It’s official: Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra is on track to become the most cinematic superhero game ever made. And yes, that includes Spider-Man 2. 466ci

Developed by Skydance New Media and led by Uncharted creator Amy Hennig (aka the Spielberg of video games), this isn’t your average spandex beat-em-up. This is Marvel meets HBO prestige drama meets World War II. Early buzz says it might just be worth the wait, even if we’re now waiting until early 2026.

The extra time will allow Skydance to “add more polish” 5d5j5p

That’s right. Rise of Hydra was originally set for a 2025 release. But like any big-budget masterpiece in the works these days, it’s getting a “quality-focused” delay. According to several gaming news outlets, the delay is all about polish and performance. At this point, characters’ pores should look Oscar-worthy in Unreal Engine 5.

Four heroes, one war, zero patience 6o3i6x

Set during WWII, the game stars not one, but four playable characters: young Steve Rogers before the Avengers paycheck, Azzuri (aka Grandpa Black Panther), Gabriel Jones of the Howling Commandos, and Wakandan spy Nanali. This isn’t the glossy MCU you know — it’s darker, dirtier, and more grounded in actual history… well, plus vibranium and Hydra super-weapons.

The preview shown at GDC 2024 was enough to make even cynical gamers drop their jaws. Between photorealistic lighting, flawless motion capture, and moody noir-style set pieces, it looks less like a video game and more like a lost Marvel film directed by Christopher Nolan on a Red Bull binge.

Move over “GTA VI” — You’re not the only (delayed) epic in town e2h6k

In true 2020s fashion, Marvel 1943 isn’t the only highly anticipated game crawling toward the finish line. Grand Theft Auto VI was also bumped to 2026, proving that every studio now lives by the same gospel: rush nothing, blame everything on “scope,” and aim to melt players’ eyeballs with every frame.

But while GTA VI promises sprawling chaos and crime in Vice City 2.0, Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra is aiming for something more focused and — dare we say it — mature. Less TikTok energy, more Spielberg-meets-Ta-Nehisi-Coates. The comparisons may be inevitable, but tonally, these games couldn’t be more different. Still, both are gunning for the same thing: to blow up the definition of what AAA storytelling in games can be.

The early word? Hype with substance z55w

Initial reactions from insiders and the press are glowing. Polygon praised its ambitious narrative scope, noting that Marvel gave Hennig’s team unusually wide creative latitude — a sign they know they’ve got a hit on their hands. So, final Verdict: Delayed? Yes. Doomed? Absolutely not.

Look, delays are the “new” new release dates. If Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra ends up being even half as cinematic as the early footage suggests, it’ll be worth every agonizing second of the wait. Just don’t be shocked if it ends up stealing 2026’s Game of the Year right out from under Rockstar’s nose.

Until then, mark your calendars, polish your vibranium, and prepare to be emotionally devastated by a Marvel game set in the actual worst war in history. This isn’t the Marvel you’re used to. And that’s a good thing.

X-Men ’97 is everything we could’ve hoped from Marvel‘s first attempt at tackling the mutant team and more. No joke, I just wanted to make that clear from the off. It’s authentic to both the original ’90s animation and the spirit of the beloved brand in general.

It’s even authentic to the spirit of some things about the X-Men comics universe that we never thought would be made canon by the MCU. Another thing we never thought would be made canon by the MCU? Chris Evans’ return as Captain America. Well, that one might actually still be the case…

X-Men ’97 dares to canonize the single weirdest romance in mutant history c6m58

X-Men ’97 doesn’t shrimp on the jaw-dropping twists in its two-part premiere — even if one of them, that Magneto now leads the X-Men after Professor X’s death, was spoiled in the trailer. Here’s one that Marvel definitely kept under its hat, though — the series sure seems to be suggesting that Rogue and Magneto had a past affair, one that may soon be rekindled. This bizarre May-December romance is actually a thing in the comics — which, for the uninitiated, are full of crazy soap opera developments like this — even if those familiar with the films have never once shipped the characters played by Anna Paquin and Ian McKellen.

