Gone are the days of tie-in video games, and the best thing that audiences can expect nowadays is a re-skinned puzzle game.
With the release of their Electric State on Netflix incoming, the Russo Brothers, Joe, and Anthony Russo, have revealed that they’re also working on a tie-in mobile game for the Netflix movie called The Electric State: Kid Cosmo. The game is said to be a prequel to the actual film, and now fans can’t help but ask—can they do the same for Avengers: Doomsday and Secret Wars?
The Russos on an Avengers Game
The Russo Brothers recently went on Variety to promote the release of Kid Cosmo. While they had a lot to explain about the game's lore, they were also asked if they would eventually work on an Avengers game that ties into the MCU films, to which Joe Russo confirmed, “We would definitely be open to it.”
While the brothers didn’t go into detail about what they would do with an Avengers title, they do emphasize what direction they want to go when it comes to video games produced under their brand, AGBO. Russo continues:
“Right now, what we’re doing is creating new IP. At AGBO, we want to tell new stories. We want to tell new stories with new characters and new worlds that people haven’t seen before. So Anthony and I and Donald are working together to build out new worlds. And we have three that we’re currently working on that the intention is, for every world we build to have the scale and depth of a Star Wars universe, but in a different genre. And then we’ll build materials around those new worlds. We’ll tell stories in different ways using different media in those worlds.”
For context on what their Electric State game looks like, here’s the trailer:
Why Haven’t Fans Gotten a Good MCU Game?
Though Marvel Games may be flying high with Marvel Rivals now, longtime fans remember a time when Marvel couldn’t seem to get any of its games to fly. One particular failure was the AAA Avengers game from Crystal Dynamics, which was so poorly received that it actually affected the reception of the very well-reviewed Guardians of the Galaxy game.
Marvel and every other major franchise have had trouble with tie-in games. The main reason is that it was cheaper and easier to produce games in the 2000s than in the 2020s.
With the standard of modern games at a completely different level, making a well-reviewed tie-in game would take a lot more money (and a lot more risk). That’s why fans have yet to see the 2020s equivalent for EA’s Lord of the Rings: Return of the King tie-in.
While there were attempts at MCU games during Phase 1, such as Iron Man and Captain America, it seemed like the safest choice for Marvel games was to focus on mobile.
What could an Avengers: Doomsday Game Look Like?
With Marvel Rivals embracing the hero shooter genre to great effect, an easy adaptation of Doomsday would probably be a fighting game similar to Marvel vs. Capcom. A colorful roster of characters already exists, and the narrative can be easily assembled via slideshow.
Of course, there’s also the puzzle game route, but with a franchise as big as Marvel, people may be interested in a ‘serious’ video game based on the MCU.
The Russos are waiting for The Electric State to launch on Netflix on March 14. Avengers: Doomsday will hit cinemas on May 1, 2026.