Marvel Gaming Universe Concept, Similar to MCU, Unveiled but Unfunded

The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has become a dominant force in entertainment, weaving together an intricate tapestry of films and TV shows into a single, expansive narrative. However, the same cannot be said for Marvel video games, which often exist in separate, unconnected universes. For instance, Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man series stands apart from Eidos-Montreal’s Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy. Similarly, upcoming titles such as Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, Marvel's Wolverine, and Marvel’s Blade are also standalone stories without any shared continuity.

Yet, there was once a vision at Disney to create a Marvel Gaming Universe (MGU) that would mirror the MCU's success in film and television. This ambitious project aimed to interconnect Marvel video games into a cohesive narrative, much like the MCU. So, what happened to this intriguing concept?

On The Fourth Curtain podcast, host Alexander Seropian and guest Alex Irvine delved into the MGU idea, revealing the reasons behind its abandonment. Seropian, known for co-founding Bungie, the developer behind Halo and Destiny, later managed Disney’s video game division before departing in 2012. Irvine, a veteran writer for Marvel games, most recently contributed to the world-building and character backstories of Marvel Rivals.

Irvine shared insights into the MGU, saying, “When I first started working on Marvel games, there was this idea that they were going to create a Marvel gaming universe that was going to exist in the same way that the MCU did. It never really happened.” Seropian added that the MGU was his initiative but failed to secure funding from Disney's higher-ups. He noted, “When I was at Disney, that was my initiative, ‘Hey, let’s tie these games together.’ It was pre-MCU. But it didn’t get funded.”

Irvine, who had previously worked on the acclaimed Halo alternate reality game (ARG) I Love Bees, elaborated on how the MGU would have functioned. He envisioned a shared space where players could interact across different games, integrating elements from comics and creating original content. However, these ambitious plans never materialized due to lack of funding.

The complexity of the MGU concept might have contributed to its demise. Irvine explained, “Even back then, we were trying to figure out, ‘If there’s going to be this MGU, how is it different from the comics? How is it different from the movies? How are we going to decide if it stays consistent?’ And I think some of those questions got complex enough that there were people at Disney who didn’t really want to deal with them.”

It’s intriguing to consider what could have been if the MGU had received the necessary support. Perhaps Insomniac’s Spider-Man games would have shared a universe with Square Enix’s Marvel's Avengers and Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, leading to cross-game character cameos and culminating in a grand, Endgame-style event.

As we look to the future, there’s curiosity about Insomniac's upcoming Marvel's Wolverine game. Will it be set in the same universe as Marvel's Spider-Man? Could there be cameo appearances from Spider-Man or other characters from those games?

Ultimately, the MGU remains a fascinating "what if" scenario in the annals of video game history. Perhaps in another universe, it thrives as a reality.