Marvel’s Avengers‘ initial reveal didn’t prompt the burst of hype and anticipation that developer Crystal Dynamics had perhaps hoped for back in June.
With no gameplay to speak of, the studio had only a lavish cinematic trailer to debut on-stage at E3 which, while a promising start, left many fans dismayed at each hero’s massively polarizing design. For Thor, Captain America and Black Widow, in particular, audiences quickly pointed out the jarring quality of their facial features as giving off an uncanny valley vibe. The root cause was presumed to be Crystal’s decision to retain similarities with the blockbuster films and comic books while also attempting to make each its own. The result, unsurprisingly, didn’t go down well and subsequent requests for redesigns ultimately fell on deaf ears. Or so we thought.
As part of an ongoing spotlight series highlighting alternate costumes and abilities for each of Marvel’s Avengers‘ cast members, last week’s Black Widow showcase appeared to reveal a series of unannounced, subtle changes to the master spy’s visage and now, it seems as if Thor has spent some time in the make-up department, too.
Check out the God of Thunder’s new look below:
The God of Thunder, Thor flies in for his very own Hero Week! People of Midgard, behold his mighty strength, his glorious lightning strikes, and his unmatched ability to make the snidest of comments. pic.twitter.com/R53WLrWdqB
— Marvel's Avengers (@PlayAvengers) September 27, 2019
Now compare the above with Thor’s initial gameplay footage shown at Gamescom.
Thor exudes the force & chaos of lightning in combat, easily dispatching hordes of enemies. “When it comes to pure destructive power, nobody on the battlefield is more equipped than The God of Thunder,” says Vince Napoli, Lead Combat Designer at @CrystalDynamics. pic.twitter.com/MnE2vXDdKJ
— Marvel's Avengers (@PlayAvengers) September 28, 2019
The decision to have Thor’s hair done up into a ponytail has worked wonders, no doubt, and even his magnificent beard looks to have received a trim. This iteration looks considerably more in line with Chris Hemsworth’s portrayal of Odin’s son on the big screen and, in my opinion, at least, is a far cry better than Crystal Dynamics’ original interpretation. Matters such as these are clearly subjective, however, so it remains to be seen if the general consensus is in agreement.
Marvel’s Avengers is out next year, May 15th, for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC and Google Stadia.
