The writers of comic books have been developing exciting universes of heroes and villains, aliens and mutants, for many decades now, but the large global audience got to meet most of these colorful characters for the first time on the big screen.
Today, the fascination with these action-packed flicks and superheroes with amazing abilities is greater than ever. They have surpassed movie-making business and are affecting different industries, iGaming being one of them.
Superhero Takeover of the Cinema
In the last two decades, spectacular superhero movies conquered the big screen. The creators of motion pictures have never been shy of adapting these fantastic stories, still, I don’t think anyone was able to predict this type of success.
First films with Superman and Batman were screened more than half a century ago and they still have major roles in modern cinematic landscape (Who can forget Christopher Nolan’s superb Dark Knight trilogy?!). However, movie-goers can now enjoy the epic adventures of Thor, Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider-man, Deadpool and many more. Some of the most anticipated releases of 2020 include the continuation of Wonder Woman saga (this time set in 1984) and long-awaited Black Widow standalone.
But why are we so drawn to these caped protagonists? Is it our inherent need for justice? Is it because their stories inspire us to overcome our personal difficulties and give us hope? Or is it maybe because we get to see cracks in their armor, flaws underneath all the power and that makes them more relatable? Probably, all of that and more.
However, we shouldn’t neglect the most important part about watching these movies – they are extremely FUN! Thrilling action sequences, amazing special effects keeping you at the end of your seat, interesting dialogs and charming individuals is what makes superhero genre so appealing to audiences worldwide. That’s why some of them were able to gross over $1 billion at the box office and Avengers: Endgame was able to hit $2.80 billion mark and become the highest-grossing movie of all times.
The Rise of Marvel Slots
Due to their popularity and fame, as well as their lucrative nature, superheroes have long surpassed their traditional comic book frame and ventured into new territories. It was just a matter of time when they’ll land on the reels of video slots.
Marvel Comics, originally known as Timely Comics, was founded in 1939 and published its first comic book that same year. During the so-called “Golden Age” in the 1940s, the brand introduced readers to Captain America, another beloved superhuman. In the early 1960s, legendary writer Stan Lee and artist Jack Kirby joined Marvel’s team and created the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, the Incredible Hulk, the X-Men, and many other caped legends. The company started the 21st century by expanding its universe to movies and video games.
Software providers Cryptologic and Playtech got the chance to develop releases featuring these popular superheroes. Cryptologic started producing Marvel slots in 2005 and brought to the market titles such as Thor, Incredible Hulk Ultimate Revenge, Punisher, Wolverine, Spiderman, and Silver Surfer. In 2010, Playtech jumped the Marvel bandwagon and launched an exclusive progressive jackpot network of high-quality superhero titles like Daredevil, Elektra, Iron Man, The Avengers, and Blade.
However, the purchase of the rights for Marvel movie and television franchise by Walt Disney Studios in 2009 marked the beginning of the end. Walt Disney Studios doesn’t want any connections to the gambling industry and they made it clear that the licensing agreements with these two providers won’t be renewed. So, when the Playtech license expired in 2017, these releases became unavailable to punters.
DC Comics Saves the Day
Marvel’s long-term rival DC Comics, a subsidiary of Warner Bros Entertainment Inc., opened its doors back in 1939 and has had a huge influence on the American culture over the years. The company is the home for a variety of well-known and beloved heroes such as Superman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Batman, and The Flash. The brand’s view of the iGaming world differs from the one Disney has so when Marvel pulled the plug, they welcomed the opportunity to collaborate studios.
In 2016 Playtech signed a deal with them and was able to produce a new line of superhero slots based on the older version of the TV show Batman. Another agreement was reached in 2017 and it gave the provider exclusive rights to DC movies Batman, Suicide Squad and Justice League. A new progressive jackpot network called DC Super Heroes Jackpot is up and running and punters again have a chance to win a big collective prize on every spin.
Cryptologic was acquired by NYX in 2015 but although the company is no longer in operation, its DC titles are still at players’ disposal. Microgaming had two very successful games The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises but unfortunately, they are no longer available due to the termination of their licensing agreement.
What The Future Holds
For the time being Marvel is out of the iGaming picture so its fans will have to find a way to overcome this. For example, those players who like Thor in the Marvel universe will most certainly enjoy games inspired by Norse mythology.
In February 2020, 2by2 Gaming goes live with Loki Wild Tiles, a video slot inspired by one the most notorious and complex Norse deities and a well-known character among passionate movie-goers. Loki is the main protagonist of another upcoming game called Age of Gods Norse: King of Asgard and the studio responsible for this title is none other than Playtech.
Thankfully DC heroes, as well as villains, are there to entertain gamers who like spinning the reels. So far no new superhero release has been announced for 2020. However, given the fact that the second Wonder Woman movie is coming out in June this year, let’s hope we’ll get to see the fresh rendition of the game featuring the daughter of Zeus.