Highlights

  • A Fantastic Four game by Skydance New Media could offer a fresh take on the superhero genre, as the team has had relatively few appearances in gaming compared to other Marvel heroes.
  • The lack of previous successful portrayals of the Fantastic Four in movies and games allows Skydance to create a definitive modern version of the team without the pressure of living up to audience expectations.
  • By focusing on traditional co-op gameplay without live-service mechanics, a Fantastic Four game could stand out from its competitors and deliver a more focused, story-based experience that has been lacking in recent years.

When Skydance New Media released the first teaser trailer for its upcoming Marvel title last year many gamers were immediately intrigued, with its World War Two setting providing an interesting spin on some familiar heroes. But even while details about that game remain scarce, Skydance could already have the perfect protagonists for a four-player follow-up in the form of Marvel’s First Family, the Fantastic Four. With their unique and varied powers and their iconic antagonist Doctor Doom, the Fantastic Four would be the perfect ensemble to head up Skydance’s next four-character game.

Not only does the four-member squad of superheroes make a natural fit for a co-op title, but the Fantastic Four’s relatively few appearances in gaming compared to other Marvel heroes creates an opportunity to do something innovative. And, unlike the ill-fated Marvel’s Avengers, a Fantastic Four game wouldn’t come after years of movie appearances had already created a clear picture in fans’ minds of how the characters should appear. If it featured traditional, four-player co-op action without live-service mechanics, a Skydance Fantastic Four game could also stand out against some of its competitors in the superhero space.

The Team’s Low Profile in Other Media Could Be a Fantastic Four Game’s Biggest Strength

While The Fantastic Four have been battling villains on the pages of Marvel Comics since 1961, the members of the superpowered squad have rarely appeared together in video games. Aside from taking center stage in the 1997 PlayStation beat ‘em up Fantastic Four and 2007’s Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, members of the team have typically been relegated to cameos in games like Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects and the Marvel: Ultimate Alliance series. This gives a potential Skydance Fantastic Four game the chance to create its own identity rather than trying to recapture some elusive past magic.

Being freed from living up to an MCU comparison means Skydance could create one of the definitive modern versions of Marvel’s First Family.

The ability of a Fantastic Four title to try something new without having to emulate past successes doesn’t just hold true for the team’s appearances in gaming, though. Delays to the Fantastic Four MCU reboot mean a Skydance co-op title could arrive before years' worth of big-screen outings have cemented an image of how they should look and act in players’ minds. Being freed from living up to an MCU comparison means Skydance could create one of the definitive modern versions of Marvel’s First Family. If combined with gameplay focused on fast-paced action rather than live-service mechanics, Skydance could present a unique version of the team that stands out from its superpowered competition.

A Fantastic Four Game Free of Live-Service Mechanics Could Stand Out From Its Co-Op Competition

The squad looking down at the camera from Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League

If Skydance were to release a Fantastic Four game focused on traditional co-op gameplay without inserting live-service mechanics, it could give the title a huge edge over competitors in the genre. While co-op games have experienced somewhat of a resurgence in recent years. Innovative titles like Hazelight Studios’ It Takes Two help to breathe new life into the genre, but many entries into the co-op space have arrived rife with live-service mechanics. The ultimately doomed Marvel's Avengers is one high-profile example, but it’s not the only superhero title that’s embraced the trend.

Rocksteady Studios’ upcoming Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League looks to be leaning heavily into its live-service elements, giving a potential Fantastic Four game the chance to offer players a more traditional co-op experience. Rather than embracing the often-repetitive live-service gameplay that’s swept the industry, the Fantastic Four could deliver the sort of focused, story-based experience that’s been in short supply in recent years. This would let the game stand out against both its DC competitor and the numerous other live-service titles that have flooded the PC and console market.

Following the release of its single-player Marvel game, Skydance New Media should channel the lessons learned from that multi-character title into a co-op Fantastic Four game. This would not only give Marvel’s First Family the long-overdue spotlight it deserves, but also show that there’s still room for traditional co-op in an industry awash with live-service titles.

fantastic four Cropped
Fantastic Four
Created by
Jack Kirby , Stan Lee
First Film
Fantastic Four
Latest Film
Fantastic Four (2025)
Upcoming Films
Fantastic Four (2025)