The first ever Disney and Marvel Games Showcase was a bit of a mixed bag overall. Despite some interesting reveals, such as Skydance's Black Panther and Captain America game, the showcase had some glaring absences, lackluster announcements, and all moved at such a breakneck pace that it was hard to remember any of the games shown in detail. But one standout from the brisk event was Marvel's Midnight Suns, and its brief trailer for a series of upcoming animated shorts.
Along with a confirmed release date for the next-gen versions of Marvel's Midnight Suns, developer Firaxis released a minute-and-a-half trailer, teasing a series of animated shorts that are set to begin airing at the end of October. Officially titled "Prequel" shorts, it seems as though these animations will provide a bit of background on Midnight Suns' characters and general premise before the game releases in December. With 90s-inspired style and some flashy visuals, these animated shorts could be the perfect way to separate Firaxis' line-up of heroes from their MCU counterparts.
How Midnight Suns' Animated Shorts Can Separate Its Characters From The MCU
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is one of the most popular entertainment properties on the planet, growing exponentially over the last decade. With around two MCU movies releasing every year, and multiple shows airing on Disney+, it's impossible to avoid the cinematic universe. That being the case, it's extremely likely now that the MCU acts as the introduction to Marvel comics for many newcomers. To many, Robert Downey Jr.'s Iron Man, Chris Evans' Captain America, and Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow are the only versions of the character they've ever known.
Based on the trailers released so far, it seems as though Marvel's Midnight Suns's versions of these beloved characters might stray off the MCU's path. For instance, while the MCU's Doctor Strange can be cold and calculated, he tends to still put his allies first. Firaxis' version of Doctor Strange seems a little darker, leaning closer to his appearance in the comics.
These upcoming animated shorts are the perfect way to highlight the differences in Firaxis' versions of popular Marvel characters. While characters like Iron Man, Scarlet Witch, and Spider-Man are all included in Midnight Suns' starting roster, it's a safe bet that they're going to be quite different to their more lighthearted MCU counterparts, and these animated shorts are the ideal way to prepare audiences for that tonal shift.
These animated shorts are also a great opportunity to introduce MCU fans to some lesser-known characters that will appear on the Midnight Suns team. While general MCU fans may be aware of characters like Blade and Ghost Rider, they may not have too much knowledge about their powers or abilities or their origin. When it comes to very obscure characters like X-Men's Magik or The Runaways' Nico, even some hardcore Marvel fans might need a refresher on their origin and abilities.
Thankfully, it seems as though these animated shorts will do exactly that. Beginning on October 31, just in time for Halloween, Firaxis will be releasing one animated short weekly. There are set to be five in total, with the first introducing Lilith, the primary antagonist of the game. The rest, according to Firaxis' official description, will apparently introduce the Midnight Suns team itself, explain why it was formed, and show each character's motivation behind joining. For a game like Marvel's Midnight Suns, where the premise and core characters aren't all well-known, releasing animated shorts as a prequel is a very smart move.
Marvel's Midnight Suns releases December 2 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. PS4, Switch, and Xbox One versions will release at a later date.
