There’s a lot to be said for Iron Man, the egotistical playboy billionaire with a heart of gold. Not only is Iron Man a popular comic book character, but it was Iron Man (starring Robert Downey Jr.) that launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So, perhaps it’s no surprise that EA plans to cash in on the character’s popularity by developing an Iron Man video game and – great news for Iron Man fans – the title is currently in pre-production at Motive Studio.
But what about Marvel fans?…
“It’s an honor and privilege to have the opportunity to make a video game based on one of the most iconic Superheroes in entertainment today,” says Motive Studio Executive Producer Olivier Proulx. “We have a great opportunity to create a new and unique story that we can call our own. Marvel is encouraging us to create something fresh. We have a lot of freedom, which is so engaging for the team.”
The upcoming game will offer an original storyline that “taps into the rich history of Iron Man, channeling the complexity, charisma, and creative genius of Tony Stark, and enabling players to feel what it’s like to truly play as Iron Man,” states EA in a press release.
The news comes shortly after the release of a teaser trailer for an upcoming narrative-driven game in which gamers will play as Black Panther and Captain America.
What’s wrong with this picture?
While this may be exciting for Iron Man fans, it’s curious that despite Marvel liberally populating its world with strong female characters such as Carol Danvers, Natasha Romanoff, Jean Grey, Wanda Maximoff and more, AND female gamers on the brink of matching the volume of male gamers like for like, female superheroes are still drastically underrepresented in video games.
According to a 2021 poll by Morning Consult, 47 percent of Marvel fans are female and yet Disney are yet to announce a single video game centering around a female character. Imagine a game where you take on the role of the deadly Black Widow or wield the mighty powers of the Scarlet Witch?
The first female superhero film of the MCU, Captain Marvel, received much backlash from male fans concerning Brie Larson’s portrayal of the character. While Black Widow and the Disney Plus series WandaVision were well received, the company steel seems apprehensive about gambling on a female-lead superhero game just yet.
Somethings got to give. And that can’t happen soon enough.
Jack Brassell is a freelance journalist and aspiring novelist. Jack is a self-proclaimed nerd with a lifelong passion for storytelling. As an author, Jack writes mostly horror and young adult fantasy. Also an avid gamer, she works as the lead news editor at Hardcore Droid. When she isn't writing or playing games, she can often be found binge-watching Parks & Rec or The Office, proudly considering herself to be a cross between Leslie Knope and Pam Beasley.
