Summary
Officially announced back in September 2022, not much is known about EA Motive’sIron Mangame. The game’s setting, cast of characters, and any story details are all shrouded in mystery right now, meaning there’s no limit to fan speculation. With nothing confirmed yet, anything is possible for EA Motive’sIron Man, and that includes a bevy of boss fights using the hero’s most iconic adversaries.
Though few have actually faced off against Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the hero has a pretty strong rogue’s gallery in the comics, withvillains like Ghost, Crimson Dynamo, Madame Masque, and Fin Fang Foomall deserving a boss fight in EA Motive’s Iron Man. But of course, there’s one Iron Man villain who deserves a spot on the roster above all the others, and that’s the Mandarin, Iron Man’s archenemy, and the most obvious choice for the game’s big bad.
EA Motive’s Iron Man Already Has an Ideal Final Boss
The Mandarin Would Make for a Great Final Boss Fight
Debuting all the way back in 1964’sTales of Suspense #50, the Mandarin has appeared as a villain in countlessMarvel comic runs, and while he’s faced off against Shang-Chi, Nick Fury, and a slew of different Avengers, the Mandarin is first and foremost the nemesis of Tony Stark. Equipped with a genius-level intellect and an extreme proficiency in martial arts, the Mandarin is already quite the formidable foe, and that’s not even mentioning the villain’s most iconic weapon: the Ten Rings.
A core part of the character since his very first introduction, the Ten Rings grant the Mandarin an array of unique superhuman abilities. Worn on specific fingers,each of the Ten Rings has a distinct power, ranging from simple but powerful ice blasts and disintegration beams to more out-there abilities, such as the power to manipulate electromagnetic energy and manipulate others' minds.
As the hero’s archenemy, there’s no one who’d be a better fit for a final boss fight inEA Motive’s Iron Manthan the Mandarin, and his Ten Rings are already perfectly suited to a video game boss fight. A video game version of the Mandarin has the potential to really push the player to their limits, testing all they’ve learned during their adventure by challenging the player with 10 distinct phases, each one throwing a new ring ability at the player. It would be a grueling fight, but it would also be an incredibly memorable one, living up to the supervillain’s lofty comic book legacy.
The Mandarin Is Still Due a Proper Iron Man Appearance
While he’s appeared in various cartoon adaptations over the years, the Mandarin hasn’t had the best luck in the world of cinema, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe making an infamously controversial decision with the character inIron Man 3. Teased in all of the pre-release marketing,Ben Kingsley’s Mandarinturns out to simply be an in-universe actor inIron Man 3, and though it’s teased that the real Mandarin is out there, Iron Man himself never got to fight him, with his proper debut coming inShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
This would essentially be the same as if Spider-Man never got to fight the Green Goblin or Doc Ock on-screen, or if Batman never got to fight the Joker. But EA Motive finally has the chance to put the Mandarin in the mainstream spotlight alongside Iron Man, and it shouldn’t let that opportunity pass it by.
Marvel
Marvel is a brand associated with a wide array of popular superhero comics, movies, television shows, and merchandise. The company owns the rights to popular characters like The Avengers, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Deadpool, and many more.
