A writer forMarvel Rivalsopened up about a shared universe of Marvel video games that never took off. While the Marvel Cinematic Universe has revolutionized film and television with its interconnected storytelling, most Marvel games have lacked this narrative cohesion. Usually, each title tells its own standalone story, unrelated to the others. Players are left with games that, while inspired by the same Marvel characters and stories, remain largely disconnected from one another — but Marvel could have had its own MCU for games, once upon a time.
In a March 13 episode ofThe Fourth Curtainpodcast (viaIGN), co-host Alexander Seropian and the episode’s guest, longtime Marvel games writer Alex Irvine, revealed there was once a pitch for a Marvel Gaming Universe. Seropian, best known as a co-founder of Bungie, ran Disney’s video game publishing arm until 2012. Irvine most recently contributed story and dialogue writing toMarvel Rivals. During a discussion about his work with Marvel video games, Irvine shared details about the gaming franchise that never was:
“When I first started working on Marvel games, there was this idea that they were going to create a Marvel gaming universe that was going to exist in the same way that the MCU did…it never really happened.”
Seropian added that this shared gaming universe was actually his “initiative” during his time at Disney. Unfortunately, the idea never gained traction and ultimately didn’t receive funding. Interestingly, this concept predates the current MCU, meaning the games could have been the foundation for Marvel’s iconic storytelling approach.
Marvel Games Doesn’t Appear To Have The Same Ambitions As Marvel Studios
Publishers Are Getting Their Own Single Marvel Franchises
Today, the organization known as Marvel Games operates primarily as a brand and licensing division, collaborating with various gaming studios and publishers to bring Marvel characters and stories to life. While the division doesn’t directly develop or publish games, it oversees the licensing and ensures the quality of all Marvel-branded titles. This spread of different companies making their own titles is one of the main reasons why Marvel’s video games are not interconnected.
For example, Insomniac Games handled the popularMarvel’s Spider-ManandMarvel’s Spider-Man 2for Sony, whileMarvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy was developed by Eidos-Montreal for Square Enix. With different creators and companies at the helm, it’s challenging to align the games narratively when each studio has its own creative direction for its franchises. Compare this to Marvel Studios, which produces every film and television show for the MCU under the Disney banner, with nearly all of its productions in the same continuity.
Marvel Rivals Lore Will Become Ridiculous If We Never Fight On Doom’s Side
Doctor Doom is meant to be the main foe in Marvel Rivals. But, the map stories have found ways for the heroes to just fight amongst themselves.
It seems that Marvel Games will continue this trend, with no interconnected narrative in sight. Upcoming titles include Skydance New Media’sMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, scheduled for this year,andMarvel’s Bladefrom Arkane Studios and the Microsoft-owned Bethesda. However, there is a notable exception inMarvel’s Wolverineby Insomniac Games, which confirmed that itsWolverine and Spider-Man games exist in the same universe. This has left fans wondering if Spider-Man will make a cameo inMarvel’s Wolverine, though such an appearance would likely be a surprise.
Our Take: Marvel Rivals Works As A Big Crossover Event Like The Avengers Movie
Do We Need A Connected Story To Enjoy A Game?
While Marvel Games could potentially merge its titles into a shared universe in the future, it doesn’t seem likely to happen anytime soon — and that might actually be for the best. With the release ofMarvel Rivals, a live-service game,Marvel could shift away from multiple standalone titles.Rivalscould become Marvel’s singular, ever-evolving game to expand on, much likeFortniteorDestiny 2.
It appears that Irvine and Seropian’s idea of a Marvel gaming universe with multiple games was ahead of its time. But the games industry looks very different now as it shifts toward online gaming. Following a live-service model would allow Marvel to keep players engaged over time with new characters, content, and evolving storylines, all within one connected universe. There would be no need for separate, disconnected games; instead, characters like Wonder Man or Quicksilver could seamlessly integrate intoMarvel Rivals, keeping the experience fresh and unified while scratching the itch for superhero crossover fun.
