While superhero movies may have hit a rough patch at the box office, the genre is going from strength to strength in video games. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was amazing (also spectacular) and we have great-looking titles about Blade and Wolverine on the way. But as of last night, the future looks a lot brighter for Marvel fans after the unveiling of the first trailer for Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra.
Set during World War II in occupied Paris we’ll see Captain America and Black Panther (Azzuri, T’Challa’s grandfather) butt heads as they battle HYDRA and the Nazis. Despite having a common enemy neither seems particularly pleased to see the other, though they’ll inevitably put aside their differences in favor of bashing fascists sooner or later.
The debut trailer is dazzling and the designs of the heroes’ suits look very similar to the MCU, but is this story set within that cinematic universe?
A new MCU adventure?
At first glance, it seems plausible. Captain America’s suit not only closely resembles The First Avengers‘ outfit but the character appears to be modeled after Chris Evans. The MCU Steve Rogers became a super soldier in June 1943 and was in action in Europe by the end of that year. As the snow on the ground in the trailer indicates a winter 1943 setting, it would be possible for this to fit into the MCU continuity.
But, sadly, it seems that Marvel 1943 is just set in a world very similar to the MCU rather than in it. So we’re going with no, this is not an MCU story.
The official synopsis underlines that this is “an original story”, though it will loosely adapt the 2010 limited series Captain America/Black Panther: Flags of our Fathers.
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra is due in 2025, likely on all major platforms. The debut trailer was heavy on story but light on gameplay, so fingers crossed we get to see the game in action soon.