Marvelhas been on a pretty solid streak recently.Insomniac’sSpider-Manserieshas continued to sell like hotcakes, Eidos-Montreal’sGuardians of the Galaxymay not have sold quite as well, but it earned a lot of praise for its narrative and character portrayals, andMarvel Rivalshas just made a pretty sizable impact on the hero shooter genre. There wasMarvel’s Avengersalong the way as well, of course, but on the whole, Marvel Games has had a few really decent years.
But things are far from over forMarvel Games.Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra,Marvel’s Blade, an EA Black Panther game, and an EA Motive Iron Man title are all confirmed to be in development. But while those games all sound great and make complete business sense – with them focusing on the most popular Marvel characters right now – there’s one Marvel hero who will probably keep getting snubbed despite continuing to grow steadily in popularity.
Daredevil Needs The Video Game Spotlight Soon
Daredevil Hasn’t Appeared in a Video Game For a While
The Man Without Fear, Daredevil, first hit the pages of a comic book in 1964, and appeared in his first video game cameo back in 1995 with the release ofVenom/Spider-Man: Separation Anxiety. In the almost three decades since then, Daredevil has appeared over 20 times in the medium of video games, though he’s rarely taken center stage.
Instead, Daredevil has primarily appeared as a supporting character in a variety of team-up games, such as theLEGO Marvel Superheroesseries,theMarvel Ultimate Allianceseries, and an array of Marvel mobile games. Daredevil’s last major playable appearance was a supporting role inMarvel Ultimate Alliance 3, which was released back in 2019.
Daredevil’s only solo video game outing is the licensed tie-in based on the 2003Daredevilmovie.
Daredevil has been mostly kept away from the gaming world for the past five years, only being given short breaks to appear inMarvel Snap,Marvel Puzzle Quest, and as apaid skin inFortnite. Despite fan speculation, Daredevil never ended up appearing in Insomniac’sSpider-Manseries, and whileMarvel Rivalsis home to a variety of heroes and villains from across all corners of the Marvel universe, Daredevil doesn’t currently have a spot on the roster, nor is he rumored to appear in the hero shooter anytime soon.
Daredevil’s Video Game Disappearance Comes At The Worst Time
AfterNetflix’s Daredevil showended its third and final season in 2018, the hero took a step back from the spotlight, coinciding with the start of his disappearance from the world of Marvel video games. But the last few years have seen Disney laying the groundwork for a major Daredevil resurgence.
After a brief cameo appearance in 2021’sSpider-Man: No Way Home, Charlie Cox’s Matt Murdock/Daredevil appeared in a slightly larger role in 2022’sShe-HulkDisney+ show, and then once again in this year’sEcho. After almost seven years of waiting, Charlie Cox’s Daredevil is finally set to take center stage once more in the upcomingDaredevil: Born AgainDisney+ show, which is set to premiere in March 2025.
Marvel could be on the cusp of a Daredevil renaissance, and it would be great to see that extend to the world of video games once more. Whether it’s a simple cameo in the next AAA Marvel release or a fully-fledged fighter inMarvel Rivals, Daredevil needs to make a memorable return to video games as soon as possible.
Marvel
Marvel is a brand associated with a wide array of popular superhero comics, movies, television shows, and merchandise. The company owns the rights to popular characters like The Avengers, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Deadpool, and many more.
