Disney and Capcom are supposedly in talks to bring back Marvel vs. Capcom 2 in some capacity, but it’s not certain if the multiple parties involved will be able to reach an agreement on how to do so. 2000’s Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes is a 2D fighter featuring a packed roster of gaming and comic book icons, bright and colorful sprite-based graphics, and fast-paced combat.
Despite its glowing reception and a devoted following, the Marvel vs. Capcom series has been in a legal limbo over the past few years, with the most recent entry being 2017’s ill-received Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. This hasn’t stopped requests for the crossover series to make a comeback, with fan campaigns like Maximillian Dodd’s #FreeMVC2 hashtag making waves on social media. Even big-name celebrities like Michel B. Jordan (known for his role as Erik “Killmonger” Stevens in 2018’s Black Panther) are weighing-in and asking for a current-gen remaster of Marvel vs. Capcom 2. As it turns out, both Disney and Capcom are taking notice of these requests, though bringing MVC2 back might be easier said than done.
Digital Eclipse head Mike Mika - whose company has helped Disney and Capcom remaster some of its older titles to modern systems in the past - recently spoke with Shacknews at the GamerHubTV YouTube channel (via Game Rant) about the possibility of a new Marvel vs. Capcom 2 re-release. Mika said he is very much in favor of the idea, and has floated it to both Disney and Capcom in the wake of the #FreeMVC2 campaign. He stated that the decision to release Marvel vs. Capcom 2 on current consoles will ultimately fall to Disney, Marvel and Capcom; and shot down allegations that these parent companies have a less-than-friendly working relationship after the troubled development of Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite. However, he noted that one major obstacle in getting MVC2 re-released is licensing costs, which Mika explained could sometimes be even greater than the actual budget of the game itself.
Now might be as great a time as any for a remastered version of Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, seeing as the Marvel has enjoyed an increased surge of high-quality licensed games over the past few years. Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man and Spider-Man: Miles Morales have earned critical acclaim on par with Rocksteady’s Batman: Arkham series. Similarly, Crystal Dynamics' Marvel’s The Avengers is continuing forward with new DLC content. This trend isn’t slowing down anytime soon either, with Insomniac looking to build on its Marvel resume with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Marvel’s Wolverine and Square Enix releasing Marvel’s Guardians Of The Galaxy next month. Additionally, Firaxis’s Marvel’s Midnight Suns looking to explore the darker, more supernatural parts of the Marvel Universe next year.
Potentially porting Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 to modern consoles like the PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X would satisfy those vying to revisit the game, but the hurdles between Disney, Marvel, and Capcom could make the effort difficult. Still, the reality that a Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 remaster is even in discussion between these companies is enough to give players hope that the classic crossover title could return once more.
Source: Game Rant, GamerHubTV/YouTube