EA’s Black Panther game is rumored to have an incredibly cool feature, which could potentially find a home in other Marvel titles. Given how much Black Panther has risen in popularity over the past decade, it’s natural to expect an excellent game with the character in the starring role, or at least to hope for one. However, if the rumors about the game are true, it could be one of the most innovative and interesting Marvel games to come out yet. Not only could Black Panther make great use of this rumored feature, it has the potential to start a new trend in superhero games.
In addition to clashing with Captain America in the forthcoming Marvel 1943, Black Panther has appeared in a decent number of video games in recent years. After mostly showing up in ensemble casts, EA subsidiary Cliffhanger Games has been quietly working to give Wakanda’s greatest hero a game of their own. The game was announced in 2023, but there has been little information released about it since. Apart from the fact that the game’s going to star Black Panther, everything else surrounding it has remained something of a mystery. With official news being scarce, it’s not surprising that fans have started to look to rumors.
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EA’s Big Black Panther Leaks Suggest It’s Avoiding One Marvel’s Avengers Mistake
A number of details have leaked about EA’s upcoming Black Panther game, one of which promises to fix a significant Marvel’s Avengers problem.
Black Panther’s Alleged Multiple Protagonists Could Blaze a New Trail For Marvel’s Other Heroes
EA’s Black Panther May Have Multiple Potential Identities
The most exciting detail to come out of the rumors surrounding EA’s Black Panther is the identity of the titular hero. According to rumors, players will actually be able to choose who will become Black Panther out of a selection of characters. This selection includes expected choices, such as T’challa and Shuri, who have canonically taken on the Black Panther title. Other alleged possibilities include M’Baku and even Killmonger, indicating a chance for players to stray far outside of Marvel’s canon depending on their choices. While this isn’t the only rumor surrounding the Black Panther game, it’s easily the most interesting of the bunch.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 let players play as both Peter Parker and Miles Morales, so there is precedent for multiple heroes with the same title in games.
Many Marvel Heroes Could Have Several Holders of the Title
The idea of multiple contenders for a title is one that other future Marvel video games could also use. Several hero titles have had multiple holders, or several candidates for a successor. For example, a Captain America game could give players the chance to play as Steve Rogers, his canonical successor Sam Wilson, his former sidekick Bucky Barnes, or even someone from the Captain America Network. Other options worth exploring are the worthy wielders of Thor’s hammer or any of Venom’s previous or potential hosts. Cliffhanger’s Black Panther game could only be the tip of the iceberg for alternate histories in Marvel games.
EA’s Black Panthers Could Tell Many Interesting New Stories
The game could tell a lot of interesting stories about its Black Panther candidates. For example, if the rumor of being able to give Killmonger the title in EA’s Black Panther proves to be true, it would obviously change a lot. Players might see a villainous Panther, or perhaps a sort of redemption where Killmonger finds himself becoming more altruistic to live up to the title. Likewise, Shuri becoming the Black Panther, while T’challa remains king without ever becoming a hero, could bring about a new dynamic in the story. EA’s Black Panther could become a trailblazer for storytelling, and one that other Marvel games could take cues from to boot.
If multiple possible identities for the titular hero are to be part of the game, then it’s no wonder that EA’s Black Panther is taking things slow in terms of updates. Setting up a game with so many variables that can heavily shake up the story is an impressive endeavor. Future Marvel games could tell stories that fans may have never seen otherwise by following this idea. Choosing who will become an iconic hero is an awesome concept, and hopefully Marvel will remember it in the future.
