Warner Bros could turn to Superman for next AAA blockbuster game
What do Harry Potter and Superman franchises both have in common? Well, aside from the fact they both include capes, they're both under the watchful eye of Warner Bros. Studios and have the potential for chart-topping video games.
For whatever reason, it's been hard to crack the winning formula of a beloved Superman game. In fact, 1999's Superman 64 goes down in history as one of the worst video games of all time. Suphero games are back in fashion thanks to Rocksteady and Insomniac, so where's #JusticeforSuperman?
Rocksteady was supposedly working on an open-world Superman game in the vein of the Arkhamverse, but instead, we get evil Superman as a side character in (the delayed) Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League. Every day, we seemingly move further away from the potential of a great Superman game...but maybe not for long.
A Hogwarts Legacy-inspired Superman game could be on the way
Love or loathe J.K. Rowling, there's no denying Hogwarts Legacy has smashed it and exceeded expectations for Warner Bros. - meaning there's plenty of buzz for a sequel. WB isn't resting on its laurels, and in a new interview, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav has potentially given Supes the nod.
As pointed out by TweakTown, Zaslav has hyped WB as one to watch because it owns all its IPs. "We may be the only media company that owns--whether it be the DC universe, Harry Potter, all the content that we own, Game of Thrones - that's for us to deploy," said Zaslav. "I think that's particularly important strategically."
Kal-El and his Clark Kent alter ego come into play with a cryptic mention: "It may be in the next couple of years that we launch a Superman movie and people spend more time and there's more economics of people just hanging out in the Superman world and universe."
Hogwarts Legacy has proved the studio can handle such a big IP, and with a rich open world being crafted by Avalanche Software, it's easy to take this formula and simply reskin it with the Man of Steel flying around instead of a student on a broomstick.
Hey, what about our Wonder Woman game?
Click to enlargeJames Gunn has already expressed an interest in the movies and shows of his revamped DC Universe being expanded into video games, which has rattled a few cages when it comes to employing voice artists like Tara Strong. As one of DC's goliaths, Superman would be an easy sell.
We've seen what an open-world Superman game could look like, and to be honest, we're surprised it hasn't been fast-tracked into production by now. Then again, the schedule could be pretty full with the likes of the troubled Kill the Justice League, and what about Monolith Productions' Wonder Woman game?
Although known for the Middle-earth games, Monolith announced a "single-player open-world action" Wonder Woman game at the 2021 Game Awards. Things have gone quiet since, and with Gal Gadot apparently out of the DCU's future, this superhero showstopper could be steamrolled in favour of Superman.
It's true that Zaslav doesn't directly mention a Superman game, but with him hyping the upcoming release of Gunn's Superman Legacy, a tie-in game would be a lucrative dip into this world. After all, just imagine Hogwarts Legacy's sales if it had launched at the peak of the IP's popularity.
