Epic Games’ Fortnite has become an all-out cavalcade of characters from different intellectual properties, genres, and mediums, but its haphazard inclusion of the heroes of Marvel and DC feels wrong. The game now features 26 Marvel and 20 DC characters joining the fray for the game’s wackily violent antics and often confusing crossover events, each equipable as a skin for players to use while they get involved in firefights. It’s great to have the opportunity to experience these characters in the gaming medium, but Fortnite - now collaborating on a Marvel comics series - isn't the ideal environment for these characters.
From a financial perspective, what Fortnite has done to position itself as a whirlwind of disparate IPs makes total sense. Fortnite gets to benefit from an influx of players excited about the prospect of playing as favorite characters from different franchises that otherwise lack a video game presence, while said franchises themselves enjoy cross-promotion with one of the most popular games globally. With a seemingly never-ending roster of character skins in Fortnite and only so much time to earn the game's in-game currency V-Bucks, this means an additional stream of revenue for Epic Games from players willing to shed cash to play as Tom Holland’s Spider-Man or Tom Holland’s Nathan Drake. (Yes, Tom Holland is in Fortnite twice.)
It’s just a shame that, for so many of these beloved characters, their use in Fortnite feels like a terrible application of their licenses. At a minimum, it comes across as vacuous, but at its most egregious these crossovers undermine the legacy of certain characters. Take Batman, for example - a hero iconic for having a no-kill rule. It's not really appropriate for Batman to shoot people in the face and then quite literally dance on their grave. There are certain Marvel and DC villains and anti-heroes who could easily fit into Fortnite, but for those heroes who don't typically use firearms or who refuse to kill, them appearing in Fortnite is somewhat antithetical. Spider-Man villain Green Goblin may work in Fortnite due to his homicidal tendencies, but for Peter Parker - a character who refuses to kill - it comes across as jarring.
Fortnite - Batman And Spider-Man Shouldn't Kill
Fortnite has admittedly been able to create some truly fun game modes with these characters like the limited-time "Endgame" mode, released alongside Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Endgame, which actually lets players gain the abilities of the Avengers with new items based on the heroes. Features like Spider-Man’s web-shooters, added at the beginning of Fortnite’s Season 3, have even become gameplay mainstays beyond just being a part of a limited event. Fortnite's web-swinging may even exceed Marvel's Avengers', but barring that example and a few other exceptions, the Marvel and DC characters who appear in the game function as inconsequential cosmetic in-game appearances. The designs may look great, but it's a disservice to commercialize and reduce these characters to interchangeable costumes and upend their lore by plucking and plugging them into completely random settings.
From a business standpoint, Marvel and DC characters appearing in Fortnite is a no-brainer for every party involved. DC and Marvel can benefit from greater interest in their characters or even specific comics, while Fortnite gets to enjoy fans of those respective universes looking to acquire those skins in the game itself. Sadly, as good as it is from a business standpoint for every party, it just doesn’t feel like an appropriate use of the IP. When compared to the Batman: Arkham games or Marvel's Spider-Man - both of which provided faithful depictions of the iconic heroes - Fortnite's use of these characters feels lazy. Past Marvel and DC games have a history of ensuring those characters who don't kill are portrayed accurately, whereas Fortnite has no qualms with Batman or Spider-Man murdering their enemies. It's jarring at best, and a huge disservice to those characters at worst.