Allow me to address one quick thing before I begin - I am not trying to sound like a hater, but it does just seems to come out that way. That said, Marvel's Avengers looks promising from a technical standpoint, and I really do hope for its future success. The only problem I have with it is - I just don't enjoy looking at the character models that are supposed to represent the world's greatest heroes.
In case you haven't seen it
As I tuned in to this year's Square Enix E3 Press Conference, I distinctly remember the feeling of being underwhelmed when the first-ever look at Crystal Dynamic's Avengers game was being showcased. Not because the look of the game didn't meet expectations, or that the premise didn't possess the gravitas that we've come to expect from an Avenger's outing. On the contrary, in fact, because both of those elements were adequately satisfactory as far as I could tell. What really turned me off was the vaguely MCU aesthetic that was being used in conjunction with an unfamiliar, seemingly uninspired interpretation of the Avengers themselves.
Admittedly, I am not that well-versed in the comic origins of these characters. I would imagine that the movies' interpretation of them borrowed heavily from the source material to create the look and feel of the MCU as we've come to know it. I understand that my expectations for what these characters should look like should not be based on something that is inherently derivative, but because of the way Marvel's Avengers so prominently incorporates elements from a pre-existing pallet makes it unavoidable.
For instance, Black Widow looks like an exact replica of her movie counterpart from the neck down, and possesses mannerisms that feel as though they were borrowed from Scarlett Johansson herself. The same goes for Bruce Banner, who could be easily mistaken for a digital Mark Ruffalo if you squint your eyes just right. Tony Stark and Steve Rogers are a little easier to cope with because their identities are often obstructed, however that suspension of belief is immediately shattered once the mask comes off. Thor is perhaps the number one offender here, as his entire rendering just looks like a poorly-executed cosplay inspired by Chris Hemsworth's portrayal of the character. One particular Twitter post expresses this discrepancy best by insinuating that the designers mistakenly used the actor's stunt doubles for reference, which would explain a lot. Also, is it just me or does Black Widow and Thor look as though they're wearing cheap wigs?
Despite my discontent, I would likely be more understanding if the developers were simply required to create a close-ish resemblance to the MCU without actually having the authority to use any actor's likenesses. I know that sort of thing happens, what with the red tape involved in contract agreements and all that. Although it still sucks having to compromise on something as important as character design, at least one can feel better knowing that the problem is with the industry itself and not any particular creative team. Sadly, we now know that this scenario was not the case - or at least its' not the story Crystal Dynamics is going with. In a recent interview with THR, Marvel's Avengers director Shaun Escayg expressed that the choice to distance their design from that of the films was entirely theirs, which means that the discount, bargain-bin versions of these iconic characters that we saw in the trailer is something that the creative team fully stands behind.
Despite the internet being largely in agreement, it doesn't appear as though we'll be getting any sort of resolution. Fan outcry has done nothing to sway the powers that be, so it does not appear that we will be seeing any refinements to character design before launch. Extensive customization is one of the selling points of the Marvel's Avengers, so perhaps Square Enix will sell us the movie skins later. Until then, however, we can only hope that the game is good enough to negate this identity crisis.
