Marvel Continues To Make A Mark On Entertainment

Who could have predicted that a small company named Timely Comics, founded in 1939, would go on to not only dominate the comic book market, but other forms of entertainment as well. Timely Comics became known as Atlus Comics during the fifties before adopting the Marvel moniker in the sixties. Of course, today, Marvel Entertainment is owned by The Walt Disney Company and many of their iconic characters are arguable even more popular than ever before.

In recent years characters, such as Captain America, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Deadpool, Thor, Wolverine and Ant-Man all made the leap from comic book pages to the ever expanding Marvel Cinematic Universe. The movies, starting with Iron Man in 2008, have all been hugely successful and, in addition to a slew of new films on the horizon, the universe also made serious inroads on network television, online streaming and cable television. Naturally with the success of Marvel characters on both the big and small screen other forms of entertainment also started catering to fans who couldn’t get enough of their favorite heroes. From software developers, such as Zen Studios and Telltale Games creating games that go beyond the obvious movie tie-ins, to apps such as Mansion Casino.com providing the heroes with their own themed slots, the Marvel franchise shows no signs of slowing down. Fans who want to do more than simply watch their heroes in action now have plenty of interactive entertainment options at their disposal.

Pinball

Zen Studios have made full use of the Marvel license to develop a host of great pinball titles. Everyone from the Fantastic Four, Guardians of The Galaxy, Captain America, Dead pool, Ant-Man and Doctor Strange to Venom, Ghost Rider, Moon Knight and Thor have been blessed with their own tables. The developers even released a tribute to the ladies of the Marvel universe with the “Marvel’s Women of Power” pack featuring Squirrel Girl, Spider-Gwen, Ms. Marvel, Black Widow and many others.

Slots

Proving that Marvel isn’t just for kids is the fact that you’ll find a host of superheroes adorning the games on online casino sites like Casino.com .The X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic 4, Avengers, Iron Man, and many others have their own slots. If you are old enough to take these Marvel themed online slots for a spin all you need is to download the iOS or PC app and you are good to go.

Lego

One of the few licenses that can rival the popularity of Marvel is Lego, so it is no surprise that a combination of the two proved to be extremely popular. Traveler’s Tales is the studio behind titles such as Lego Marvel Super Heroes, and Lego Marvel’s Avengers, both of which has been released on PC, consoles and handhelds.

Puzzle

Another great example of two very popular franchises combining successfully is Marvel Puzzle Quest by Demiurge Studios. Based on the Puzzle Quest series, this match-tree style puzzle battle game features an impressive cast of Marvel characters and some very addictive gameplay. The game was released for everything from iOS and Android devices to PC and eventually even PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Adventure

Adventure games are all about the story and characters, so the only surprise about the upcoming Guardians of The Galaxy game is that it took this long to arrive. Telltale Games has already made a name for themselves by creating very popular episodic adventures based on popular franchises such as The Walking Dead and Game of Thrones, so if all goes well the GoTG game should be another must-have.

Fighting

If there is one thing that superheroes do well it is brawling in spectacular fashion and making use of their special powers to defeat their opponents. This lends itself quite well to fighting games, which is why the upcoming Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is highly anticipated. With promises of accessible single player modes, an immersive cinematic Story Mode and rich multi-player content, this is definitely one to watch. Capcom knows a thing or two about fighting games, so PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC owners could be in for a treat.

The Future Is Bright

Although Marvel is currently stealing most of the limelight, DC Entertainment isn’t resting on its laurels either. With well-established characters, such as Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, The Flash and Green Arrow in its roster, the company has also renewed its focus on movies, television and interactive entertainment. Some healthy competition is always good for the industry and we are rooting for both sides as it means better quality and more variety for the fans.