14 DAY TRIAL // Considering the tight outfits and flashy costumes, one would think that the American comic-book heroes are anything but shy. However, Captain America and the golden-fleeced Thor, considering how much they're milking the poor god, have been cowering behind the stage's curtain for two years now, and it seems like they'll stay there for another two. First announced in April 2007, the two games will come into the spotlight by the summer of 2011, according to Marvel's latest quarterly financial report.
Since he is a god, Thor is the first that will man up and face the music. Like pretty much every game that bears the Marvel trademark, it will be accompanied by a movie, though it's more likely the other way around, since we're just used to putting titles first on our priority list. The game itself doesn't have a lot of details released just yet, but the film could give us some hints. The Hollywood flick will be directed by Kenneth Brannagh, who also worked on Hamlet and Frankenstein. A huge actor has managed to land the role of Odin, as the ruler of Valhalla will be played by none other than Anthony Hopkins. Thor himself will be played by Chris Hemsworth, who made an appearance in this year's Star Trek as Captain Kirk's father.
Encumbered by his shield, Captain America will drag his feet onto retail shelves and on the movie screen in July 2011. The film is entitled The First Avenger: Captain America, and, even though a cast hasn't been announced for it, it seems like the screen writer took some liberties with the Marvel universe. If not for anything else, then for the simple fact that, since the star-spangled superhero didn't make it into the comic series until the #4 issue, he is anything but the first. But it may just be that making a movie about a guy that came in forth doesn't quite have the same ring to it.
Marvel has its hands full for 2011. Besides the two above-mentioned games and movies, it also has a planned Spider Man 4 title. The movie will most likely have a game attached to it, since Activision made sure the previous three films had one as well. Activision is the one that will surely deal with any Spider Man 4 title, since it owns the right to do so until 2017. In 2012, Marvel has another movie up on the panel, an Avengers film, whose yet-to-be-heard-of game will probably land in the hands of Sega. The company is also responsible for the Captain America and Thor games, but also for the Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk ones.