The twenty-eighth movie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, releases today. You can check out our spoiler-free review here. Since the MCU’s inception with 2008’s Iron Man, it has expanded its storytelling techniques in new and exciting ways. After the first Avengers movie, the MCU came to TV with Agents of Shield and Agent Carter. Then there were the Netflix series with the excellent Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and The Punisher (plus some other ones we don’t need to talk about). Interconnected storytelling was taken to new heights with the launch of Disney Plus, and since January of 2020, Marvel has released six shows on the streaming service. Marvel has proven that they are heavily invested in finding new and exciting ways to introduce us to new characters and more deeply explore those we have come to love.
However, are television shows and blockbuster movies enough? Should Marvel expand their extremely popular universe into other mediums, such as video games? I’m not talking about just developing games based on the same characters, such as Crystal Dynamics’ Marvel’s Avengers, which came out last year and has nothing to do with the characters we’ve seen on screen. I’m talking about playing games as the MCU’s version of these beloved characters.
Sure, there are some hurdles to overcome. While it was unprecedented to think that people would stay invested across dozens of interconnected movies and TV shows, the leap from theaters to TV is not a huge one. I’d argue that most people who go to the movies watch TV shows at home. However, not everyone plays video games. This means that the stories that are explored in a potential MCU video game couldn’t be required media to understand what is going on in the movies or TV shows. They could, though, serve the purpose to add more layers of depth to existing characters and provide some exciting easter eggs and nods to fans who explore the MCU via all three avenues.
Imagine a game that explored more of Black Widow’s past, before she joined the Avengers. It’s clear that Scarlett Johansson has moved on from playing the character, but there are still so many more stories to tell that wouldn’t have a huge impact on the larger MCU but would serve to add more color to the stories that have been hinted at in the films. A video game based on the character could be a clever way to keep her in the larger narrative without having to recast. You could do something similar with Captain America, showing the adventures he went through after he went back in time to be with Peggy Carter. Or even a full on God of War-style game exploring pre-MCU Asgard and Thor’s lineage.
Do you think it could work to have the MCU expand into video games? Which characters or storylines would you love to play through? Share your reactions below or join the conversation on the Boss Rush Discord!
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