Marvel fans confused by lookalike Avengers in new video game
The first trailer for Square Enix’s hotly-anticipated Marvel’s Avengers video game has left fans of the MCU scratching their heads.
The first gameplay footage for the 2020 game was revealed at E3, a huge video game conference in LA, and it showed the classic Avengers team in action as they attempt to save San Francisco from attack.
However, fans who’ve grown used to seeing Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, and Scarlett Johansson as Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, and Black Widow on screen were in for quite a shock. Watch the gameplay trailer below.
Rather than rendering the characters to look like their big screen counterparts, developers Crystal Dynamics - who recently rebooted the Tomb Raider games - have designed them to look totally different, almost distractingly so, and fans have shared their confusion online.
MARVEL: We wanna use ya'll likeness in the new Avenger's game.
AVENGERS CAST: Cool. We each need $576,275,592.48
MARVEL: Cool. Lemme hit ya'll right back... pic.twitter.com/hsDeGcsMSL— Roy Wood Jr- Ex Jedi (@roywoodjr) June 11, 2019
Marvel’s Avengers from Square Enix pic.twitter.com/L1zTA50u1u
— Long Long Man (@RiotBananas) June 11, 2019
Marvel's Avengers (Dev. Crystal Dynamics.) pic.twitter.com/VrbnlM4zE1
— Matt Kim (@LawofTD) June 11, 2019
While the cost of hiring the classic Avengers cast for the video game is likely to have played a part in the decision, it actually makes sense, stylistically, to put some distance between the game and the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, and Scarlett Johansson all recently retired from their Marvel roles after the events of Avengers: Endgame, and putting new actors in the roles allow them to explore events already covered in the films without breaking canon.
The move also follows in the footsteps of Marvel’s recent Spider-Man PS4 game which hired a new actor to play Peter Parker, instead of using Tom Holland’s likeness. Yuri Lowenthal was the voice and motion-capture actor for Peter/Spider-Man in the game, while John Bubniak provided the likeness for the character model.
Read more: Why Endgame ditched Bruce-Natasha romance
People were also confused by the lack of Clint Barton AKA Hawkeye in the new game. Hawkeye is an integral part of the classic Avengers team but after being left out of 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War on the big screen, it looks like the new game is set to snub him all over again, and Hawkeye stans were not amused.
I love that in the E3 conference, where they revealed marvel’s avengers, people were screaming “where’s Hawkeye?”
— 7amani is excited for marvel’s avengers (@7amanieye) June 11, 2019
Marvel’s Avengers: A-Day was a bit disappointing and wHERE THE F IS HAWKEYE ??????
— Bio (@biodanks) June 11, 2019
Marvel's Avengers game: Exists
Hawkeye in MCU and comics: Exists.
Hawkeye in game: Doesn't Exist.@Renner4Real: pic.twitter.com/fDfAOlaNIX— Loempia (@Loehoempia) June 11, 2019
Hawkeye SAVES HALF THE UNIVERSE in the MCU (and is king in Marvel Comics for years) after you noobs doubted him, and Crystal Dynamics comes along and is like "nah fam, he's not even a starting Avenger"
— Rob Keyes (@rob_keyes) June 11, 2019
Marvel Games has assembled video game royalty to voice the new look Avengers though, including Nolan North (Uncharted) and Troy Baker (The Last of Us) as Tony Stark and Bruce Banner.
We are thrilled to announce the cast of Marvel's Avengers! @PlayAvengers@nolan_north: Iron Man@TroyBakerVA: Bruce Banner@LauraBaileyVO: Black Widow@JeffSchine: Captain America@WillingBlam: Thor#PlayAvengers #EmbraceYourPowers
— Marvel Games (@MarvelGames) June 11, 2019
Marvel’s Avengers is coming to PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Stadia on May 15, 2020.
