Former Marvel and God of War exec appointed as Epic Games’ chief creative officer

An influential former Marvel executive, who also helped design God of War’s iconic protagonist Kratos, has been appointed as Epic Games’ new chief creative officer.

Charlie Wen has taken on the role previously held by Donald Mustard, one of the driving forces behind the hugely successful Fortnite, who will be leaving Epic this month after almost 25 years with the company.

“Excited to share that I embarked on a new adventure as Chief Creative Officer (CCO) of Epic Games,” Wen said.

“Deeply grateful to everyone who has come alongside me thus far. The journey ahead promises to be truly epic!”

According to his LinkedIn profile, Wen was formerly director of visual development for PlayStation’s Santa Monica Studio, co-founder and head of visual development for Marvel Studios, and a director at Riot Games, where he led its film department.

It describes Wen as a “pioneer of IP creation in film and games over two decades for the entertainment industry’s largest franchises, including 4 worldwide top 10 Films and triple A games.”

It adds: “Charlie’s unrivaled creative leadership in story, character, and world creation has culminated in global smash hits such as Marvel’s The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, League of Legends, and God of War.

“He is most known for co-founding and heading Marvel’s Visual Development department, being accountable for the look and feel of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and creating God of War’s Kratos.”

In a PlayStation Blog post published in 2019, Wen said “90% of Kratos’s finished design came out” in a series of sketches he made on restaurant napkins during a lunchtime design meeting.