Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is just weeks away from its October release date on PS5, and its release will seemingly open the floodgates for a whole slew of upcoming Marvel Comics based video games starring everyone from Wolverine, to Black Panther and Captain America, to Iron Man himself.
But there's a whole Marvel Universe out there to be adapted, and many A-list Marvel heroes have never had a serious triple-A level modern game - including some that seem perfectly poised for video game success.
So here's our list of Marvel heroes we'd love to see in video games, from characters we all know to a few that could be breakout stars.
The Fantastic Four
The recent Guardians of the Galaxy game was a decent attempt at a team-based action game. So why not take the lessons learned from that game, which was… pretty good… and apply them to the Fantastic Four, who might just be the perfect candidates for a group brawler type game with a set roster.
There's nowhere the FF can't go - from Wakanda, to Atlantis, to the Negative Zone, to outer space, and of course even Latveria. And the idea of taking Marvel's First Family on a straight up tour of all the Marvel Universe's coolest locations as you stretch, flame, forcefield, and clobber your way through iconic enemies sounds pretty great.
Damage Control
How fast can you rebuild a city that's always subject to the destruction that comes with massive superhero fights? That's the question we'd love to see play out in a Damage Control video game, where you build (and rebuild) your city while also shoring up your defenses for the next big Avengers versus Ultron battle.
The idea of Damage Control, a group that cleans up after superhero fights, is a popular idea in the Marvel Universe and one that's ripe for adaptation. And though the main characters themselves may not be very well known, we'd still want to see some A-list Marvel heroes and villains show up. After all, someone's gotta make the messes Damage Control cleans up.
Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider is a Marvel hero whose popularity often comes down to style over substance (no offense - it's just that a lot more people love the look of the guy with the flaming skull than have actually read his comics). And while that may seem like a hindrance, it's actually part of why he's ripe for a new story that can really capture and intrigue fans the same way his aesthetic does.
What could be better than blasting around a huge, haunted GTA-style open world full of missions to complete, monsters to kill, and mysteries to solve on a fully customizable blazing motorcycle or even a version of Robbie Reyes' Hellcharger?
Blade
It feels like every third action game draws from the Soulsborne lineage these days, but if there's one Marvel character who's a perfect choice to get in on the trend, it's Blade, the vampire hunter. For one thing, it's right in the name - Blade's whole deal is taking on monstrous, bloodthirsty enemies whose powers often outstrip his own.
Set that concept in a brutal, bloodsoaked neo-gothic environment with a focus on using mystery solving, tracking, and strategy to take down increasingly imposing bosses, and we'll practically throw our money at you.
Doctor Strange
An action RPG starring a character who lives in a magical house traveling all over the place to take on mystical threats only he can handle while facing off with bizarrely cool mythical enemies that doesn't stir up intense internet drama you say? Sign us up!
In all seriousness, the idea of a Doctor Strange game seems like the other side of the coin from an Iron Man game, with the concept of a hero who is constantly working to outpace his enemies with the power of magic, instead of science. Render it all in psychedelic colors based on the original Doctor Strange art of Steve Ditko, and this seems like it could be a must-play.
Thor
Yes, God of War: Ragnarok exists - and to us, that's just proof that a Thor game that leans into his mythical Asgardian nature while also pumping players chock full of Marvel goodness could really be a great experience.
A Thor story with the depth and scope of a video game has potential to be thunderous, majestic, and larger-than-life in a way that the movies haven't always captured, full of Game of Thrones-esque Asgardian intrigue to go with an action combat system that doesn't hold back in its hardcore battles
She-Hulk
We're not kidding when we say a She-Hulk game could have it all: a dating sim social RPG, Phoenix Wright style courtroom drama, and of course, fourth wall bashing "She-Hulk Smash!" action.
Maybe that seems like everything but the kitchen sink, but a game that balances those three big aspects of Jennifer Walters' life as She-Hulk feels like it could be almost a little bit too addictive.
Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD
Picture this: a cold war spy thriller full of Metal Gear Solid-style storytelling action, complete with sci-fi spy hardware, love triangles, assassinations, and intrigue, starring Marvel's own answer to James Bond, Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD.
On top of the potential for a serious spy narrative, a Nick Fury game also has the potential to stand out from the pack with a cool '60s retro-futuristic vibe courtesy of the classic comic art of Jack Kirby and Jim Steranko in a way few other Marvel heroes could pull off.
Silver Surfer
Starfield has taken the idea of space exploration in video games to its greatest heights yet, so why not go ahead and add the Marvel Universe twist of trying to outrun an omnipotent force that's trying to devour all the planets you find along the way, a la Silver Surfer and his ever-hungry master Galactus?
Maybe the idea of leading a destructive, godlike villain to populated planets is a little too 'Renegade' for you, in Mass Effect parlance. But that's where the quest of the Silver Surfer comes in - to find planets that suit your morality and your own drive to find meaning in a universe of chaos and entropy. Perhaps that's a little heavy, but video games are a mature enough storytelling medium to handle it.
Daredevil
It seems like a no-brainer to put Daredevil in his own game at some point. There are few Marvel heroes with as strong and varied a personal narrative as Daredevil, and his weird and wacky villains would go a long way to set a DD game apart from other superhero offerings.
Give us some Arkham City-esque acrobatics (and of course radar vision), and throw in Elektra as a second playable character, and baby, you've got yourself a stew going. It may be a well-known formula for superhero games at this point, but Daredevil fits in perfectly with the genre.
