Highlights
- EA Motive's Iron Man game is under a lot of pressure to deliver a great adaptation, especially after previous failed attempts to get the character right in a video game.
- Iron Man's origin story is just one of the things Motive will have to get right, and it has evolved over time, shifting from the Vietnam War to a more modern setting in the MCU.
- Drawing inspiration from the MCU's origin story would make more sense, as the Vietnam version of Tony Stark's backstory is outdated, and the Ten Rings faction from the film could make for an ideal group of antagonists.
EA Motive's Iron Man game has quite a bit of pressure on its shoulders. For years now, fans have been asking for an Iron Man game, and while those wishes were technically granted with Sega's Iron Man titles and the more recent Marvel's Avengers, those games were all infamously terrible, leaving fans even more desperate from a truly great video game adaptation. Thankfully, EA Motive has already proven itself to be a talented studio, and it has no shortage of comic book source material to draw inspiration from.
Debuting all the way back in March 1963 in Tales of Suspense #39, Iron Man is far from the first Marvel superhero, and up until 15 years ago, he wasn't even a household name. Despite being around for over four decades at that point, the Marvel Cinematic Universe's 2008 Iron Man movie - and all the character's subsequent on-screen appearances - have sky-rocketed the hero's popularity to new heights, and though EA Motive should primarily stick to the comics for its source of inspiration, there are one or two decisions that the MCU made that might be better suited to the video game, including the hero's origin.
EA's Iron Man Game Should Follow The 'Superior' Storyline's Lead in One Area
Though the Superior Iron Man run proved to be one of Marvel's more controversial recent runs, it should influence one part of EA's Iron Man game.
EA Motive's Iron Man Might Be Better Off Adopting the MCU's Origin Story
Iron Man's First Origin Story Takes Place in Vietnam
In his debut story in 1963, Iron Man was given an origin story that follows the same beats that any MCU fan will be familiar with, but with one major difference. Rather than be captured during a Middle-Eastern conflict, Tony Stark was originally kidnapped during the Vietnam War. An infamous, highly-debated moment in recent world history, the US-Vietnam War lasted roughly from 1955 to 1975, meaning that Iron Man's debut comic released smack-bang in the middle of the conflict.
As can be expected of a comic released during the height of a highly controversial war, Iron Man's original origin is filled with thinly veiled commentaries about the futility of war, but at the same time doesn't shy away from delivering some incredibly stereotypical, frankly racist depictions of those the US was fighting against at the time. Aside from the setting, Iron Man's first origin pretty much follows the same beats modern-day fans would expect, with the hero being kidnapped and forced to try and make weapons for a terrorist faction, but instead decides to build a suit of armor that he uses to escape.
Marvel eventually retconned Iron Man's origin, along with The Punisher and Flash Thompson, changing the setting from the Vietnam War to the fictional Siancong War that technically takes place across the timeline where it's needed.
EA's Iron Man Might Want a More Modern Origin Story
While the Vietnam War obviously made a lot of sense at the time for Iron Man's first origin story, there are a few reasons why EA Motive might not want to use it. For a start, the Vietnam War is still a fairly controversial topic, and its depiction and role in Iron Man's origin would need to be handled very carefully. Secondly, setting Iron Man's origins during the Vietnam War would then presumably restrict EA's Iron Man game to that era. While that could be a very refreshing approach, it probably isn't what EA Motive wants to do for its first outing with the superhero.
Instead, it would make a lot more sense for EA Motive's Iron Man game to more closely follow the Marvel Cinematic Universe's version of Iron Man's origin. A modern, familiar setting would allow EA's Iron Man game to essentially skip straight past the origin story, and instead focus on a new narrative. Additionally, borrowing from the MCU's Iron Man origin would set up an ideal villain faction for the game, with the Ten Rings being the organization behind Stark's capture in the MCU.
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.
