The superhero genre doesn't dominate the video game industry like it does film and television. Aside from the bland mobile games and the occasional Batman or Spider-Man title, the gaming community has very few standout superhero games to herald as hits. With that said, there are dozens of superhero games that never got to see the light of day.
Have fans been deprived of superhero gaming gems? These games are canceled, so we'll likely never find out. While some cancellations happen with good reason, some of these unreleased projects are dripping with unrealized potential — it's too bad players will never get to experience them. Here are 10 Cancelled Superhero Video Games You'll Never Get To Play.
10 Daredevil: The Man Without Fear
Right around the development of the Ben Affleck-led 2003 Daredevil film, a promising video game was also in the works. Thankfully, development studio 5000ft Inc. did not set out to adapt the movie. Instead, the studio conceived The Man Without Fear as a third-person action game portraying key events in the history of Daredevil's publication. The Playstation 2 game would have featured beat-em-up action and stealth mechanics using Daredevil's heightened senses. It even featured an odd, Sony-mandated grinding mechanic inspired by Tony Hawk's Pro Skater.
Despite that one feature, the game looked like an authentic love-letter to Daredevil, rife with iconic moments and Marvel cameos. Sadly, due to the buggy engine and disorganized staff, the game never made it to completion.
9 Superman: Blue Steel
Factor 5, the studio behind the Star Wars: Rogue Squadron series, set out to build a Superman game back in 2007. The studio partnered with publisher Brash Entertainment and Warner Bros. to get the project off the ground. Codenamed Superman: Blue Steel, the game would have been inspired by the comics as well as the then-conceived sequel to Bryan Singer's Superman Returns. It would have featured an open-world Metropolis with destructible environments, as well as Superman's typical supporting cast of characters. Early prototype footage of the project has Superman fight against Doomsday, depicting gameplay unlike anything Factor 5 had produced before.
Unfortunately, Brash Entertainment published a string of failures during Blue Steel's development. After major financial turmoil and Warner's decision to reboot the Superman films, Brash could no longer secure funding for the project.
8 The Flash
Bottlerocket Entertainment was a small studio made up of former employees of Sony San Diego, known for PS2 gem The Mark of Kri. After developing the sequel (Rise of the Kasai) and a game based on Xiaolin Showdown, the studio teamed up with Brash Entertainment for an open-world Flash video game starring Wally West.
The open-world was vast enough for the Flash to barrel through at high speeds and would have evolved depending on the heroism of the player's actions. Trademark Flash characters like Gorilla Grodd, Mirror Master, and Captain Cold would have made appearances as well. However, like Superman: Blue Steel, this canceled Flash game was the victim of Warner Bros. and Brash Entertainment.
7 Marvel Chaos
Aside from Marvel vs. Capcom, Marvel seems to lack a dedicated fighting game — a no-brainer in today's market. However, Marvel Chaos could have been just that. Electronic Arts Chicago set out to make a spiritual successor to the oft-forgotten (perhaps better forgotten) fighting game, Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects.
This obscure canceled project never got very far, but the gameplay appears to be similar to its predecessor. The biggest difference is that Chaos would have starred Marvel characters exclusively — unlike Rise of the Imperfects, where EA introduced several original characters.
6 Project Sabbath (Arkham Knight Sequel)
Just last week, concept art from a cancelled Batman: Arkham Knight follow-up hit the web. Rumors about Rocksteady Studios have run rampant since Arkham Knight. Reports claim that the company worked on and abandoned a Suicide Squad game, others claim that they're building a Superman title. The recent leak provides evidence to suggest that the studio was planning another Batman adventure.
The leak suggests that the game would have followed Damian Wayne as the new Batman. Alongside concept renderings of classic villains like Two-Face and Poison Ivy are Gorilla Grodd, a gender-swapped Black Mask, and even an adult Dick Grayson. The plot of the game is still a mystery, and considering the game was cancelled, it'll likely stay that way.
5 Justice League: Mortal
Before 2017's mediocre Justice League film was Justice League: Mortal, the also-canceled Justice League adaptation directed by Mad Max: Fury Road director George Miller. A video game adaptation (covered at length by Unseen64) would have followed the plot of the movie, reinterpreting it as a third-person action-brawler.
After spending the early 2000s in development limbo, things didn't look promising for Mortal as a film or as a video game. When the movie production went under, developer Double Helix was tasked with another DC Comics adaptation. They incorporated their work into their next game, Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters, which went about as well as you'd imagine.
4 Gotham By Gaslight
Before the Arkham Asylum series, Batman wasn't exactly a renowned video game icon. However, there was an abandoned project that boasted a unique Batman experience. Developer Day 1 Studios, known for the MechAssault and F.E.A.R. games, planned to adapt the famous Batman one-shot Gotham by Gaslight.
Aside from some prototype footage (via IGN), not much is known about the project. Day 1 Studios built the prototype to help pitch the game to publisher THQ. After THQ declined, the project was scrapped. It likely would have followed the Elseworlds story closely, as a steampunk Batman scours Victorian era Gotham City to hunt down Jack the Ripper.
3 Marvel Universe Online
Before fans got to enjoy Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 (and before they endured the now-defunct Marvel Heroes), a huge Marvel MMO was unceremoniously scrapped way back in 2008.
Few details were ever shared about Marvel Universe Online save for a single teaser trailer, and even that didn't reveal much. It was likely an answer to DC Universe Online, a World of Warcraft-style MMO where players create their own hero in the continuity of the Marvel universe. Microsoft dropped the project (report via IGN), citing slim chances of the MMO's success in the genre's competitive environment.
2 The Dark Knight
The Dark Knight was never officially announced to the public, but instead revealed by accident in an interview with actor Gary Oldman. The game was being developed by Pandemic Studios, the developer behind the original Star Wars Battlefront series. It largely followed stealth-action gameplay precedents set by Batman Begins, but would have taken place in an open-world Gotham City. Sadly, the game's engine made for a difficult production process.
According to Unseen64, early builds of the game were so buggy that prototypes were basically unplayable. Publisher EA would drop the project soon after. The rights then reverted back to Warner Bros., who began work on the Arkham series.
1 The Avengers
While fans are getting excited for Crystal Dynamics' upcoming Avengers game, THQ had plans for one that players missed out on. Surprisingly, this was a cooperative first-person shooter. Players would take on the role of an Avenger and use their powers in coordination with other characters.
The game would have loosely adapted Secret Invasion, where the alien Skrulls infiltrate the Avengers. The project would have included a comprehensive skill system for upgrading heroes' abilities, and even unlockable Avengers like Black Widow and Hawkeye. Unfortunately, financial turmoil at THQ motivated the game's cancellation. According to Unseen64, Brian Michael Bendis owns one of the only playable prototypes and speaks highly of its dated yet obvious potential.