10 superheroes who deserve to star in their own AAA games

The previous couple console generations have seen actually spectacular solo superhero video games — however they largely all star Spider-Man or Batman.

Comedian books are so stuffed with partaking heroes, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe has confirmed that persons are keen to journey with lesser-known heroes. So I feel it’s about time extra superheroes get the starring highlight in video games. We’ve seen superheroes pop up in crossover games, just like the Injustice titles, or numerous Lego games, however there are many comedian e-book heroes who deserve to lead their own AAA blockbuster games, Marvel’s Spider-Man-style. Listed below are just a few with nice potential.

The Man With out Worry is having fairly the second after the current success of Daredevil: Born Once more introduced the hero firmly again to the MCU in a starring function. He’s additionally had a number of years’ value of fantastic comedian e-book runs, and is commonly considered probably the most constantly well-written Marvel hero. Although he’s popped up in a number of Marvel games and his own film tie-in recreation (again when these had been about the one superhero games we acquired), he hasn’t led a AAA recreation but.

He nearly did, nonetheless; in 2023, a prototype surfaced of a 2004 beat ‘em up Daredevil recreation, Daredevil: The Man With out Worry, which you’ll be able to nonetheless discover on Hidden Palace. Sadly, it was cancelled, and Daredevil hasn’t headlined his own recreation since. With the success of the Marvel’s Spider-Man and Batman: Arkham games, a Daredevil recreation looks as if a no brainer; the character might simply lead a recreation that’s an amalgamation of Insomniac and Rocksteady’s franchises in phrases of these studios’ approaches to gameplay and storytelling. If a Daredevil recreation acquired greenlit in 2004, I’ve a tough time believing one couldn’t get the greenlight in 2025 after the increase in reputation for the character.

Inexperienced Arrow might not be probably the most bankable archer-themed superhero (that’s most likely Hawkeye), however he’s developed a sustainable following. The 2010s CW collection confirmed he is usually a main man sans any fellow Justice Leaguers flanking him, that means it’s time the emerald archer led his own online game. His complete schtick would translate completely to a recreation; a bow and with a quiver stuffed with arrows is a private favourite weapon in games, like in Tomb Raider and The Final of Us, and Oliver Queen’s intensive arsenal of trick arrows would open up many gameplay prospects. It’s straightforward to think about a mix of third-person taking pictures with melee fight, and his number of trick arrows could be good for puzzle fixing. Inexperienced Arrow’s backstory entails a stint stranded on an island, increase his abilities — the tutorial stage writes itself.

Most superhero games are combat-focused — no surprises there. Brawling is what plenty of heroes do greatest, in spite of everything. A recreation starring Jessica Jones, nonetheless, might add some selection to superhero titles. Whereas super-powered, Jones is a detective first, hero second. She’d be good to headline a deduction-based detective recreation.

Detective games come in many kinds, from L.A. Noire to the lengthy listing of point-and-click mysteries. Some even star a duck. A Jessica Jones online game might meld deductive reasoning with some brawling mechanics to create a fascinating superhero/detective mash-up.

The Teenagers Titans endeared themselves to comedian e-book followers of a sure age with their wonderful 2000s Cartoon Community present. Since then, they’ve starred in a middling live-action present and a few animated movies, however they haven’t been entrance and middle in a online game in the way in which they need to.

A Teen Titans recreation might work very equally to Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy with Robin/Nightwing because the participant character combating alongside Beast Boy, Cyborg, Raven, and Starfire, with Robin directing them to use their abilities. One thing I loved about Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy was that it gave gamers the power to make decisions as Star Lord and affect his relationships with the opposite Guardians; this mechanic would work effectively in a Titans recreation. Plus they’re younger and don’t all the time see eye to eye — good for some form of friendship administration, like in Marvel’s Midnight Suns.

Hellboy really just lately starred in an indie recreation, 2023’s Hellboy Internet of Wyrd from Upstream Arcade. The roguelike beat ’em up remained trustworthy to Mike Mignola’s artwork model, however ever since his look as an Injustice 2 DLC character, I can’t assist however surprise what a Hellboy recreation may very well be like with a AAA funds.

