After years of waiting for the armor-clad Avenger to finally get his own game, the announcement of a single-playerIron Mantitle from EA’s Motive Studio in late 2022 came as welcome news to many gamers. WhileEA Motive’sIron Mangamehopefully delivers the AAA superhero experience that fans of the character have been asking for, it needs to ensure the man in the suit is given time to shine as well. With Tony Stark’s MCU persona being how most people know the character, EA could simply choose to use the same characterization for the game. But a more interesting choice would be to approach the character in an entirely new way, and NetherRealm’sMortal Kombat 1could be a surprising source of inspiration for just such a makeover.
Much like Insomniac Games shied away from emulating any of the Web Head’s many on-screen portrayals when craftingMarvel’s Spider-Man, EA would be wise to avoid trying to recreate Robert Downey Jr.’s iconic take on the character for its upcomingIron Mangame.Rather than aping Iron Man’s smart, sarcastic, but mostly centered MCU persona, EA could show gamers a version of Tony Stark still new to the superhero world and brimming with cockiness and overconfidence. A perfect template for this sort of brash, billionaire persona would beMortal Kombat 1’s most charmingly obnoxious multi-millionaire, themovie star Johnny Cage.
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Johnny Cage is the Perfect Inspiration for a Rookie Iron Man
Iron Man’s Tony Stark andMortal Kombat 1’s Johnny Cagemay seem at first to have little in common beyond their immense wealth. Looking beyond the surface-level similarities, though, reveals two characters that are remarkably alike in terms of their inflated egos and often unchecked arrogance. While the firstIron Manmovie, and laterIron Man 3, briefly touched on how Tony Stark’s ego was a liability to his superhero endeavors, these brief moments of character development were largely forgotten once the fighting began.
Using the unfailingly arrogant Johnny Cage as a template for a new take on Tony Stark would allow EA Motive to create a story forIron Manthat sees the protagonist progress from an overconfident and even obnoxious billionaire playboy into the superhero fans love. If the game begins early in Iron Man’s crime-fighting career this could even form the basis for its narrative arc, one which spansTony Stark’s transformationfrom a narcissist drunk on his newfound power to the hero who would go on to lead the Avengers.
In addition to providing Tony Stark with a character flaw that could underpin his growth over the course of the game, making Iron Man cocky rather than quippy would help the character feel unique. For better or worse, the constantly wise-cracking style of superheroes popularized by the MCU has come to dominate the genre in both film and games. Therefore, having the character come across as a bit of a blowhard rather than a cool-headed hero with endless puns at the ready would letEA’sIron Manseparate itself from the MCUand other recent superhero portrayals.
to explain Tony Stark’s transformation from a brash and obnoxious rookie hero into the icon fans know and love, EA Motive could introduce a villain who reflects Stark’s worst traits back at him. Luckily, the MCU has already provided such a villain in the form ofIron Man 2’s Justin Hammer. The rival industrialist represents the worst parts of Tony personified, so doing battle against him throughout the games could be the impetus for the personal growth Stark needs to undergo to become a true hero.
It would be easy for EA Motive to simply rehash Tony Stark’s MCU persona forIron Man, but it would also be boring. By taking inspiration from Johnny Cage and giving Stark some rough edges to buff out throughout the game, EA could deliver an interesting new take on the character and create an Iron Man that feels more unique.
EA Motive’sIron Mangame is currently in development.
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