Marvel Games has a really promising year ahead. EA has bothIron Man and Black Panther gamesin the works, Arkane Lyon is developingMarvel’s Blade, and Insomniac is still hard at work onMarvel’s Wolverine, all of which fans might get to see a bit more from next year. But there’s one big Marvel Games project that’s set to beat them to the punch, and that’sMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydra.
Announced back in September 2022 when it was simply known as the Skydance Marvel Project,Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydrawas given an official title and an impressive story trailer earlier this year. Fans have just been given a few more details about the upcoming 2025 Marvel game thanks to an Entertainment Weekly interview with well-known writer Amy Hennig. One such detail is that Howard Stark (Iron Man/Tony Stark’s father) will play a role inMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, and that role shouldn’t just be a quick cameo.
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra’s Howard Stark Should Be a Main Player
Howard Stark Is a Prolific Figure Throughout WW2
As its title suggests,Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydraisset during World War 2. While much of Howard Stark’s comic book biography revolves around the 1950s, there are a few major events of WW2 he took part in. Of course, the most famous of these is Stark’s assistance with the Captain America project. Though Cap’s origins have changed countless times over the years, Howard Stark is often present during his super-soldier transformation, working alongside scientist Abraham Erskine.
In some continuities, Howard Stark also worked onthe Manhattan Project. Because of this, Howard and his wife Maria were captured by Hydra leader Red Skull, who tortured the two in an attempt to convince Stark to make him atomic weapons. The Starks are eventually saved by Captain America and his Howling Commandos.
AnotherWW2-era Howard Stark storysees the genius create a powerful robot named Arsenal, which is designed to be a last resort should the Allies lose the war. Of course, the Allies win, so Arsenal is left in storage. But Arsenal’s rudimentary AI, Mistress, lies dormant. Arsenal eventually reactivates in the present day and fights the Avengers, believing them to be Axis forces.
Howard Stark Deserves More Time in the Spotlight
Howard Stark has popped up a few times throughoutthe Marvel Cinematic Universe, withMamma Mia’s Dominic Cooper playing the younger version of the character inCaptain America: The First AvengerandAgent Carter, and John Slattery portraying the older version inIron Man 2,Ant-Man,Captain America: Civil War, andAvengers: Endgame.
Joel Johnstone (TheMarvelous Mrs. Maisel’s Archie Cleary) will playMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydra’s Howard Stark.
These brief appearances are quite memorable, but to many MCU fans, Howard Stark remains a relatively unknown character. It would be great to see Stark get more time in the mainstream spotlight, andMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydraoffers the perfect opportunity to elevate the character from bit part to main player.
Along with weaving him into the game’s main narrative,Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydracould give Howard Stark a pivotal role during actual gameplay. For instance, with Stark being an inventor by trade, it would make sense for him to be the source of any upgrades Captain America might receive during the game’s campaign.
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra
WHERE TO PLAY
In the chaos of war, worlds collide. Captain America and Azzuri, the Black Panther of the 1940s, must overcome their differences and form an uneasy alliance to confront their common enemy. Fighting alongside Gabriel Jones of the Howling Commandos, and Nanali, a Wakandan spy embedded in Occupied Paris, they must join forces to stop a sinister plot that threatens to turn the havoc of WWII into the ultimate rise of Hydra.
