Marvel Heroes Who Haven’t Had A Video Game In Years

Highlights

Marvel has been successful in the entertainment world with their movies and games, and they have more games featuring popular characters like Wolverine and Venom coming soon.
However, there are still many Marvel characters who have not had their own solo video game in a long time, such as Thor, The Punisher, Fantastic Four, Hulk, X-Men, and Daredevil.
It's surprising that these characters haven't received new games, especially considering the potential for open-world settings and the success of other mature-themed games. Hopefully, game developers will realize their potential and create new games for these characters.

Marvel is on a hot streak in the entertainment world right now. The comic book franchise has steadily become the most successful movie series in history, and the games' developer, Insomniac, has been working hard to bring some of these characters to game consoles. They have already had success with Spider-Man, and they are expected to bring the Wolverine and Venom games out soon. Plus, both Blade and Black Panther are going to receive big-budget console games in the near future.

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However, Marvel has a large pantheon of characters, some of whom haven't had a solo game in a long time. Hopefully, some of these superheroes get a new video game soon, as it would be great to see general audiences and gamers alike embrace new heroes that don't just web swing.

6 Thor

Last Solo Game: 2011

Thor: God of Thunder

Platform(s): Nintendo 3DS , Nintendo DS , PS3 , Wii , Xbox 360
Released: May 3, 2011
Developer(s): Liquid Entertainment , Red Fly Studios , WayForward Technologies
Genre(s): Action

The first and only solo video game to feature Thor was released in 2011 to coincide with the release of the character's debut movie. The game included a story that loosely followed the film's plot, and the game's combat featured hack-and-slash combat similar to the God of War series. Unfortunately, these fighting mechanics were less polished than its influences, and many people have forgotten that this movie tie-in even exists.

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Thor has not received another solo video game since, which is strange given that the character has gone on to star in three more solo movies in the MCU. The nine realms are the perfect setting for a large open-world game, and Thor is a popular enough character now to support a big-budget title.

5 The Punisher

Last Solo Game: 2005

The Punisher

Platform(s): PC , PS2 , Xbox (Original)
Released: April 12, 2004
Developer(s): Volition
Genre(s): Third-Person Shooter

The Punisher is an iconic Marvel antihero who has appeared in plenty of movies and has even had his own Netflix TV show. Sadly, the character hasn't appeared in a solo video game since 2005. The Punisher game for the PS2 was released in 2005, and it was a gritty third-person shooter. Part of the fun of this game was the fact that players could interrogate or kill enemies using specific environmental tools.

Since The Punisher is such a violent character, game studios may be nervous about finding success with a video game based on the character. However, both the GTA series and the upcoming Blade game are expected to find success with a more adult tone, so it is a mystery as to why The Punisher has been missing on consoles for so long. Perhaps, it's his anti-heroic nature and lack of hesitation to kill.

4 Fantastic Four

Last Solo Game: 2007

Fantastic Four (2005)

Platform(s): Microsoft Windows , PlayStation 2 , GameCube , Nintendo Game Boy , Xbox (Original)
Released: June 27, 2005
Developer: 7 Studios, Torus Games, Beenox
Genre(s): Beat 'Em Up , Action-Adventure

The Fantastic Four movies have not always been beloved by fans. Despite this, both of the movies based on the team of explorers received licensed tie-in games. This means that they have not featured in a solo video game since 2007's Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer for the PS2. Both these video games allowed players to switch between the four team members to use their specific powers to defeat enemies and solve puzzles.

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With The Fantastic Four set to feature in an upcoming movie in the MCU, perhaps now is the time to give them a new spotlight in their own game, especially when they have been teased multiple times within Insomniac Games' Spider-Man universe with the Baxter Building.

3 Hulk

Last Solo Game: 2008

Hulk

Platform(s): Microsoft Windows , PlayStation 2 , GameCube , Nintendo Game Boy , Xbox One
Released: May 27, 2003
Developer(s): Radical Entertainment , Vivendi Universal
Genre(s): Action

The last time The Hulk was seen in a solo video game was when he appeared in a licensed tie-in game for his debut movie in the MCU. However, most video game fans remember The Hulk from his PS2 game, The Incredible Hulk: Ultimate Destruction in 2005. This open-world sandbox game let players control The Hulk to cause chaos in a city or desert setting, and shows just how much fun playing as The Hulk in this way can be.

Even in the LEGO Marvel games, The Hulk is fun to play as in the open world. That makes it all the more confusing as to why there has not been a new solo game featuring the killing monster in over ten years.

2 The X-Men

Last Solo Game: 2011

X-Men: Destiny

Platform(s): Nintendo DS , PS3 , Wii , Xbox 360
Released: September 27, 2011
Developer(s): Silicon Knights
Genre(s): Action

Marvel's mutants come in many different shapes and sizes. That may be why there have been countless movies, animated shows, and video games featuring either the X-Men or just one of their ranks. However, the last time fans saw the mutants highlighted in a video game of their own was in 2011 with X-Men Destiny. This choice-based video game left a lot to be desired, and so Xavier's School For The Gifted has been shelved by video game developers ever since.

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Fortunately, Wolverine is set to receive a new solo game for the PS5 in the near future. Hopefully, Wolverine brings alone some of his most loveable companions and Mutants for the journey, to open the door for a potential X-Men game in the future.

1 Daredevil

Last Solo Game: 2003

Daredevil

Platform(s): Nintendo Game Boy Advance
Released: February 5, 2003
Developer: Griptonite Games
Genre(s): Action

It may seem strange, but Daredevil has not had much mainstream success outside the comics. The blind crime fighter's first solo movie was received poorly, and his own solo video game for the PS2 was scrapped by the studio when Marvel disapproved of the game's direction. If it wasn't for the hit Netflix TV show, Daredevil may have ended up being a superhero who remained one too tricky to adapt outside the comics. As such, this past has meant that the ninja's only solo video game came in the form of a licensed GBA game, released to coincide with the movie in 2003.

This fact does nothing to exemplify what a great video game character Daredevil can be. His acrobatic skills mean that traversal in an open-world setting would be fun, and his combat skills could be used to bring back the style of fighting fans loved in the Arkham games. Let's hope a video game developer realizes this potential soon, so fans don't have to wait another twenty years for a Daredevil video game.