Deadpool & Wolverine Channels the Most Exciting Part of Marvel’s Best Video Games – Destructoid

To say that Deadpool and Wolverine is a success so far is an understatement. The film has grossed over $800 million worldwide upon release and has entertained critics and the general public alike.

At the same time, it has rekindled the love of many Marvel Cinematic Universe fans for the franchise after a tumultuous few years. Surprisingly, it has also managed to get Marvel moviegoers to reconsider some of their non-MCU ventures, including some that have been overlooked or outright criticized by the mainstream for decades.

One of the most shocking moments of Deadpool and Wolverine sees the titular heroes encounter some familiar (and some lesser-known) multiversal faces. Chris Evans heats up as the Human Torch, Wesley Snipes returns as Blade, Jennifer Garner reprises Elektra Natchios, Dafne Keene makes an X-23 comeback and, after years of being signed to the role under the 20th Century Fox banner, Channing Tatum finally gets to play the Ragin’ Cajun himself, Remy “Gambit” LeBeau.

Has the Fantastic Four duology slightly miss the mark? Was the last Leaf film a bust? Were Daredevil And Electricity Not great? Absolutely, but there’s something undeniably special about seeing these legacy actors return to roles no one thought they’d ever play again, let alone team up and get full-on action sequences. As I sat in the theater taking it all in, my youth suddenly coming alive before my eyes in the form of a motley crew of multiverse heroes, I couldn’t help but be reminded of one of Marvel’s greatest video game franchises.

What makes Deadpool and WolverineThe Multiverse collaboration that is so special is the same secret sauce that made the long-running Marvel Ultimate Alliance series so nice.

Unique, wild team-ups are at the heart of the Ultimate Alliance series

Released in 2006, 2009 and 2019 respectively, Ultimate Alliance, Ultimate Alliance 2, And Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order are the perfect games for any Marvel fan. Just like how Deadpool and Wolverine is a loving ode to the pre-MCU era of Marvel films, the Ultimate Alliance saga is a love letter to the history of Marvel Comics. Throughout each game, players will battle legendary villains, visit iconic locations, and interact with beloved supporting characters as they embark on appropriately comic book-inspired missions. And then there’s the real pièce de résistance of the series: team building.

Throughout the Ultimate Alliance games, players are encouraged to create their own unique teams of heroes. Sure, they can choose the Avengers, the X-Men, and the Fantastic Four, but the expansive rosters encourage creativity. Want Daredevil (Brian Bloom), Penance (Ben Diskin), Songbird (Susan Spano), and Spider-Man (Diskin) all on one team? How about Doctor Strange (James Horan), Iron Man (John Cygan), Spider-Woman (Tasia Valenza), and Colossus (Nolan North)? Go for it. In fact, in Ultimate Alliance And Ultimate Alliance 3You can even put Blade (Khary Payton, Imari Williams), Elektra (Gabrielle Carteris, Kat Carissa), Wolverine (Steve Blum) and Deadpool (John Kassir, Nolan North) on the same team to hit the road Deadpool and Wolverine-inspired adventures.

To further encourage the team-building element, the games feature hidden Team Bonuses, which grant buffs based on specific hero configurations. For example, in the first game, the Blade, Elektra, Wolverine, and Deadpool combo was called Assassins and gave players +60 SHIELD credit drops. The group can be formed under Anti-Heroes or Cutting Edge in the third installment, both of which feature strength stat buffs.

Could Ultimate Alliance hold the key to the future of the Multiverse Saga?

Blade, Elektra, X-23, Gambit, Deadpool and Wolverine united on the big screen was truly like a Ultimate Alliance team come to life. A group of heroes that largely have nothing to do with working together to defeat a common enemy is what those games are built on. The joy of assembling those wild teams is why I and so many others love the franchise so much, and apparently that concept has gone a long way in ramping up the already incredible hype behind Deadpool and Wolverine. So we can only hope that the minds behind the MCU’s Multiverse Saga pay attention to this.

Similar to the Ultimate Alliance The Multiverse Saga is a series about unexpected, universe-threatening enemies and unlikely alliances formed to save the day. Deadpool and Wolverine takes these elements to the next level, and so will future Multiverse Saga films. Based on the reactions to the film and its multiverse additions, audiences are hungry for more wacky team-ups in MCU stories.

The Marvel roster is huge with tons of characters still ripe for adaptation, and there are still a ton of movie favorites that haven’t made it to the big screen yet. Marvel Studios should look into the Ultimate Alliance series for inspiration, which keeps the common thread of team-up fun in the future. Perhaps more niche Ultimate Alliance teams will even make their live-action debut in the future.

With likely multiverse-heavy features such as Avengers: Doomsday And Avengers: Secret Wars heading into the production pipeline, it won’t be long before more Multiverse teams like the one in Deadpool and Wolverine will come to bloom. In the meantime, the Ultimate Alliance trilogy is more than worth playing. Not only are they fun and engaging for Marvel fans of all stripes, but their team-building element could be the key to the future of the Multiverse Saga.