2025 Preview: Marvel 1943 – Rise of Hydra covers an exciting era in Marvel lore

Plunging players into a world of espionage and adventure in World War II Nazi-occupied Paris, Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra is shaping up to be an epic experience.

A story trailer shows Steve Rogers as Captain America going shield-to-claw with Azzuri, the 1940s Black Panther and king of Wakanda, while taking on Hydra’s nastiest and bopping baddies upside the head in appropriate fashion. He can do this all day, you know.

Set in the midst of World War II, the story explores the roots of Hydra, a terrorist organisation born from renegade members of the Nazi party.

As Hitler’s eventual defeat becomes apparent, fanatics led by Baron Wolfgang von Strucker feed on the chaos, fuelling the rise of their dastardly group in pursuit of world domination. As violence reigns, Captain America must make new alliances to confront an ominous common enemy.

Putting aside the 1943 part and the Rise of Hydra part: Captain America facing off with Black Panther in the trailer looks cool as hell.

This action-adventure game puts players in control of both beefcakes as they begin their uneasy coalition, as well Howling Commandos member Gabriel Jones and Wakandan spy Nanali, in what developer Skydance New Media promises as “a narrative-driven, blockbuster action-adventure game”.

Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra’s secret weapon is producer Amy Hennig. Sure, Hennig’s previous project – an awesome-looking Star Wars action game codenamed Project Ragtag – never saw the light of day. But as the creator and writer of all four mainline Uncharted games, Hennig’s track record is pretty incredible, and her fingerprints are all over the trailers for this game.

Combined with the experience she doubtless accumulated working on Star Wars, expect thrilling cinematic set pieces, fun and varied combat, and an open approach that makes Marvel 1943 as accessible as you’d hope for a Marvel audience.

The cast is also pretty interesting. Azurri, also known by his birth name T’Chanda, is T’Challa and Shuri’s grandfather: as a Black Panther he is fast and agile, and has the power of the Heart-Shaped Herbs that put him roughly on par with Super Soldier Steve Rogers.

He is also a no-nonsense warrior highly skilled in martial arts, all of which should make him a fun character to play. His initial relationship with Rogers will doubtless be fraught, and early images for the game show the claw marks he has left on Cap’s vibranium-alloy shield.

“It’s not clear how much of this bizarre story will be referenced in Marvel 1943, but if the game can embrace the sillier side of the Howling Commandos, it might make for a welcome touch of humour.”

Gabriel Jones, meanwhile, is portrayed in the comics as an American soldier with a musical bent, having been taught saxophone by Louis Armstrong. His musical ability somehow brought him to the attention of Nick Fury, with whom he served in the Howling Commandos.

This crack squad of fighters sent such fear into the Third Reich that the Fuhrer-followers even set up their own rival team, the Blitzkrieg Squad, whose number included a flute-playing killer named Otto Rabe.

It’s not clear how much of this bizarre story will be referenced in Marvel 1943, but if the game can embrace the sillier side of the Howling Commandos, it might make for a welcome touch of humour. We also know that tech wizard Howard Stark will make an appearance, aiding Cap and friends with their arsenal.

In the comics, Rogers and Azurri eventually worked together with the Howling Commandos to defend Wakanda from the Nazis, so it’s possible the game will be partly set there. Wakanda has featured in games before, but it will be exciting to see how a game of this scale depicts the Afro-futurist design and technological wonders of the hidden African country.

But as of now, the main showcased location is occupied Paris. At this point in history, Paris was under Nazi control and begrudgingly complicit in the arrest, deportation and murder of thousands of Jews. Civil unrest and insurrection were rife as France yearned for the liberation that would eventually come a year or so later with the help of the Allied Forces.

All of this will make for a tense and intriguing background to the team’s already fragile alliance, which writers Henig and Marc Bernardin will surely mine to great effect.

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