Marvel Comics #1 published in 1939, featuring the Human Torch in his first iteration by Carl Burgos. While Marvel Comics would remain a popular publisher over the remainder of the century, it became a juggernaut thanks to the success of 2008’sIron Man— spawning the Marvel Cinematic Universe that currently encompasses 23 movies. While Marvel movies and video games were produced before 2008, current titles likeInsomniac Games’Spider-Manand Crystal Dynamics’Marvel’s Avengersno doubt owe their existence to the MCU.
Yet the MCU is not restricted to cinematic productions. There are a number of television shows in the expanded universe, includingAgents of S.H.I.E.L.D.on ABC and the upcomingWandaVisionon Disney+. However, many fans feltThe Defenderson Netflix was underwhelmingcompared to its initial promise. Standalone shows likeDaredevilandJessica Joneswere huge hits for the streaming service, but their collaboration in 2017 had poor ratings and contributed to each series dying off.
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The fact thatDaredevil,Jessica Jones,Luke Cage,andIron Fist(alongsideThe Punisher) each succeeded to varying degrees suggestsThe Defendersas a brand could survive in other mediums like video games.Marvel’s Avengersfeatures superheroes like Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America that have become popular culture icons thanks to the MCU, and a theoreticalDefendersgame could take characters from Netflix’s Marvel shows and give them a second chance with readjusted personalities based on different circumstances.
Like the Avengers, the Defenders as an organization existed in Marvel Comics canon for decades. The name first appeared in Marvel Feature #1 from 1971, with a group consisting of Doctor Strange, Hulk, and Namor. These characters would cycle in-and-out with heroes from all corners of the Marvel universe, including the four that would be selected to form Netflix’s representation. Crystal Dynamics' video game may predominately feature MCU mainstays like Iron Man and Black Widow, but it also has heroes likeKamala Khan as Ms. Marvel.
ADefendersvideo game could carry itself in a similar way. By focusing the stakes of the Marvel universe down to one city area (presumably around Hell’s Kitchen in New York), the game could have a succinctopen-world construction like Insomniac’sSpider-Manwhile featuring a selection of street-level characters beyond those like Jessica Jones who are familiar to television audiences.
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This idea has a number of benefits beyond opening another opportunity to figure out how multiple unique characters intermingle. While it’s hard to argue with the power fantasy of controlling someone like Thor to demolish enemies with near-mystical abilities,Rocksteady Studios’Batman Arkhamseriesshow that audiences will readily connect with less God-like heroes such as Daredevil.
The less flashy powers of a group like the Defenders offers interesting gameplay opportunities. The four principal characters in Netflix’sThe Defendersare relatively similar brawlers with different specialities. For example, Daredevil is stealthy and adept at dodging attacks because of his enhanced senses, whereas Iron Fist relies on martial arts to defend himself before delivering singular, fatal blows. Taking on thebranching skill tree system ofMarvel’s Avengerscould allow the Defenders cast to start at a similar difficulty level for players, but become more unique over time.
Anyone on the fence about the idea of street-level superheroes with similar means of combat creating a cohesive unit only need look at another major title: Warner Bros. Montreal’sGotham Knights. Though it’s hard to judge how successful this game is given it releases in 2021, the premise essentially has four specialized versions of Batman take to the streets of Gotham. The developers even sayGotham Knightswill be familiar toArkhamseries fans. If that works, why couldn’t an action RPG based onThe Defenders?
Marvel’s Avengersis available for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions in development.
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