WhenMarvel’s Avengersfirst launched, a major point of contention opened up among fans about how one of the most popular members ofThe Avengerswas going to be used in-game. This comes down generally aboutSpider-Man’s inclusion as DLCand a console exclusive, but more specifically about how the character’s inclusion becomes an afterthought to the overarching story of the game.
While it might be too late now to correct the Spider-Man problem thatMarvel’s Avengersis currently facing in a meaningful way that will appease all fans, there are other corners of Marvel canon that can improve the game. One new direction that Crystal Dynamics could take to better elevate the ongoing title with some fan favorite themes from the Marvel comics would be to introduce Squirrel Girl.
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl
Many fans outside of the comic arm of Marvel might not know much about The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl at this point, as the character hasn’t seen much representation in the MCU or other multimedia installments. A show was almost made that would include the character, with a pilot episode and part of an initial season having been shot, but it was eventually canceled before filming on the first season wrapped. However, some might recognize her as a bit of a meme, most notably for having technically beaten theMCU’s big bad Thanos, though that moment in the comics is often treated as more of a joke in reference to how Thanos always escapes being killed.
Aside from this one major claim to fame, as well as the jokes and references that surround Squirrel Girl, she is Doreen Allene Green, a superhero with the ability to communicate with squirrels. She’s an intentionally lighthearted take on the medium that had begun to take a harsh turn towards darker, melodramatic storylines as comics were moving from the Bronze Age and into the Modern Age. Considering the way that theupcoming MCU filmsare going, it’s a surprise that Squirrel Girl’s levity hasn’t been introduced to make up for the newly dark tone set by the last twoAvengersmovies.
Spider-Man’s Licensing Issues
Taking a look back atMarvel’s Avengersby Crystal Dynamics, this latest game released with a serious issue that the MCU has been struggling with since 2012. There’s no getting around the fact that Spider-Man has become one of the most recognizable and beloved heroes that Marvel has in it’s overall roster. The issue is that beforeSam Raimi’sSpider-Mantrilogy, Sony managed to snag the rights to the character from a Marvel that was in trouble of going completely bankrupt.
As a result of Sony now owning the rights to Spider-Man, anyAvengers-level team-up is stuck in the tricky situation of having to negotiate to bring all of the original characters together. This is a major reason why Spider-Man wasn’t built directly into thestory ofMarvel’s Avengersand instead became an exclusive character who will be arriving through DLC later this year. It’s something that disappointed many fans, since only one group of players might ever get access to the fan-favorite character and his narrative will have to be somewhat disconnected from the rest of the game.
Squirrel Girl with Kamala Kahn
On the side of the story ofMarvel’s Avengers, including Squirrel Girl into the game might make more sense when looking at thehistory of Marvel comicsand the way characters interact with each other. This comes down mostly to the way that Squirrel Girl and Ms. Marvel have teamed up in some past storylines, specifically in theMarvel Risingseries. Given that Kamala Kahn, or Ms. Marvel, acts as the main character ofMarvel’s Avengers, at least in the early hours of the game, introducing characters who are canonically closer to her would be a huge addition.
The chemistry between Kamala and Doreen is one of the better combinations that Marvel has created with its childlike characters, which can often become grating when poorly written. In contrast, both of these characters absolutely feel like children whenever they interact, and Squirrel Girl’s natural levity can cut through the dark backstory that’s been given to Ms. Marvel. Including Squirrel Girl in a game that opens with the death of one of the main Avengers, could help keep themarathon ofMarvel’s AvengersDLCto come from getting stale or staying too dark.
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Squirrel Girl DLC Could Bring Some Much Needed Freshness
One of the key features of the MCU is the balance of heartstring pulling moments, reeling gut punches, and quips that might come off as awkward if the actors spouting them weren’t so charming. Keeping this balance is an important part of what allows new entries likeWandavisionto keep fans engaged, though there are definitely still areas that the larger series can drag at times. Unfortunately forMarvel’s Avengers, however, the game hasn’t quite been able to strike that balance in the same way that the accompanying films have.
It would be a stretch to say that one character that most fans of the MCU wouldn’t even be familiar with might be the turning point for the game’s overall perception. Instead, the point of adding Squirrel Girl asDLC forMarvel’s Avengerswould be a step at cracking that balance that the MCU already excels at. Similar to howGuardians of the Galaxy’s roster of little known heroes became one of the biggest successes of the films, Squirrel Girl is a crazy character that could be reinvented without the risk of upsetting fans for the deviations.
Could Have Made For a Better Initial Partner than Bruce Banner
Finally, looking at some wishful thinking for how to improve the overarching narrative ofMarvel’s Avengersfrom the foundation, would be to change how the game opens after the prologue with Ms. Marvel buddying around with Bruce Banner. It’s only really a stepping stone in the process of collecting each new character on the path toMarvel’s Avengers' endgame, but it does start the whole story on an awkward footing. Having Kamala start off with someone like Doreen instead of Bruce can keep things grounded before building up to two newly powered superheroes eventually finding the remainingAvengers.
Considering that the game has already shipped, it’s not like this change can be implemented in the current canon ofMarvel’s Avengersas it already exists. However, the comic origins have the ultimate retry button that could give a DLC another chance at building up these characters and bringing someone like Squirrel Girl into this new story. It’sMarvel’s Multiversethat could give Crystal Dynamics the easy out needed to make any retcons needed in the future and acknowledge the issues the game currently faces as it continues to evolve with new content coming in the future.
Marvel’s Avengersis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S.
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