Superhero-based media has been dominating the 21st-century and shows no signs of stopping. Marvel and DC have been continually delivering movies based on some of the world's most iconic heroes. Not only have these companies filled movie theaters, but they have also begun to take over the streaming market. These two studios are not the only ones that are churning out superhero-based media. Amazon is preparing to launch season 3 of its mega-popular The Boys series and the hotly anticipated next season of Netflix's The Umbrella Academy has received its first trailer.
While the attention of the world is on what Marvel and DC will create next, many fans are also loving the wacky storytelling of The Umbrella Academy. The video game industry has even gotten involved in the Marvel and DC fever as it has been crafting video games such as Gotham Knights, Marvel's Avengers, and Marvel's Spider-man. While these games are fun, they are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to superhero adventures. No studio has publicly shown interest in adapting one of the other superhero projects like The Umbrella Academy, and that should really change.
The Story of The Umbrella Academy
The Umbrella Academy is a comic series created by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba. In 2019, Netflix released the first season of its adaptation which received much critical acclaim, and it became one of the most streamed shows of that year, A year later, the second season was released and fans were once again enthralled by the wild story. In 2022, the third season is set to release on June 22 and bring fans back to this time-traveling superhero adventure for another crazy season.
The story of The Umbrella Academy revolves around a group of adopted superheroes who have to stop an imminent apocalypse. 43 women simultaneously gave birth even though they had not been pregnant before, and seven of these children were adopted by Sir Reginald Hargreeves who formed The Umbrella Academy. Six of the seven children were tasked with fighting crime while the seventh was kept away from the rest. Each of them possessed different powers that ranged from time travel and super strength to the ability to talk to the dead and summonable giant octopus arms.
The show picks up years after the kids are adopted, and the Academy has fallen apart. Each character has gone their separate ways and has made a life for themselves, or has caused their life to fall apart. One of the kids, Five, had vanished 16 years prior and another named Ben had died. However, at the funeral Five returns from the future and warns the family of an impending apocalypse. What follows is a wild adventure as this dysfunctional family comes to terms with who they are and tries to save the world the only way they know how.
The VIdeo Game Potential is Huge
As of now, there is no video game released or in development that is based on the Netflix show or the comic book run. This lack of a video game is a huge missed opportunity as the story and hijinks throughout The Umbrella Academy are a great fit for a game. Not only does the series have seven different unique heroes that would be fun to play, but the story is as wild as one that could be found in a video game. As the series prepares to launch its third season and dominate social media once again, now is the time for the gaming industry to consider making a game based on this dysfunctional family.
A video game based on The Umbrella Academy could take many forms. It could be a title similar to Marvel's Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order and give players control over various characters from the show. It could be a co-op action game like Gotham Knights in which each player controls one of the seven and progresses through the story together. It could be a simple episodic adventure from Telltale Games that lets players experience the story through a different medium. There are so many types of games that could come from The Umbrella Academy, the industry just has to make one.
While superhero fans have been able to fill their time with the countless games based on Marvel and DC, now is the time for a superhero game based on a smaller IP. The Umbrella Academy continues to deliver a fun superhero adventure through streaming, and it could do the same thing through the gaming industry. Giving players control over this wacky group of superheroes could prove to be a lot of fun, and it would help break through the constant stream of Marvel DC titles. Whatever form The Umbrella Academy game takes, it could become the next big thing for fans of the genre.