolverinewith apredicted Fall 2024 release, and 2023 also welcomed fans’ first look at the upcoming action-adventure Blade title. This year alone, Skydance New Media debutedthe technically impressive Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, and now the PVP shooter in the style ofFortnite, Marvel Rivals, is also on the horizon. These projects are big cheques to cash, especially while the MCU takes its cooldown period to figure out how to paint the live-action debut of the Fantastic Four in the right light - an anticipated appearance for Marvel’s first family that fans pray will not be another flop.
It’s safe to say that the Marvel GamerVerse is slowly but surely tipping the previously devout love for the MCU in its favor, and the teams behind the Blade and Rise of Hydra games are even choosing to present original narratives to expand on the complex and nuanced character arcs established in Marvel Comics. These are bold moves to craft something unique around such beloved heroes and villains, especially in a gaming format where the length of these narratives will be exponentially longer than the average MCU movie or six-episode series.
Of course, the MCU is a long way away from being completely dead. Even though the only confirmed projects to be released this year are the currently on-air animated Disney Plus series X-Men ‘97 - a vibrant revival of the much-loved and nostalgic series from the 90s - and the crossover event Deadpool & Wolverine - which will see ‘the merc with the mouth’, Ryan Reynold’s Wade Wilson, butt heads with the iconic Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine - they’re expected to be showstoppers. This Deadpool sequel is also expected to deliver the long overdue arrival of the X-Men within the MCU timeline by showcasing the “death” of the 20th Century Fox universe that first debuted the mutants in live-action. Releasing the animated series and the Deadpool sequel in the same year is no coincidence, and despite 2024 hosting a refined schedule for Marvel Studios, there’s enough buzz around these releases to prove the MCU still has some traction.
The MCU Could Learn A Lot From The GamerVerse’s Gumption
There’s a hell of a lot riding on Deadpool 3’s gargantuan event, and fans are waiting with bated breath to see if it nails the superhero landing. Regardless of whether Deadpool 3 is a success or not, the GamerVerse seems abundantly confident in its diverse project roster to keep fans engaged. Three large-scale, narrative-driven, action-adventure titles and an exciting shooter look likely to dominate fans’ scope of interest for the next few years while the MCU takes a step back to reflect and regroup. If the cinematic side of Marvel continues to decline, the company has spread its gaming wings enough to stand as a worthy alternative - so as not to lose the support of the fandom entirely - but it poses the question: Are fans becoming more excited over the GamerVerse than the tired MCU?
Regardless of whether Deadpool 3 is a success or not, the GamerVerse seems abundantly confident in its diverse project roster to keep fans engaged.
There’s always the chance that the scales tip once again and these video games turn out to be nothing more than a spectacle in the blueprint, leaving the MCU to swoop in again to save the day. However, Marvel Studios would benefit from bringing in fresh writers and directors to inject projects in the pipeline with inspired energy - the brilliant comic book characters deserve it - and this is exactly what’s being implemented in the GamerVerse. FormerNaughty Doglead, Amy Hennig, is the brains behind Rise of Hydra’s original story.
In short, there’s no doubt the MCU needs to pull its socks up to compete with the stellar lineup of GamerVerse projects. Florence Pugh is doing her absolute best to create buzz around the currently-filming Thunderbolts movie as the returning Widow Yelena Belova, and reviews for the X-Men animated series are looking positive too, which offers a beacon of hope. In a perfect world, Marvel fans will soon be overwhelmed by all corners of the franchise, and we’ll then likely complain that we can’t keep up with all the hits.
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