Marvel has been making waves in the gaming space in recent years as it looks to take advantage of its interesting characters in different mediums. The MCU has been a runaway success and continues to bring audiences something fun, and with the release ofMidnight Suns, Marvel’s Spider-Man, andGuardians of the Galaxy,the company is transitioning into gaming with grace.Wolverineis on the way, as is an Amy Hennig-ledSkydanceproduction that putsBlack Panther and Captain America in a World War 2 story.
That period of human history has typically only been entered by a few genres. Marvel Comics hasn’t shied away from rooting plenty of its fascinating characters into a history either in the conflict, or greatly affected by it. An example of the latter is Magneto, a character whose identity in many ways stems from his childhood, being ostracized as a boy under the Nazi regime. The dates add up, and whileSkydance’s project will focus on different Marvel characters, bringing the fan-favorite mutant into the fold could be a nice surprise.
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Magneto’s Origins are Rooted in Mid-20th Century Tragedy
Erik Lehnsherr was born Max Eisenhardt and grew up in one of Europe’s most difficult periods. Caught in the crossfire of tyranny, fascism, and vicious discrimination, he lost his family during the Holocaust and this tragedy was a critical component of forming the man he is in his older years.Magneto is a fascinating characterbecause there’s a level of rationality and plausibility to much of his ideals, making him easy to add complexities to.
Those traits are the same ones that could make him translate well into gaming. Though it’s not confirmed if he will feature inInsomniac’sWolverineproject, bringing him to the Skydance project as a scared, confused, and potentially powerful kid could juxtapose an adult version of him that may appear in games in the future. He doesn’t have to take the spotlight from Captain America and Black Panther, but his origin could be explored in a secondary way, making the game feel like it connects to broader Marvel lore.
The Complexity of World War 2 Can Be Better Shown in Gaming
Only a few games have captured a unique side of the Second World War. Titles likeThe Saboteurthat focus on the fallout of Nazism are hard to come by, as battle-centric experiences make up most of the World War 2 gaming offerings. There are still only a few details that are known about Skydance’s story, but with a teaser that showed brief suggestions that it would be set in Nazi-occupied France, it could be different from the conventional World War 2 game.Hydra is an antagonist, unsurprisingly, and the interests of both Hydra and potential Nazi enemies could make for a compelling narrative which paves the way for Magneto to feature.
Bringing Magneto into the game, be it in a major or cameo capacity, could give the story a whole new perspective, and utilize a different side of the conflict that could hold so much narrative potential. Maybe Captain America and Black Panther try to temper his anger, or they could even be on the receiving end of an attack from him that’s fueled by confusion and anger. Erik Lehnsherr’s suffering during the events that would later lead to the Second World War has molded his philosophy as a mutant. Not acknowledging his existence during such a pivotal time for Marvel Comics would be a shame, but doing so could provide plenty of moments that make theAmy Hennig-led gameeven better.
Skydance’s Marvel gameis in development.
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