To say that Marvel’s Avengers has had a rough go at things since it launched in September would be an understatement. Upon release, the game was plagued by a number of bugs and glitches, and then came the criticism towards the live service content. In the six months since the game has released, the player base has dropped off dramatically by recent reports. Even now, as the game is starting to pick up steam with the upcoming release of the Future Imperfect DLC that will include Clint Barton’s Hawkeye, Marvel’s Avengers is still towards the bottom of a very tall pile of live service games on the current market.
Perhaps one of the biggest indications of how the game struggled to get a foothold with fans came when Marvel’s Avengers was first revealed at E3 in 2019. As soon as the trailer started, many viewers took issue with how different the characters looked compared to their MCU counterparts. However, Crystal Dynamics was quick to correct many of these criticisms, meaning while they are clearly different, each character better lines up with expectations of fans despite it all.
When it comes to the larger than life personality of Tony Stark, Robert Downey Jr.’s portrayal of the character had been cemented as the definitive Iron Man interpretation by the time Marvel’s Avengers released. The game did a serviceable enough job remaining consistent to the films, as Stark still has his trademark showmanship and humor thanks to renowned voice actor Nolan North’s performance.
On a physical level, Crystal Dynamics kept Tony Stark’s appearance as close as it could to the MCU version. He still has his trademark facial hair, and the hair on his head probably has more product in it than most salons have on their shelves. When it comes to the Marvel’s Avengers Iron Man armor, it’s a bit more consistent with the armor from earlier MCU appearances. There’s no nanotechnology like in Avengers: Endgame, but the classic red and gold paint job is still there.
The Bruce Banner of Marvel’s Avengers is much more sheepish than his MCU counterpart, but he still displays the same level of intelligence. As far as the Hulk is concerned, he’s more or less the same giant green rage monster between the game and films. Something that the game takes from the later MCU movies is how the Hulk is a bit more talkative around the other Avengers, and how Bruce clashes with his Hulk personality from time to time.
The one slight difference between the the Hulk of the game is how he appears with a full beard in the early parts of Marvel’s Avengers, a look that the movies have yet to explore. Marvel’s Avengers also explores more of Hulk’s clothed looks from the comics, such as his Joe Fixit persona.
Without giving up too many spoilers, Captain America didn’t get as much attention in the game’s story as the other Avengers. Regardless of this, his characterization in the game is very similar to the MCU. The one key difference between the MCU’s version of Cap and the game’s version is Marvel’s Avengers doesn’t make Peggy Carter or Bucky Barnes into crucial aspects of Rogers’ character.
The game focuses more on the relationship between Cap and the rest of the Avengers, specifically his relationship with Tony Stark. Another one of the differences with the Marvel’s Avengers Captain America is how his suit looks in the early part of the game, with some players making fun of it for resembling hockey pads.
The God of Thunder in Marvel’s Avengers is rather different compared to his MCU counterpart, at least compared to the later movies. The Thor in the game is much more stoic, not expressing the same humor that Chris Hemsworth has demonstrated in recent MCU films. Thor’s armor also has some variations in the game, resembling viking armor much more than it does in the films. The one thing about the Norse god that is consistent between the MCU and Marvel’s Avengers is how overpowered Mjolnir is, and the game makes it very fun to throw at enemies.
The Black Widow of Marvel’s Avengers leans much more into the spy background of the character than the MCU does. Her role in the story is more focused on espionage and information gathering, but she does still demonstrate incredible fighting abilities in combat. The character’s physical appearance is more reminiscent of Black Widow’s appearances in the first phase of the MCU films, as her hair maintains its signature red hue and is cut at her shoulders. With the Black Widow film still to release in May, it will be interesting to see if Marvel’s Avengers incorporates more elements of the MCU version in future DLC.
The Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. is perhaps the most dramatically different between Marvel’s Avengers and the MCU. Similarly to Iron Man and Robert Downey Jr., Crystal Dynamics had the misfortune of having to create its own version of the character that could compare to Samuel L. Jackson’s portrayal in the films. The game avoids any lingering comparisons to the MCU Nick Fury by making him more or less absent from the main story. Although he does serve as a motivating force for the Avengers early on, he’s perhaps the most unimportant part of the narrative overall. It would seem that the character is going to get an expanded role in the upcoming Hawkeye DLC, but that remains to be seen.
With Hawkeye coming into the game soon, and the promise of other additions such as Spider-Man (exclusive to the PlayStation version of the game), Marvel’s Avengers seems to be doing all it can to create its own story while still playing on what has made the MCU so successful. It’s no secret that the game has had issues breaking people from their preconceived beliefs towards these beloved characters, but the inclusion of previously unexplored heroes, such as Ms. Marvel and Kate Bishop, seems to have helped Marvel’s Avengers separate itself from the films at least a little bit. If the game does continue to introduce previously established characters, it will be interesting to see how alike or different they are from their MCU counterparts.
Marvel’s Avengers is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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