With the MCU continually expanding its movie catalog and the new era of MCU streaming series, many fans are anticipating more video game follow-ups. While Marvel's Avengers (video game) did release in 2020, it has been well-received by some fans and ill-received by others, not to mention its place as an actual MCU tie-in game being somewhat debated.
With such a successful movie run and a blossoming show run, perhaps the MCU doesn't need additional canon material. However, some fans would much rather experience the stories of the MCU themselves rather than live vicariously through the movies, even if the video games are just a more advanced version of the same thing.
10 More Tie-In Games: Give The Fans More Content
Even with 23 existing movies and dozens of movies and shows promised for Phase 4, fans always want more. Providing them with more games would not only give the fans more content, but it would also expand the universe.
However, with the shows that aired on ABC struggling to remain canon and the Netflix series' connections to the MCU remaining thin at best, what hope do randomly released video games have? That said, any additional content would likely be welcomed by fans— at least until they found stuff to complain about.
9 Tie-In Games Not Needed: Already A Lot of Content
Contrary to the previous group of fans, others feel the MCU already has too much information and is incredibly difficult to follow without re-watching the films every so often. Many fans did a full re-watch before the premiere of WandaVision, and if one has a full-time job, it can take a month just to re-watch everything that's already been released.
Add the multiple 6-9 episode series on Disney+ and one would have to start a re-watch close to two months in advance for each new property being released. Assuming future games would tie into previous movies and perhaps connect some dots, having to replay a game before the next premiere (which could take dozens of hours) would be entirely too much to handle.
8 More Tie-In Games: It's Working For The Star Wars Franchise
The highly volatile Star Wars franchise has been releasing games for years, and their fans always seem to come back wanting more. Considering Marvel and Star Wars are both under the Disney umbrella, Disney may start pushing for Marvel to follow suit.
The Star Wars games do an excellent job of helping tie things together from the movies that may have been missed or may have never had the chance to develop. They also certainly help Disney's bottom line. Assuming Marvel could pull the same thing off, they would be truly unstoppable in the video game realm.
7 Tie-In Games Not Needed: The Existing Games Don't Follow The Existing MCU Story
With the release of Marvel's Avengers video game, the MCU finally added video games to their portfolio for the first time since the Captain America and Iron Man games for PS3 and Xbox 360. However, the stories and characters from the video games are either only loosely based on the films, or completely do their own thing.
Part of what makes the MCU so mesmerizing and impactful is their ability to play the long game and tie things together. Having a game that's doing its own things within the MCU makes things even more difficult to follow. Marvel could easily dismiss the game as a non-canon addition, but then what's the point of playing it?
6 More Tie-In Games: Gives Fans Something To Do Between Release Dates
Due to the pandemic, Marvel fans have been subjected to relentless delays, resulting in about an 18-month MCU drought. However, after the release of the Phase 4 schedule, and barring any additional global issues, fans shouldn't have to wait for more than a couple of months between releases, at worst.
That said, some fans can't help themselves from counting down the days until the next release. Providing video games could give fans something else to go back to and revisit during hiatuses. Even this short wait between The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and Loki seems unbearable for many MCU die-hards, having a game would certainly help to keep them sated until Loki's release.
5 Tie-In Games Not Needed: The Games Are More Trouble Than They're Worth
While some fans have enjoyed the gameplay of Marvel's Avengers game, there plenty of fans that have not such nice things to say about it. Continuity issues aside, fans experience glitching, overwhelming character screens, and of course the inevitable cheaters who know how to hack the system. And the less said about the Captain America and Iron Man games for PS3/360, the better.
Paired with the fact that Marvel has been struggling to keep up with patches and new character skins, among other things, is it really worth putting so much time and effort into? Some fans might think so, but most fans would rather keep seeing movies retain their quality than potentially suffer due to the gaming division.
4 More Tie-In Games: It's One Of The Areas Where DC Is Winning
The geniuses behind the MCU have been able to achieve something so magnificent that all of the other long-running franchises are struggling to catch up. The franchise that spends most of its time on the movie struggle bus is DC Comics.
While their live-action films often leave much to be desired, they have always created stellar animated movies with adult themes and video game series with compelling characters and fun gameplay, two areas that Marvel has been admittedly struggling in. While Marvel has built an empire with movies, it's important to diversify. Introducing a new series of games to give DC a run for its money could potentially help them catch up to (or edge out) their competitors in the gaming arena.
3 Tie-In Games Not Needed: Bad Experiences With Games Could Deter New Movie Fans
If someone who had never seen an MCU film (they do exist, surprisingly) decided to one day play Marvel's Avengers and had a bad experience with the game, the likelihood of them purchasing a ticket for the next movie drastically goes down. While some fans have enjoyed the latest game, others have been vocal about their disdain.
In addition to the aforementioned issues, the game keeps coming out with new DLC packages and the cost can certainly add up quickly. Between having to constantly download updates and paying for new playable material, fans could easily give up on the franchise after a few hours.
2 More Tie-In Games: Good Experiences With Games Could Draw In New Movie Fans
On the flip side, if Marvel was able to create a video game with the same magic they use for the movies and shows, fans would likely wholeheartedly get behind it. A game that tied the movies together and paced with the timeline would be an exemplary addition to the MCU.
In a similar scenario to the one above, everyone has that one friend that has always wanted to get into the MCU but has never really had the motivation to do so. If they were to play a masterpiece of a game that was closely related to the MCU plotline, and enjoyed it, they would likely take the dive into the MCU movies and never look back.
1 Tie-In Games Not Needed: If Ain't Broke Don't Fix It
Many fans were skeptical about Marvel's new series on Disney+, not sure if the same intensity from the movies could be captured in a show setting. Wow were those fans wrong. While many fans have viewed the video game approach similarly, the game has not delivered nearly as well as the shows have.
People love to watch MCU films, and now people love to watch MCU shows— the keyword being watch. There was hype around the game, but nowhere near the amount that the Disney+ shows have received thus far. With so much success behind the camera, why bother with something else that would divert resources from the cash cow known as the MCU?