We’ve known that a Marvel game from former Uncharted writer-director Amy Hennig has been in the works for years, learning in 2022 that it will focus on Captain America and Black Panther during World War 2. Thanks to a proper reveal during today’s State of Unreal event, we now know that it’ll be called Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra and we’ll be able to play it sometime in 2025.
The first full story trailer for Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra confirmed that the story set during the middle of World War II will follow a fresh-faced Steve Rogers – aka Captain America – and Black Panther. If you’re wondering how Black Panther could be around decades before his appearance in the modern-day Marvel movies and keep things canon, this isn’t the latest title-bearer T’Challa but Azzuri, the future Black Panther’s granddad.
Joining the familiar superheroes in occupied Paris (and Wakanda at points, from the looks of things) are two entirely original characters, US soldier Gabriel Jones – who is also a member of supernaturally-gifted SHIELD squad the Howling Commandos – and Wakandan spy Nanali. As previously confirmed, all four characters will be playable at different points throughout its story, but Rise of Hydra will not be a co-op or multiplayer game.
Snatches of gameplay show an experience that clearly takes inspiration from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Cap lobbing his vibranium shield around, leaping up to deliver wrestling-style finishing punches to downed enemies and even Cap and Black Panther clashing head-to-head as they variously investigate the evil-doings of Hydra.
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra | Story Trailer
It looks plenty befitting of that blockbuster feel too, thanks to the use of Unreal Engine 5.4 and facial tech MetaHuman Animator, the tool behind the detailed faces of Hellblade 2, for a very cinematic visual style.
As well as working on the Marvel game with developers Skydance New Media, Hennig and the studio are separately revisiting the Star Wars universe for a similarly “cinematic action-adventure game”, giving Hennig another shot at the galaxy far, far away after her previous Star Wars game codenamed Project Ragtag was canned at EA.