A linear cinematic Hellboy journey may really feel just like the rebooted God of Warfare games, a survival horror, and a detective recreation all in one — Hellboy is a magical investigator, in spite of everything. The paranormal parts and folklore inspiration could be key to a Hellboy online game and provides him the kind of antagonists you wouldn’t usually see in superhero games. As a result of Hellboy was appearing as a BPRD agent for the reason that early Fifties, a Hellboy recreation may very well be a interval piece set any time through the previous 70 years.

Aquaman has gone from a joke to a bonafide, billion-dollar hero. His appearances in DC comics for the reason that New 52 run, together with Jason Momoa’s big-screen portrayal, have executed loads of work to flip across the public notion of Atlantis’ king. However there’s one medium Aquaman hasn’t fairly conquered but.

Whereas he’s in fact appeared in crossover games like MultiVersus and Injustice, Aquaman hasn’t led a AAA recreation of his own. The Injustice games have already proven how effectively Aquaman’s trident-focused fight would work in a recreation. An Aquaman online game may very well be semi-open world, with the assorted kingdoms of Atlantis being separate maps; plus, he has no scarcity of antagonists to go up towards, like Ocean Grasp and Black Manta.

Jeff Lemire’s Black Hammer takes Spiral Metropolis’s best heroes and… chucks them on a farm? The Darkish Horse collection explores the lives of a bunch of superheroes who had been plucked from a battle towards a Darkseid-like huge dangerous and thrown right into a Twilight Zone-esque small city, with seemingly no hope of escape. The collection takes off from there, that includes some improbable plot twists and heartbreaking backstories for its heroes.

A Black Hammer recreation might truthfully work effectively as a farming sim and relationship administration recreation, simply with superheroes hiding their super-identities. An action-first strategy might additionally work effectively; each hero in Black Hammer was a famend superhero in Spiral Metropolis earlier than the occasions of the comedian, and a recreation might comply with these exploits.

Whereas Invincible is Picture Comics’ most well-known superhero collection, don’t be stunned if Radiant Black begins giving it a run for its cash. Began in 2021, Kyle Higgins’ collection has spawned an interconnected universe of its own, the Large-Verse, main to a number of spin-offs, crossovers, and an audiobook. Diving into the world of video games subsequent solely appears pure.

Radiant Black’s powers would translate effectively to a recreation; he’s acquired the traditional tremendous power in addition to gravity-related powers, like flying and telekinesis. Every of the Radiant heroes has a distinct set of distinctive talents, that means they’d all play in a different way if featured in a team-up recreation, like a Large-Verse small-scale model of Marvel Final: Alliance.

Whereas her extra standard cousin has performed the baddie in games like Injustice: Gods Amongst Us and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League and starred in the notorious Superman 64, Kara Zor-El has solely just lately stepped into the highlight. She headlined her own CW present and was the center of Injustice 2’s story, together with her moveset making her one of many recreation’s greatest new additions.

With a Supergirl movie arriving subsequent summer season as a part of James Gunn’s DC Universe, possibly now’s the time to deliver again the notorious film tie-in recreation (however make it good). The Milly Alcock-starring Supergirl: Lady of Tomorrow will adapt the Tom King-penned comedian collection of the identical title, which might additionally make for a fairly dope online game. It finds her and Krypto — the most effective boy — helping a younger girl on a quest for revenge throughout the cosmos. As Kite Man would say, hell yeah.

When Monolith’s Marvel Lady recreation was introduced on the 2021 Recreation Awards, followers had been stoked. Lastly, one third of DC’s Trinity was set to star in her own online game. Now, three and a half years later, not solely has Warner Bros. cancelled the sport, it shuttered Monolith Productions. Monolith was one of many extra revolutionary studios round, having created Center-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of Warfare’s much-loved Nemesis System. We had been all excited to see if and the way Monolith would incorporate the Nemesis System into its Marvel Lady recreation, and now its builders are in search of work in an more and more risky trade.

When it comes to the character, hopefully Princess Diana of Themyscira can nonetheless star in her own AAA blockbuster down the street, as soon as Warner Bros. has figured its gaming division out. She’s actually overdue for it.