5 Ways This Great Marvel Series Can Come Back After 6 Years

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance remains a fan-favorite superhero series for a reason. Although it’s been 6 years since the last entry in the series, the top-down action-RPG offered players an unforgettable trilogy of adventures across the grander Marvel Universe. With large pools of playable characters and wide-reaching storylines that took players all across the expansive franchise, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance is the ideal way to explore the Marvel Universe.

While there hasn’t been any formal movement on a fourth entry in the series, fans have kept their hopes up that Marvel will bring back the Gauntlet-style approach to the universe. There are also plenty of ways to do it that could extend the longevity of the title. Here are five ways that a potential Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 4 could shift focus towards a new direction in terms of setting, multiplayer, and narrative.

Make A Multiversal Marvel Alliance

Given the focus that properties like the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the Spider-Verse films have given to the larger concept of the multiverse, it’s worth considering how natural a setting and focus that concept would be for a Marvel: Ultimate Alliance sequel. Assembling a team of heroes from alternate timelines could introduce some much-needed flavor to classic characters like Spider-Man or Iron Man, bringing unique spins on the concept that can pull from the comics or be original to the game. Teams like the Exiles, Web-Warriors, and Avengers Forever have done these kinds of stories in Marvel Comics, which showcase how easily the concept translates to an adventurous storyline. It’d also be the ideal path to take for level design, as the idea of entire realities being on the table could give the developers fun opportunities to explore distinct settings like Marvel 2099, the Marvel Zombies timeline, or plenty of other unique locations.

Explore The Overall Marvel Timeline

If a prospective fourth Marvel: Ultimate Alliance doesn’t want to hop between realities but wants to keep that massive scope, then a storyline that takes players to different eras of the Marvel timeline could be the key. Pitting the player against time-traveling villains like Kang the Conqueror or Stryfe could be the perfect excuse to force the player deep into the past and future of the Marvel Universe, showcasing different eras. For certain long-lived characters like Apocalypse, Thor, and Wolverine, this could be a fun excuse to showcase distinct periods of the canon that are rarely highlighted. It could be a fun excuse to play with historical periods in the level design — just imagine throwing Captain America into the Trojan War or recreating the comic where Iron Man had to team up with King Arthur. It’s also a chance to explore the importance of legacy at the heart of the universe, delving into the previous holders of titles like Black Panther, Iron Fist, and the Sorcerer Supreme.

Adapt More “Hero Vs. Hero” Storylines

While Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 is the weakest of the trilogy, the game does have one very engaging plot mechanic: based on Civil War, the campaign’s playable characters and overall narrative are impacted by the player’s decision to either side with Captain America or Iron Man in their debate over superhero registration. It’s a great concept that ultimately gets pushed to the side in Ultimate Alliance 2, but one that could be a compelling central conceit for a new Ultimate Alliance. A game adapting other “hero vs. hero” Marvel storylines like Avengers vs. X-Men or the Incursion Saga from the build-up to Secret Wars could be a good starting place, forcing the players to pick which side they want to take when the heroes start confronting each other. The game could create its own crisis, giving both sides a more complex motivation that lends to the narrative power of the game.

Focus More On The Supernatural

While Marvel: Ultimate Alliance has had a lot of fun with all the various corners of the Marvel Universe, there has been a lot of focus on Earth-bound supervillains like Doctor Doom and cosmic threats such as Galactus or Thanos. One area that has been used for some levels and memorable boss fights is the supernatural corner of the universe, but a possible fourth Ultimate Alliance game could embrace the popularity of the Scarlet Witch and Agatha All Along in the MCU by shifting the focus more thoroughly into the realm of the mystical. This wouldn’t just open up the doors to plenty of villains who have not really played too much of a role in the series up to this point; it would also be a fitting contrast to the more cosmic-heavy approach in the most recent entry in the series. It could also finally pay off the lingering threads of Mephisto’s appearance in the first game, giving all three a larger sense of connection.

Make Marvel: Ultimate Alliance A Live-Service Title

Games like Marvel Snap and Marvel Rivals have highlighted how the sheer scope of the Marvel Universe is more than enough to justify a frequently updating online game. Marvel Ultimate Alliance could easily go down a similar path, incorporating new missions and characters at a quick pace. Missions could be more directly based on the stories that happen in other media like film, television, and comics, setting up all sorts of cross-media tie-ins. A live-service Marvel: Ultimate Alliance could introduce a new style of online multiplayer gameplay for Marvel fans, a refreshing, fully team-based focus that brings players together from around the world for a game experience that previously was largely limited to local multiplayer. Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 4 could become a perpetual game in this way, ensuring the series remains a part of the franchise’s gaming future instead of just a footnote.