EA to develop three Marvel games, beginning with Iron Man

(Reuters) – Electronic Arts Inc will launch an Iron Man game and at least two other action-adventure titles revolving around characters from the Marvel universe, under a deal announced by the videogame publisher on Monday.

The Iron Man game will feature an original narrative based on the history of fictional billionaire Tony Stark, portrayed by Hollywood actor Robert Downey Jr. in the popular superhero movie franchise.

The new games will be available on both consoles and PC, EA said, in a deal that gives it access to one of the most valuable companies in entertainment, mainly due to the success of films based on characters from Marvel comics.

EA has previously partnered with Marvel owner Walt Disney Co to develop games based on the Star Wars movie franchise for mobile devices, PCs and consoles.

Redwood City, California-based EA joins a host of other gaming heavyweights that have tapped popular superheroes for their titles. Activision Blizzard has launched games on Spider-Man, while Warner Bros Interactive Entertainment developed games based on DC’s Batman.

EA’s bet on its new games comes as the videogame publisher struggles with a slowdown in demand from peaks touched during the pandemic. Earlier in August, the company forecast quarterly adjusted sales below estimates.

It is expected to report quarterly results on Nov. 1.

(Reporting by Tiyashi Datta and Aditya Soni in Bengaluru; Editing by Devika Syamnath)