Capcom's wildly popular Monster Hunter series of action games was recently bolstered by the announcement of two new titles: Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin and Monster Hunter Rise, both for the Nintendo Switch. The series is known for not only its cathartic slaying of monsters and its over-the-top weapons, but also for its frequent crossovers with other companies. The most recent game, Monster Hunter World, features characters that originate from games like Final Fantasy XIV and The Witcher.
Since there is virtually no limit to the amount of crossovers Monster Hunter can do, it's fun to look back at another famous Capcom crossover: the Marvel vs. Capcom series of games. Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite in particular has interesting combinations, including Marvel's Black Panther and an unnamed Monster Hunter as playable characters.
Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite features a plot revolving around the collision of the Marvel and Capcom universes, with several iconic locations from both worlds fusing together, such as Marvel's A.I.M. and Resident Evil's Umbrella Labs forming A.I.M.BRELLA. One notable stage is Valkanda, a fusion between the Black Panther's technologically advanced kingdom of Wakanda and the fantastical merchant village of Val Habar from Monster Hunter 4.
Within the game's story, which involves collecting the Infinity Stones and protecting them from the villainous Ultron Sigma, Valkanda is the safe house of the Time Stone, far out of reach and awareness from the big bad. The Time Stone is also the only thing protecting Valkanda from Ultron Sigma's forces, and so Black Panther refuses to surrender it to the heroes until the time barrier is already breached. It is only then that T'Challa and his appointed Monster Hunter decide to join the main heroes on their mission.
What is also interesting about the small (but significant) lore behind Valkanda is King T'Challa's surprisingly successful combination of Wakanda and Val Habar. The fusion of Wakandan culture and Val Habar's monster hunting guild is virtually seamless, and from what little is shown, the inhabitants of both nations have formed a mutually cooperative, lasting peace in a short amount of time.
This bonding of nations is solidified by Black Panther's rule and uplifting of the local guild to be the maxim and centerpiece of Valkandan society. To promote this harmonious relationship between the two cultures, T'Challa also establishes a new tradition where every Black Panther appoints a personal Monster Hunter as a right-hand, bodyguard and guide to the various monsters and Elder Dragons in the region. Suffice to say, T'Challa himself would make a fine hunter, and another crossover that further explores Valkanda would be a great opportunity to see him in action.