Marvel’s Avengers finally received its long-awaited debut at E3 earlier this week via a spectacle-laden cinematic trailer. The reveal, which was crammed with a wealth of visual details to digest, confirmed the initial cast of heroes that players will be exploring the world with. Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow and Hulk are the five iconic starting characters with more already confirmed to be coming via free DLC.
Indeed, the trailer itself provided what appeared to be a brief tease for Ant-Man, though it remains to be seen if the size-shifting scientist will actually be made playable. Should developer Crystal Dynamics spare a moment for initial fan reception though, it might be a good idea to get started on Hawkeye before considering anyone else.
But that discussion is best saved for another day. With so much early emphasis being placed on Earth’s defenders, little attention has been reserved for those who the Avengers will be protecting the planet against. With such a grand narrative planned for the title, it’s probably safe to assume that multiple villains will be out in force to threaten peace, though we already have confirmation of one such evildoer, thanks to a split-second appearance during E3.
Taskmaster will appear in Marvel’s Avengers in some capacity, with a few reports from the convention telling us that he’ll be the primary antagonist. What’s interesting to consider here is that Crystal may be using the character as a means to bridge the gap between its game and Insomniac’s Spider-Man. Those that sunk several hours into the latter will likely recall the villain making an appearance, even confirming to Spidey that he’s had previous run-ins with the Avengers.
To us, this all but confirms that the title serves as a prequel to Peter Parker’s solo adventures, perhaps implying that the web-slinger will make a future appearance alongside his allies. Right now, we can but dream, though with Marvel reportedly planning to kickstart an MGU with Marvel’s Avengers, this is the clearest sign yet, of such a universe.
