Little remains known aboutMarvel’s Bladeoutside of the reveal trailer, but it’s another breadcrumb on the trail that suggests that Marvel is going all-in on gaming. The company has had its day in the cinematic space, and assupport for the MCU seems to be waning, it feels like a smart choice to go some place else.
Plenty of familiar faces have crossed from the Marvel Cinematic Universe into gaming with relative grace, but perhaps the biggest benefit to the switch is that some personalities that have been continuously overlooked will get their time in the sun.Marvel’s Bladewill look to give the titular vampire that chance, but in doing so, Marvel could be opening the door for one DC villain to make a big impact.
Deathstroke Has Been Primed for a Video Game of His Own for Years
Deathstroke is often presented in a way that is either shrouded in mystery, or straight to the point. He’s a mercenary who carries out assassinations with great efficiency, and in doing so blurs the lines of morality and impartiality. Because of this, he can be taken in plenty of different narrative directions in his own game, potentially taking the role of a reluctant anti-hero, or simply being anAgent 47-esque Hitmanwho carries out contracts with little remorse.
He’s appeared in games for a while, from the quirkyLego DC SupervillainstoNetherRealm’s premium superhero fighting gameInjustice: Gods Among Us. He’s a mainstay of comic book culture at large, with perhaps his most notable feature in the games space coming by way of his presence in 2013’sBatman: Arkham Origins, where he’s the focal adversary in one of gaming’s most memorable boss fights. In 2015’sArkham Knight, Deathstroke’s appearance was a let-down, and something that does him justice would be a welcome resolution.
Blade’s Skill Set is Perfect for Deathstroke’s Debut
Deathstroke and Blade are very different characters with fundamentally different backgrounds and outlooks on life. One is a vampiric, day-walking justice dealer who has risen in popularity thanks to a trio of films in the 2000s, whereas the other is a sophisticated contract killer, who has been a thorn in the side of many DC heroes for years. However, while the pair have their differences, their combat abilities bear some obvious similarities.
They both possess heightened strength, speed, agility and stamina, proficiency with a sword, and a superior intellect that makes them difficult forces to overcome. It’s likely thatMarvel’s Bladewill play out similarly toDevil May CryorGhost of Tsushimaas it is already confirmed to be a single-player, third-person affair, and in doing so it would pave the way for DC to develop its own hack-and-slash offering with one of its most beloved characters, too.
Marvel’s Blade Shows a Thirst for the Morally Ambiguous
Comic book-inspired games from both DC and Marvel in recent times have gone all in on the fun, colorful, and heroic side of the genre, andMarvel’s Bladeshows that there is a keen interest in doing something potentially darker, centering the tale on someone who isn’t high and mighty all the time. The same could be said ofMarvel’s Wolverineby developer Insomniacwhich is on the horizon, and Deathstroke fits that mold for DC beautifully.
DC Needs to Respond to Marvel’s Gaming Prowess
Marvel has been making significant strides in the gaming space. With titles likeSpider-Man 2,Guardians of the Galaxy,Marvel’s Midnight Suns, andMarvel Snap, the company has done well to carve out a place in several prominent genres in recent years.The future is bright withMarvel’s WolverineandMarvel’s Bladelooking to follow in the same footsteps. The same can’t be said of DC in recent years.Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice LeagueandGotham Knightswere a disappointment, and the gaming adaptation of Wonder Woman is likely a while off.
DC ruled the gaming roost in previous generations with theArkhamseries, but its momentum has slowed whereasMarvel’s has significantly risen in 2024. It would make sense, then, to try and useMarvel’s Bladeas a catalyst to kick-start DC’s return to the top, and Deathstroke is the perfect candidate for that.
Marvel’s Blade
Marvel’s Blade is in development at Arkane Lyon, which developed Deathloop and Dishonored. It is a mature single-player third-person adventure game set in Paris, where players take on the role of the titular and beloved comic book hero.
