Summary
- EA Motive's Iron Man game may feature iconic villains like Ghost, Crimson Dynamo, Madame Masque, and Fin Fang Foom.
- The Mandarin, Iron Man's archenemy, would make an ideal final boss due to his powerful Ten Rings and comic legacy.
- The Mandarin's cinematic appearances have been lackluster, making a strong video game debut even more significant for the character.
Officially announced back in September 2022, not much is known about EA Motive's Iron Man game. The game's setting, cast of characters, and any story details are all shrouded in mystery right now, meaning there's no limit to fan speculation. With nothing confirmed yet, anything is possible for EA Motive's Iron Man, and that includes a bevy of boss fights using the hero's most iconic adversaries.
Though few have actually faced off against Iron Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the hero has a pretty strong rogue's gallery in the comics, with villains like Ghost, Crimson Dynamo, Madame Masque, and Fin Fang Foom all deserving a boss fight in EA Motive's Iron Man. But of course, there's one Iron Man villain who deserves a spot on the roster above all the others, and that's the Mandarin, Iron Man's archenemy, and the most obvious choice for the game's big bad.
EA's Iron Man Game Might Not Be Just an Iron Man Game
There isn't much known about EA's planned Iron Man game, but it's possible that there is far more in store than the title suggests.
EA Motive's Iron Man Already Has an Ideal Final Boss
The Mandarin Would Make for a Great Final Boss Fight
Debuting all the way back in 1964's Tales of Suspense #50, the Mandarin has appeared as a villain in countless Marvel comic runs, and while he's faced off against Shang-Chi, Nick Fury, and a slew of different Avengers, the Mandarin is first and foremost the nemesis of Tony Stark. Equipped with a genius-level intellect and an extreme proficiency in martial arts, the Mandarin is already quite the formidable foe, and that's not even mentioning the villain's most iconic weapon: the Ten Rings.
A core part of the character since his very first introduction, the Ten Rings grant the Mandarin an array of unique superhuman abilities. Worn on specific fingers, each of the Ten Rings has a distinct power, ranging from simple but powerful ice blasts and disintegration beams to more out-there abilities, such as the power to manipulate electromagnetic energy and manipulate others' minds.
As the hero's archenemy, there's no one who'd be a better fit for a final boss fight in EA Motive's Iron Man than the Mandarin, and his Ten Rings are already perfectly suited to a video game boss fight. A video game version of the Mandarin has the potential to really push the player to their limits, testing all they've learned during their adventure by challenging the player with 10 distinct phases, each one throwing a new ring ability at the player. It would be a grueling fight, but it would also be an incredibly memorable one, living up to the supervillain's lofty comic book legacy.
The Mandarin Is Still Due a Proper Iron Man Appearance
While he's appeared in various cartoon adaptations over the years, the Mandarin hasn't had the best luck in the world of cinema, with the Marvel Cinematic Universe making an infamously controversial decision with the character in Iron Man 3. Teased in all of the pre-release marketing, Ben Kingsley's Mandarin turns out to simply be an in-universe actor in Iron Man 3, and though it's teased that the real Mandarin is out there, Iron Man himself never got to fight him, with his proper debut coming in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
This would essentially be the same as if Spider-Man never got to fight the Green Goblin or Doc Ock on-screen, or if Batman never got to fight the Joker. But EA Motive finally has the chance to put the Mandarin in the mainstream spotlight alongside Iron Man, and it shouldn't let that opportunity pass it by.
Marvel is a brand associated with a wide array of popular superhero comics, movies, television shows, and merchandise. The company owns the rights to popular characters like The Avengers, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Deadpool, and many more.
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