Marvel games releasing in 2022 and beyond, it is the only announced game to feature a heavy focus on Marvel's supernatural elements, and the characters that are linked with the supernatural. Because of that, it feels out of place for the game to include popular favorites, such as Iron Man and Captain Marvel, that have very little or no link with Marvel's supernatural elements and storylines. While it is possible that the story may include natural ways of introducing their characters, their out-of-place inclusion makes it feel as if the game is piggybacking off the MCU's popularity, rather than choosing characters who best fit its supernatural theme.
Releasing in 2022, Marvel's Midnight Suns is inspired by Marvel's Midnight Sons comic books, and centers around a brand-new character called The Hunter. The Hunter is a completely customizable hero who is tasked with stopping their evil mother, Lilith, who has recently been awakened by Hydra. In order to do so, The Hunter must assemble a team of heroes that includes sorcerers, half-vampires, occultists, and more. And while the Hunter's team of playable heroes includes a mixture of more popular heroes and lesser-known ones, some of its most popular inclusions are some of its least interesting, partly due to the fact that they just don't fit in with the theme of the game.
While not a lot of information about the game has released since news of Marvel's Midnight Suns' delay hit, it was revealed that the game will feature 12 established Marvel heroes for players to recruit onto their roster, though only nine have been revealed thus far. Many of these characters are heroes that either appeared in the Midnight Sons comic series, such as Blade and Ghost Rider (although the Midnight Sons comic book featured Johnny Blaze and Danny Ketch's Ghost Riders, while the game uses Robbie Reyes as Ghost Rider). Other characters included in the roster, such as Magik and The Runaways' Nico Minoru, were not of the Midnight Sons in the comics but fit in well with the story's theme and the team's dynamic.
Avengers Like Iron Man Shouldn't Be In Midnight Suns
The Marvel's Midnight Suns roster is looking to feature some really interesting character picks that have long been underused in Marvel games, like Doctor Strange, but it also includes a few token mainstream Marvel characters. These fan-favorite heroes feel like they weren't picked because they fit the game's theme or narrative, but rather because of their popularity of the MCU. Captain America, Iron Man, and Captain Marvel are all examples of characters that really shouldn't be on the game's roster. While all of these heroes have crossed paths with supernatural entities in their careers as superheroes, it happens rarely. Captain America, Iron Man, and Captain Marvel are all regular of the Avengers, and often spend their time working as a team to stop world-ending threats.
A character that is a bit more debatable is Wolverine. While Wolverine is another very popular fan-favorite hero (who is getting his own game, Marvel's Wolverine, from Spider-Man developer Insomniac Games), the character does have a bit more experience fighting the occult. In Wolverine's 2020 solo comic series, Wolverine, Logan had to go head-to-head with a group of vampires led by Dracula himself. Even still, the character's inclusion does feel like a bit of a stretch. Wolverine is one of the X-Men's most popular heroes and spends most of his time battling mutant threats or threats to mutants, and doesn't really feel like he matches the rest of the game's theme and style.
Midnight Suns' Roster Needs More Supernatural Heroes
In a way, some of these popular heroes feel like frustrating picks because there are so many other supernatural heroes deserving of Marvel's Midnight Suns' roster slots. Several of these characters feel like they were perfect for the game's narrative. Elsa Bloodstone, for instance, is a monster hunter that has hunted all manner of evil beasts. Her skills with firearms could have given her several unique abilities in the game. Jericho Drumm is another character that would have made for a great addition, having served as the Sorcerer Supreme for a time. Even Elektra or Iron Fist could have made for interesting additions to the roster. Having dealt with the mysticism of the ninja clan, the Hand, they would be more than capable of handling themselves among the supernatural threats in Marvel's Midnight Suns.
There are also several other popular mainstream Marvel Heroes that would have fit the team's supernatural theme far better than Captain America or Wolverine. For instance, Marvel's Midnight Suns could include Scarlet Witch, who is one of Marvel's most talked about heroes right now thanks to WandaVision. Not only was she the star of Marvel's first official MCU TV show, but she has also played a major role in several big Marvel MCU films, including Avengers: Age of Ultron, Captain America: Civil War, and Avengers: Infinity War. She will also be featured as a main character in the Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
While not quite the heavy hitter that Captain America is, Scarlet Witch comes pretty close, and would make for an excellent addition to the team. Moon Knight is another hero that is one the tip of many Marvel fans' tongues right now, with a brand-new Disney+ series starring Oscar Isaac premiering in March. Moon Knight's supernatural origins also make him a perfect candidate to appear in Marvel's Midnight Suns.
While there are still a few unknown heroes that players will be acquiring during Marvel's Midnight Suns' 40-60 hour long story, it does seem like a shame that out-of-place characters like Iron Man and Captain America may have taken a spot on the roster when there are other fitting supernatural heroes to use instead. Perhaps Marvel's Midnight Suns will find a way to organically include these characters in the game's narrative. But players won't know for sure until the game officially launches later this year.
