Despite the global pandemic that has cancelled just about every major event in the foreseeable future, this weekend's NFL Draft continues on. Like every year, this draft event will see all of the best college football players from around the country see their dreams fulfilled by being drafted into the National Football League. However, unlike every other year, this draft will take place remotely, with players in a virtual green room instead hanging out in Las Vegas, as planned. To get fans excited for the weekend-long event, which begins on Thursday night, the network has teamed up with Marvel Comics to turn some of football's finest into Earth's Mightiest Heroes.
ESPN and Marvel, both owned by The Walt Disney Company, merged for a joint venture that turned a few college football stars into popular Avengers characters. These athletes were each assigned a hero and a specific cover from that hero's solo series, and an artist set out to combine the two entities.
College players Jalen Hurts, Kyle Dugger, D'Andre Swift, Derrick Brown, and Isaiah Simmons were transformed into heroes such as Thor, Venom, Captain America, Iron Man, and Black Panther. The artists bringing these designs to life include Marcio Florito, JL Giles, Joey Vazquez, Mike McKone, and Yvel Guichet.
Below, you can take a look at all five of the NFL Draft mashups, as well as a hype video from ESPN and Marvel that clipped together this NCAA season and the heroes of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
