Fans got a big surprise today after Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix revealed that Kamala Khan, otherwise known as the Magnificent Ms. Marvel, would be a fully playable character in Marvel’s Avengers. Not only is she playable, but she’s also the main point of view character as players make their way through the game, and will be the main catalyst to brig the Avengers back together. ComicBook.com had the chance to speak to Crystal Dynamics Head of Studio Scot Amos and Crystal Dynamics Narrative Designer Hannah McLeod all about the game, including why they decided Ms. Marvel was the perfect character for the game’s ambitious story.
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“I think the simplest version from a studio perspective is we started this project and said, ‘what do we do to bring something fresh?’ Something original, but still tied to the lore, tied to the fantasy,” Amos said. “And as a character, is this the right character for our times? Looking at somebody who’s relatable, who actually has this great way of saying, ‘I’m a fan of superheroes’. We want all the people who are playing to be a fan of superheroes. Nice synchronicity between player and character. I am actually learning how to become a superhero. Again, player and character. This type of synchronicity, we’ve done it with Lara Croft, we’ve done it with other characters as well.”
“You have these other heroes that you already know and love and might know from all kinds of different media and from the 80 years of history, TV shows or movies, comics, or other games,” Amos said. “We needed someone that gave perspective, that could actually be relatable, could be understandable, and actually speak to a lot of things going on.”
Ms. Marvel was also always at the top of Crystal Dynamics’ wish list, and thankfully they got their wish.
“When we were just starting this out, we literally from the top told Marvel we want to do this,” Amos said. “This is where we want to start and build around from the beginning. It’s up to us. That’s been one of those incredible rides of keeping it a secret for this long, but now we’re like so excited.”
“The writer version is pretty similar,” McLeod said. “For one, Kamala has a really relatable conflict throughout the comics of trying to figure out who she’s going to be and what that’s going to look like as a hero. And, as a person, she definitely feels like she sticks out a little. She doesn’t always belong in every situation, and I feel like that’s incredibly relatable. And that allows us to really create a main character that you’re going to connect with almost whether you like it or not. It’s just going to sneak up on you as you realize like, ‘Oh, this is how I experienced heroes. This is how I experience my day to day life’.”
Kamala’s love of heroes is unabashed, and it gives fans a fresh set of eyes in which to view their favorite characters.
“Especially fans of comic books know that like we weren’t always the most popular people in the world and our love and adoration for these things often made us stick out,” McLeod said. “And I feel like Kamala just perfectly exemplifies that. But then also, as Scott said, she loves the heroes. She knows everything about them, and we really believe that a lot of players are going to come into this like that, and it just gives you this chance to look at the heroes in a different way, because you’re doing it from the perspective of someone who’s a fan, not someone who’s been through it all and knows it all and this is all old hat for them. This is someone for whom it’s new and shiny and hopeful. And I think that’s really fun to create in.”
“You asked the question of two nerds, we’re going to go deep,” Amos said.
You can find even more from our conversation with the Marvel’s Avengers team right here on ComicBook.com!
You can find the official description for Marvel’s Avengers below.
“Marvel’s Avengers combines an original story with single-player and co-operative gameplay in the definitive Avengers gaming experience. Assemble into teams of up to four players online, master extraordinary abilities, customize a growing roster of Heroes, and defend the Earth from escalating threats. Featuring regular content updates, Marvel’s Avengers will take players on an epic journey delivered over multiple years. This game is what’s next for the Avengers.”
Marvel’s Avengers hits PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Stadia on May 15th, 2020.
Are you excited about Marvel’s Avengers? Let us know what you think in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MattAguilarCB for all things gaming!
