A new Marvel's Avengers animated short details Wakanda history, including an adventure from Captain America's past. The superhero action role-playing game was developed by Crystal Dynamics and released in September 2020. Despite poor reception upon release, Marvel's Avengers continues to be supported through the release of updates and events.
The next piece of post-launch content for Marvel's Avengers will be an African adventure titled Black Panther - War for Wakanda. The anticipated expansion will add Wakanda's King T'Challa, the superpowered hero Black Panther, to the game's growing list of playable Avengers. Voiced by God of War's Christopher Judge, the version of Black Panther in Marvel's Avengers will draw from the character's decades-long comic and film history. Wakanda itself will also be a major part of the expansion, as War for Wakanda will add the futuristic nation as a new region for players to explore. Ulysses Klaue will act as the main villain of the expansion, bringing with him a brand-new enemy faction and multiple new boss battles. Crystal Dynamics recently released an animated Black Panther short to set up the story of War for Wakanda. The short, titled Children of T'Chaka, sets up the relationship between King T'Challa and his various allies.
A new animated short titled Fathers and Sons, posted to Marvel Entertainment's YouTube channel, further explores Marvel's Avengers' version of Wakanda while hinting at one of Captain America's World War II adventures. The short is narrated by Zawavari, a Wakandan shaman who serves as one of Black Panther's royal advisors. Through his narration Zawavari sets up the upcoming conflict between Ulysses Klaue and T'Challa, explaining that Klaue's father attempted to invade Wakanda more than 50 years prior. The video then reveals that T'Challa's father, T'Chaka, was able to defeat Klaue's father with the help of a young Captain America. Parallels are also drawn between Klaue and T'Challa, two men who are attempting to carry on their fathers' legacies.
Black Panther is a beloved member of Marvel's superhero pantheon, due in part to actor Chadwick Boseman's iconic live-action portrayal of the character. Fans were heartbroken by Boseman's unexpected passing in August 2020, and more recent depictions of the character often honor the late actor in some way. Marvel's Avengers' version of Black Panther will be able to perform a "Wakanda Forever" salute, crossing his arms over his chest during an emote. The now-iconic gesture was created for 2018's Black Panther film, with Boseman often performing it on the big screen and for excited fans.
Marvel's Avengers was met with negative reception upon release, and the War for Wakanda expansion may be the game's last hope for resurrection. Crystal Dynamics seems to be putting every effort into making the expansion special, painstakingly creating a worthy adaptation of Black Panther and Wakanda. With animated shorts released to set up War for Wakanda's story, it seems that the developer is increasing emphasis on the game's single-player story.
Marvel's Avengers is available on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Source: Marvel Entertainment/YouTube