With the recent news that Marvel and Telltale Games would be coming together to create video games based on Marvel characters, we thought it would be a cool idea to talk about some of the characters and stories we’d like to see from this collaboration.
Though the following selections are from us, there are a lot of characters that we didn’t cover. Make sure to let us know what Marvel Universe characters and stories you’d like to see from this project in the comments below.
Thanos
2017 is a big year for Marvel thanks in part to Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Spider-Man, and Thor: Ragnarok all releasing within the same 365-day window. With a Telltale and Marvel partnership now solidified, I think both parties can capitalize off connectivity and bring us some awesome Marvel-centric story driven games to 2017 and beyond.
This idea would consist of Marvel using their partnership with Telltale to introduce characters or events that take place between each of the three films and ultimately connect them altogether. I personally would love to experience Thanos’ origin story and be given the rare opportunity to navigate throughout the Marvel Universe as the Mad Titan.
Given that he is the centerpiece of the next two Avengers movies, it would be interesting to see things from his perspective and also get a deeper feel for why the super villain is a bad-ass long before he makes his mark on the big screen. This could also give Telltale the opportunity to eliminate the traditional moral choice system from their games and focuses specifically on just how brutal and evil the character can become.
The possibilities are endless if this or any other canon-connected approaches are taken. Diehard fans would certainly pay top dollars to experience both the films and the game from start to finish.
–Richard Bailey Jr. – Editor in Chief
Avengers and Daredevil
A collaboration of this nature opens up a world of possibilities. Telltale has the entirety of Marvel’s long and rich history to choose from, after all. The question of what characters and stories I’d like to see adapted is a daunting one to answer given the vastness of the Marvel Universe.
To give myself some parameters, I will stick with Marvel characters and stories which align with what Telltale has produced lately. Also, although I want to go into the deep end of the pool as far as Marvel goes, I’ll try to stick with the properties people are the most aware of. I doubt we’ll be getting Werewolf by Night, Shang-Chi, Rom the Space Knight, or Tomb of Dracula out of this deal. I’m also going to leave properties like X-Men out of this. Yes, they are technically on the table for this deal (Fox only owns the movie rights), but I think Telltale will stick with properties that Marvel Studios owns.
For what will most likely happen: the easiest way to go, and one we’ve seen other games take, is to have you play as a brand new character. The story can be that you join the Avengers and fight alongside them. In this way, Telltale can toss in as many characters as they possibly can into the game. It will also free them up to do whatever they need to with your character and whoever is in his personal life. With Avengers being such a hot property, I would be surprised if the studio didn’t go down this route.
As far as characters go, I don’t see them letting you play as someone like Spider-Man or Iron Man. However, they can let you play as one character who is finally getting the recognition he deserves: Daredevil. Daredevil’s gritty world would be one Telltale can deftly handle given their Walking Dead and Game of Thrones series. Though Daredevil is now popular, he isn’t popular enough where people will protest too much if you take certain liberties with him; the game just has to be true to the character.
His radar sense and abilities would be an interesting thing to translate into a game. Think about having the ability to know who is lying to you and using that to your advantage? Or how about going into a room full of bad guys and knowing exactly how many there are? From both a gameplay and storytelling perspective, a Daredevil game would be amazing.
I could easily go on and on with this one. Blade, Punisher, Moon Knight… there are so many directions this game can run in. Whatever character or property that Telltale ultimately decide to go with, I have faith that it will be a solid game that retains not only the quality and depth that the studio is known for, but also be true to the spirit of said property.
–Tony Polanco – Executive Editor
X-Men
By highlighting different characters within one series, Telltale Games is able to create highly articulate and fantastical worlds which expand the original universe of the series. Although each character possesses their own unique back story, a melting pot is created which blends all of the Telltale Games characters into one unique mold (this is especially true in regards to their work with the Game of Thrones series). What better series would work well in this type of creative model other than the X-Men series?
By taking advantage of Telltale’s episodic formula, we will be to gather further insight into the origins of some our favorite characters, all the while introducing some new ones. We will be able to infiltrate the thoughts of our enemies through the perspective of Professor X, or even assume different identities as Mystique. We could experience the lives of mutants such as Marrow, coming to terms with her alien-like appearance in her younger years. Through the eyes of Magneto we will be able to observe the Holocaust or what it feels like to lift entire buildings.