Classic Captain America may be returning, but Chris Evans isn’t 2l1jz

Rejoice, Marvel gamers, because this week brought us a first-look reveal trailer for Marvel 1943: Rise of HYDRA. Returning to the kind of wartime Captain America vibe of The First Avenger, the game sees Steve Rogers team up with Black Panther — specifically, Azzuri, T’Challa’s grandfather. Honestly, going by the storyline and the character designs, the game could practically be considered MCU canon. So many were getting their hopes up that Chris Evans could reprise his role as the Sentinel of Liberty. Unfortunately, this is not the case — as any of Evans’ recent comments on his reluctance to return to Marvel could’ve told us. Hey, at least there’s always Secret Wars!

Is Aaron Taylor-Johnson going from Quicksilver to Kraven to 007? 5z5fu

Killing Quicksilver off after a single movie back in 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron seemed like a dumb move at the time, and a big snub for Kick-Ass star Aaron Taylor-Johnson, but in the long run maybe it’s worked out the best for him. On top of returning to the Marvel multiverse for Kraven the Hunter, Taylor-Johnson might also be free enough to secure himself the most coveted of all roles for a British actor — James Bond himself. This is what widespread rumors are saying, anyhoo, but don’t take the casting as fact just yet as it’s yet to be reliably confirmed. Although ATJ looking to jump ship from the Sonyverse ASAP, after the mauling of Madame Web, would be a very smart career move. Let’s just hope Evan Peters doesn’t steal his role again like last time.

Steve Rogers is finally back in action, with the newly unveiled game Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra seeing the newly-empowered super soldier bashing the fash in occupied Paris. Along the way, he’ll be tangling with that era’s Black Panther Azzuri, T’Challa’s grandfather, with the pair united against the same enemy but with different goals.

It’s now been five years since Avengers: Endgame, it’s nice to see Rogers slinging the shield again, and we welcome the period setting, but has Chris Evans returned for one more Marvel performance as Captain America?

Is that a digital Chris Evans? z4p2n

While this game’s Steve Rogers appears to be physically inspired by Evans’ MCU character, from his facial features down to his costuming, Chris Evans will not be playing the character in the game.

In Rise of Hydra, Drew Moerlain will be playing Captain America. Moerlain has decent experience with video game performances, having appeared in Horizon Forbidden West, Red Dead Redemption II, and Grand Theft Auto V. Judging by his IMDb page this game will be a substantial step up from those titles as his previous work is mainly providing voices for background NPCs. Aside from games, Moerlain has also appeared in NCIS: New Orleans, V/H/S, and The Ballad of a Hustler.

Azzuri will be played by voice-acting veteran Khary Payton, best known for voicing Cyborg in multiple DC projects. Payton also played Ezekiel Sutton in The Walking Dead and recently appeared as The Penguin King in The Super Mario Bros Movie.

As Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra seems to be inspired by the MCU rather than set in it we wouldn’t expect any other MCU cross-casting. That said, the game is taking heavy inspiration from The First Avenger, so we’re eager to see more of what’s in store for us.

Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra will be released in 2025 on all major platforms.

While superhero movies may have hit a rough patch at the box office, the genre is going from strength to strength in video games. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was amazing (also spectacular) and we have great-looking titles about Blade and Wolverine on the way. But as of last night, the future looks a lot brighter for Marvel fans after the unveiling of the first trailer for Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra.

Set during World War II in occupied Paris we’ll see Captain America and Black Panther (Azzuri, T’Challa’s grandfather) butt heads as they battle HYDRA and the Nazis. Despite having a common enemy neither seems particularly pleased to see the other, though they’ll inevitably put aside their differences in favor of bashing fascists sooner or later.

The debut trailer is dazzling and the designs of the heroes’ suits look very similar to the MCU, but is this story set within that cinematic universe?

A new MCU adventure? 40381h

At first glance, it seems plausible. Captain America’s suit not only closely resembles The First Avengers‘ outfit but the character appears to be modeled after Chris Evans. The MCU Steve Rogers became a super soldier in June 1943 and was in action in Europe by the end of that year. As the snow on the ground in the trailer indicates a winter 1943 setting, it would be possible for this to fit into the MCU continuity.

But, sadly, it seems that Marvel 1943 is just set in a world very similar to the MCU rather than in it. So we’re going with no, this is not an MCU story.

The official synopsis underlines that this is “an original story”, though it will loosely adapt the 2010 limited series Captain America/Black Panther: Flags of our Fathers.

Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra is due in 2025, likely on all major platforms. The debut trailer was heavy on story but light on gameplay, so fingers crossed we get to see the game in action soon.