One of the first world premieres at Gamescom 2021's Opening Night Live was Marvel's Midnight Suns. Published by 2K, the game is being developed by Firaxis, the studio behind the XCOM franchise. While most Marvel games prominently feature its most recognizable heroes, Marvel's Midnight Sun gave fans a peek at one remarkably unfamiliar face, alongside more famous characters.
The Marvel's Midnight Suns trailer opens with Dr. Strange and Nico Minoru working together to raise an brand-new hero called The Hunter from the dead. It turns out The Hunter is the child of Lilith, an ancient demon who herself appears to have been resurrected. The combat scenes throughout the trailer showcase familiar Marvel characters from the Avengers, X-Men and more, fighting in tandem to defeat Lilith and her followers.
Marvel's Midnight Suns appears to be based on a comic series from 1992 called Midnight Sons, and the trailer confirms many team members from those stories will be part of the game. However, it also pulls in new characters, some of whom didn't exist during the Midnight Sons run. Nico Minoru is one such example, as she made her first appearance in Runaways in 2003, but her powers and backstory lend themselves to Marvel's Midnight Suns' themes of demonic resurrection.
Marvel's Midnight Suns' Confirmed Avengers Characters
Captain Marvel, Captain America, Iron Man & Dr. Strange
Four of the most iconic Avengers heroes are featured prominently in the Marvel's Midnight Suns trailer: Captain Marvel, Captain America, Iron Man and Dr. Strange. Dr. Strange is likely the most critical Avenger in the game's narrative; he is depicted using his powers alongside Nico Minoru to raise The Hunter, and he is an active combatant against Lilith's forces. Of those four Avengers, only Dr. Strange had a part to play in the original Midnight Sons comics.
Hydra Forces
Though not a character on its own, the Marvel's Midnight Suns trailer did hint that Marvel's Hydra faction may be behind Lilith's resurrection. The Hydra symbol, a skull with multiple tentacles erupting from it, is present in several scenes, whether on a flag in the background or on a stone near Lilith's tomb. Hydra is an organization bent on world domination, and its presence in Marvel's Midnight Suns is sure to spell additional conflict for the game's characters.
Marvel's Midnight Suns' Confirmed Midnight Sons Characters
Ghost Rider
Ghost Rider is one of the founding members of the Midnight Sons, and developer Firaxis has confirmed Marvel's Midnight Suns will feature the Robbie Reyes Ghost Rider, the current iteration of the character in the comics. He is shown wielding his iconic chains of fire throughout the trailer, both as an attack in combat and as a circle of protection while the team raises The Hunter. The end of the trailer also shows a dog transforming into a Ghost Rider-style hound, a possible nod to the character Doghead.
Blade
Eric Brooks, aka Blade, can also be seen in the Marvel's Midnight Suns trailer, using swords and guns alike against Lilith's minions. Though Blade is primarily a vampire hunter in the comics, he was also part of the Midnight Sons. Initially, Blade didn't have any superhuman abilities beyond resistance to vampire bites and hypnotism, but after getting bitten by Morbius the Living Vampire, he gained super strength, speed, agility and heightened senses.
Lilith
In Marvel Comics, there are two villains named Lilith. One is the daughter of Dracula, and the other is the mother of all demons. Firaxis confirmed the game's Lilith is the latter, which is in line with the plot of the Midnight Sons comic series. Together with her four most loyal children, called the Lilin, she makes an attempt at total world domination. It's possible the Lilin appeared in the Marvel's Midnight Suns trailer, as they will likely serve as mini-bosses in the game, but none of the foes shown resemble the group as depicted in the comics.
Marvel's Midnight Suns' Confirmed X-Men Characters
Wolverine & Magik
Wolverine and Magik were the only two members of the X-Men shown. Wolverine is seen leaping off of a car and plunging his claws into an enemy - quite traditional for the iconic X-Men character. Like many comic book heroes, several people have held the Wolverine title over the years, but Firaxis hasn't yet confirmed which version of Wolverine will be in the game. Magik is seen using Portal-esque abilities, pushing enemies into teleportation holes - called stepping discs in the comics - so that they fall out of the sky. Magik's backstory is riddled with interdimensional travel and dark arts, making her a fitting addition to the Marvel's Midnight Suns roster.
Marvel's Midnight Suns' Confirmed Runaways Characters
Nico Minoru
Based on the trailer, Nico Minoru from Marvel's Runaways may be one of the more important characters to Marvel's Midnight Suns' plot. The opening moments of the trailer show her activating the Staff of One and fusing its magic with Dr. Strange's spell to resurrect The Hunter. Nico's powers are mystical in nature, as the Staff of One is connected blood magic. With it, Nico is able to fly, teleport and use telekinetic powers. In the comics, Nico cannot use the Staff of One to cast the same spell more than once, so it will be interesting to see if that particular weakness will follow her into the game, as it would surely add a unique twist to gameplay.
Marvel's Midnight Suns' New Characters
The Hunter
The Hunter is an all-new character designed specifically for Marvel's Midnight Suns players to inhabit. According to Firaxis, The Hunter will be fully customizable, both in abilities and appearance. The goal is to enable players to truly immerse themselves in the world, able to essentially create their own superhero persona rather than inhabit an established one. Though The Hunter has not been featured in any of the comics, Firaxis said worked closely with Marvel to create the hero, making them a canon character endemic to the game. Being Lilith's child, The Hunter seems sure to make for some interesting narrative development.
Marvel's Midnight Suns will be released in March 2022.