The first season of this hypothetical Telltale Games series would focus on one character per episode. As the first season concludes and players have a firm grasp of the identities of each mutant, the second season can begin with them working with or against each other to achieve their goals. Not only would the Telltale Games storytelling formula make for a perfect addition to the Marvel expanded universe, but it would also accomplish a level of first-person observation that has never been made available to fans of the X-Men universe.
–Stephanie Burdo – Contributing Editor
Blade
Every once in a while a miracle happens in our lives… like discovering money in our pockets when we’re broke; allowing us to afford rent and food at the same time. Then there’s something epic and magical like Telltale announcing their partnership with Marvel, which is what I would describe as my video game miracle.
When I think of something unique and gritty that’s ready to bust out of its shell for all to see–I think of me–and then I think of Blade. The story of an a knife-wielding African-American half vampire in bad-ass sunglasses is unique. How often do we get those sort of characters? He is a character that would standout in a game. To make this even more perfect, the game should be presented in black and white just like the Vampire Tales books the character first appeared in. With a black leather jacket flapping in the wind, we would follow Blade as he hunts down vampires and other supernatural beings.
Armed with his extraordinary combat skills, Blade is a martial artist who has mastered styles like Capoeira, Jeet Kune Do, Hapkido, Jujutsu, Shotokan Karate, Kung Fu, and Ninjutsu. These skill sets would allow us to kick all sorts of ass. Though he is a loner by nature, he can be joined by allies in his ultimate journey to kill Deacon Frost, who is the cause of much of his grief. He can even run into other characters from the Marvel Universe in his adventures (like a possible Civil War storyline where he sided with S.H.I.E.L.D).
–Dana Abercrombie – Content Writer
Moon Knight
If I had to pick one character to star in this game it would have to be Marc Spector a.k.a Moon Knight.
It has been made apparent in the comics that Spector suffers from dissociative identity disorder, which explains his several different personas present in the books. One of his identities is Mr. Knight, a detective who is typically found sporting his regular white mask and suit, along with his taxi driver personality, Jack Lockley. Although his identities may be many, his most renowned persona is the titular superhero character: Moon Knight.
Taking advantage of the multiple personalities of Moon Knight could provide a very different feel with each new episode, since the different aspects of his character will continuously mix things up. For example, Mr. Knight can be the main focus of the game since he serves as Spector’s detective persona. In contrast, Jack Lockley can be used in investigations of the criminal underworld. When it comes to main action scenes, Moon Knight will take the stage as the ultimate superhero.
Where Moon Knight would really shine is in a noir setting, which Telltale Games was able to pull off successfully in The Wolf Among Us. Crime and detective investigations set in New York City make for the perfect Dick Tracy-like setting, and Moon Knight could endure and live within that world perfectly. Mr. Knights’ detective scenes and Jake Lockley’s criminal interrogations are great examples of these crime noir characteristics. Aesthetically speaking, Moon Knight looks amazing in this type of art style, so it is only natural that the game be set in noir style.
The most fundamental characteristics of Telltale Games’ gameplay style are their point-and-click adventure mechanics, which affords them the opportunity to add investigative elements into their games, similar to L.A Noire. In the comic books, Mr. Knight works with Detective Flint to solve strange murders which serve as the main mystery element to the series. As stated previously, the taxi driver persona Jake Lockley lends a helping hand as the main interactionist with the villains of the underworld. Basically, every character in Marc Spector’s head contains investigative qualities which could be the main focus of this hypothetical point-and-click adventure game.
The biggest issue that Telltale Games would face in creating an episodic video game based off the Moon Knight comic book series would be establishing a connection between Moon Knight and the supernatural moon god, Khonshu. In the comics, Khonshu brought Moon Knight back from the dead, only to utilize him as his own tool of vengeance, dubbing him the protector of “nightly travelers.” Scenes containing Khonshu have typically been mind-altering and confusing, which makes this portion of the comics more difficult to accurately portray.
Although Telltale Games created a unique, fantasy atmosphere in their work with Game of Thrones, The Wolf Among Us and Tales from the Borderlands, there is no present example that Telltale Games could pull off something such as the lunar world of Moon Knight. Their previous adaptions to these popular franchises have extended their original stories, which would be a perfect opportunity for fans of the Moon Knight series. One thing is for sure, I will be over here with my fingers crossed, hoping that Marvel will consider taking a step into lunacy with Marc Spector.
–Jaydon Goss – BaTB Comic Podcast Co-Host
