In 2012, Disney and Marvel Studios unleashed the behemoth that is The Avengers in theaters. What many may not know or remember is that the film’s launch was supposed to coincide with the release of a tie-in game of the same name. Before the old THQ went defunct, plans were in place for it to publish the title from its THQ Australia team. The project was a “first-person ranged brawler” that allowed players to assume the role of a few heroes. Now more of the project’s early footage has surfaced online, showcasing gameplay of Captain America and Iron Man.
Yesterday evening, Andrew Borman, the Museum of Play’s Digital Games Curator in Rochester, NY, shared a couple of clips of The Avengers in action. As he notes in his post, the gameplay is from the early days of production and seems rather broken in places. Still, it’s an impressive sight. Check it out in Borman’s Twitter post below:
I can’t say this was something I expected to see this week, early and broken or not. #avengersassemble pic.twitter.com/IrjMEYJ3nT
— Andrew Borman (@Borman18) June 1, 2020
Borman’s Twitter thread features two clips. One is Captain America footage that runs a minute in length, while the other spans just over two minutes long and showcases gameplay of Iron Man. A third post in the thread includes an image of The Avengers start screen on Xbox 360.
THQ Australia’s game was designed to feature four-player local co-op, allowing players to choose from a cast that included Captain America, Hulk, Iron Man, and Thor. Especially interesting is that this particular venture would not have served as a direct tie-in. Instead, THQ’s The Avengers was intended to follow and explore its own continuity separate from the 2012 feature film.
Of course, we’ll never know what could have been, but a new adventure from another team is on the horizon. The Crystal Dynamics-led Marvel’s Avengers launches in September for the PS4, PC, and Xbox One. More of the title will be shown off in a livestream come June 24th.
[Source: Andrew Borman on Twitter via DSOGaming]
