Defying a previous strategy of focusing on its biggest characters for movie slots, Marvel had a big triumph last week, bringing one of its nearly unknown comic properties to the big screen. Comic fans rejoiced when word broke that Guardians of the Galaxy and all its zany sci-fi weirdness was in the works as a new movie, and the final film has turned out to be both a critical and commercial success. There’s no reason the same creative thinking shouldn’t result in some awesome new video games, so today we look at ten mostly unusual Marvel properties, and how they could become great video games.
Guardians of the Galaxy
With last weekend’s movie release, the Guardians are rapidly becoming big-name heroes. However, these wild card characters have long been on the periphery of the Marvel comics universe. A recent mobile game offers a fun diversion based on the movie, but our ambitions for these characters are grander. Star-Lord, Rocket, and the rest of the gang deserve a full-fledged Mass Effect-style action/RPG, albeit with its own comedic twist. While the movie introduced the most recent cast of characters, the Guardians actually have a broader cast that has shown up over the years, including the telepathic Russian dog Cosmo (who has a cameo in the movie), Drax’s daughter Moondragon, and even an entirely separate team that exists in the far-flung future. Taken together, this zany cast would make for a great spaceship crew and adventuring party. With Star-Lord as the lead, you could develop friendships and relationships with the different Guardians, and cruise around the galaxy confronting foes like Annihilus, The Magus, and the Skrulls.
Doctor Strange
With a movie adaptation on the horizon, now is the time to get started on a great game that capitalizes on the potential of the character. Doctor Strange is the most prominent character in the magic branch of the Marvel continuity, and we’d love to see a story-focused game that explores the Sorcerer Supreme in the same style as the recent Telltale games, like The Walking Dead and The Wolf Among Us. The best elements of Doctor Strange are about the mystery and wonder of his incredibly immense powers, and magic confrontations juxtaposed against atmospheric and dramatically charged conversations with other Marvel characters could be a potent combination.
Marvels
The 1990s brought us the award-winning Marvels comic book, which focused on the larger-than-life heroics of characters, like the Human Torch and Captain America, as seen from an everyman’s perspective. Specifically, the story follows photographer Phil Sheldon through various periods of his life, from attacks on New York City to the battles of World War II. We’d love to see a game starring Sheldon, in which players attempt to survive the titanic conflicts he bears witness to while capturing photos of the epic events unfolding before him. Marvels helped to launch the comic career of Alex Ross, and if the game’s art style could emulate his painterly style, it would be an amazing and memorable visual feast.
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