SEGA Grabs Captain America, Thor, and the Hulk

via Planet Xbox 360

Marvel Entertainment, SEGA Europe mand SEGA of America have expanded their relationship to include the rights to develop and distribute games inspired by Marvel’s Hall-of-Fame franchises -- Captain America, The Incredible Hulk and Thor. Through the exclusive, multi-year global licensing agreement, SEGA will create titles for console, handheld and PC platforms based upon both the classic comic books and planned feature film adaptations of these world-renowned Super Heroes. The deal follows Marvel and SEGA’s announcement to create titles based on Super Hero favorite Iron Man, with both game and film slated to be released in May 2008.

“Video games are an ideal medium to showcase the appeal and excitement of our Super Hero franchises,” said David Maisel, Chairman, Marvel Studios. “SEGA is one of the industry’s most innovative game developers and we are thrilled to partner with them to bring Captain America, The Incredible Hulk and Thor to the video gaming arena. These franchises represent three of Marvel’s most popular characters and lend themselves to captivating game play. We have already seen SEGA’s passion for the Marvel Universe through the early development of the Iron Man video game, and we look forward to working closely with them over the next few years to maximize the potential of these franchises in the interactive entertainment space.”

Under the expanded agreement, SEGA will develop a title to be based on Marvel Studios' highly-anticipated The Incredible Hulk feature film. Hitting theaters June 13, 2008, the film will return the larger-than-life green goliath to the roots of the long-running comic series with an all-new action-packed storyline directed by Louis Leterrier (Transporter 2, Unleashed). The Incredible Hulk video game will be released in the same timeframe as the film. Games based on Captain America and Thor will follow, though the timing of those feature film projects, currently in development, has not yet been determined.

“We are excited to broaden our partnership with Marvel, a recognized leader and innovator in the entertainment industry,” said Simon Jeffery, President and COO, SEGA of America. “As SEGA continues to create games that are built from the ground up to appeal to Western audiences it makes perfect sense to work with a powerhouse like Marvel. Captain America, The Incredible Hulk and Thor are icons that people are already familiar with and love, so our goal is to give gamers the ability to play out their fantasies by actually becoming these Super Heroes. Fans can now not only watch them in movies and read about them in comic books, but also literally control their actions through the video games we are creating. We look forward to bringing these icons to life like never before and putting the power in the hands of the fans.”