The newMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydrais releasing soon, and with it comes an interesting constraint. While some Marvel games can call up the near-limitless roster of characters, Captain America’s original time period leaves only a few to choose from. Skydance Interactive, the developer, will need to pick villains that were around during that time.
Having the game set in the year 1943 makes it a lot easier for players to assume what’s coming.Marvel Rivalscan justgrab 10 villains from any year, which makes figuring out what villains are coming inMarvel 1943harder to guess. Players canlook deep in Marvel’s library to find supervillainsthat can give Captain America and Black Panther a run for their money.
Namor, An Original Marvel Antagonist
Not Really A Villain, But Could Be An Antagonist
Namor the Sub-Mariner is a character in Marvel Comics who has been around since 1939, making him a strong candidate forMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydra. He often appears in stories set during World War 2 and is usually an ally of Captain America. So he’d fit well in this setting. AlthoughNamor is mostly a hero, he sometimes has conflicts with Black Panther, which adds an interesting possible twist.
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra Gets Unexpected Release Window Update Thanks To Its Black Panther, Khary Payton
Black Panther’s voice actor Khary Payton has potentially narrowed down the release window for Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra in a recent interview.
InMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, T’Challa’s grandfather Azzuri, takes on the Black Panther role. This opens up the connection between Namor and Black Panther. Namor’s powers as an aquatic hero would also bring unique gameplay elements, likeunderwater combat or tactics that leverage his oceanic environment. Namor is one of the original characters from Marvel, and I think he’d be a good homage to where it all started.
Crimson Dynamo, With Anton Vanko Inside
Vanko Pilot This One, So It Would Make A Lot of Sense
The possible inclusion of Crimson Dynamo (piloted by Anton Vanko) inMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydraseems likely, especially with Howard Stark confirmed to be in the game.Since it’s set in 1940s Europe, whenboth Stark and Vanko were alive,the game has a great opportunity to explore their story. There’s a known rivalry between the Stark family and Crimson Dynamo due to accusations of stolen technology, which could provide an interesting subplot.
While we don’t know exactly when they first interacted, the game could show their early encounters, possibly featuring Vanko working on the first power armor, which wouldadd historical nods to Iron Man’s Legacy.Since the game focuses on Hydra and its rise to power, Vanko could also be an interesting villain. As a scientist looking for resources for his armor, he might get involved with Hydra’s plans, leading to potential alliances or conflicts.
Sabretooth, Brother of Wolverine
He’d Be A Fun Cameo To See
Sabretooth is a fierce mutant known for being the brother of Wolverine. He’s a great fit forMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydra. Although he was not a big enemy of Wolverine by this time,he was definitely in World War 2. It is not clarified which side he fought for, but his history of violence and mercenary work fits well with being on the bad side. This means the developers could include him without having to change much about his background.
I don’t think he’d be a Nazi, but I do think he’d be a mercenary. With Hydra having money and power, the group could hire Sabretooth to work for them. Red Skull often recruits powerful people, so it works out with the lore. I mostly want Sabretooth because then it means that Wolverine could make a cameo.
White Gorilla Cult (Man Ape) To Fight Black Panther
The Cult Was There In WW2
White Gorilla Cult’s Man Ape is a strong villain from the Black Panther comics and would be an easy addition toMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydra.He even appears in theFlags of Our Fatherscomicstoryline that the game is based on. Black Panther’s grandfather, Azzuri, and the White Gorialla Cult (including Man-Ape) are known to be rivals. This rivalry sets up a good story opportunity for him to be part ofMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydra. A fun fact is that this is a role that M’Baku would take on in the comics and there was some speculation that he will do so in the MCU as well.
While this isn’t the T’Challa featured asBlack Panther inMarvel Rivals, the combat should be similar.
Since the Man Ape’s goal is to defeat Black Panther, it matches the game’s storyline and could lead to an interesting conflict. Man-ape’s strength and speed would make him a tough opponent for both Black Panther and Captain America. I imagine he will likely be a bigger villain than most on this list because he is sowell known for being an enemy of Black Panther. It’d also be cool to have enemies that aren’t directly related to Captain America’s lore.
Doctor Faustus The Artful Manipulator
I Can See A Hypo Mission Happening With Him
Doctor Faustus is a lesser-known member of Hydra who would be a greatcharacter forMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydra. While he isn’t as famous as characters like the Red Skull or Baron Zemo, he could play an important role in this rendition of theFlags of our Fatherscomic storyline. I’m trying not to ruin any of the story, but Wakanda and Hydra are fighting over vibranium. Faustus, being an important figure in Hydra at the time, would likely be a great strategist in the game.
He wasn’t revealed to be working for Hydra for a while, and isn’t seen as a villain until after, but he could very well have joined earlier in this timeline.
Not only is he a genius strategist, but he often works alongside Red Skull, so it’s not hard to imagine he’ll be added in. Faustus isn’t as well known as other villains, so he’d be a smart addition, just because the developers likelywant to add characters that don’t have so much lore. This would make it easier to create a narrative around them.
Warrior Woman The Female Super Soldier
Who Better To Fight & Beat Down Cap?
It’s likely that Warrior Woman will be included inMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydrabecause of her important role in the comic storyline forFlags of Our Fathers. Warrior Womanworked closely with Red Skull during this time, giving her a strong connection to his plans. She’s a natural villain for the heroes to face, and if she’s not in, it will likely make comic fans angry.
I’d say she’s a likely candidate as one of the main leaders under Red Skull. I don’t doubt she will be fighting Captain America and Black Panther a lot, becauseshe’s also got super strengthand would be a real tough enemy to take out. Since she can take a lot of hits from the heroes, I imagine an early fight against her could be a good tutorial before she escapes and comes back later and much stronger.
Wolfgang von Strucker Has To Be There
This Is One of Nick Fury’s Nemeses
Wolfgang von Strucker is one of the obvious entries here, and is likelyone of the reasons Hydra would have so much powerinMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydra. Strucker is an important leader within Hydra, and his presence would fit well with the story, which focuses on this organization gaining power during that period. If the game is about the “rise of Hydra,” then Strucker fits this description perfectly.
Strucker was active with Hydra during World War 2, and would be believable as a main villain if it weren’t for Red Skull.Strucker’s skills as a strategist and leader wouldmake him a believable threat, as he could plan operations to counter the heroes' efforts. I imagine he could be the face of Hydra, and then, in the middle of the game, Red Skull could be introduced.
Arnim Zola (Who Becomes MODOK)
So Dedicated To The Cause He Becomes A Computer
It’s likely that Arnim Zola will be inMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydrabecause he was a top member of Hydra during World War 2. Most people would remember this character inCaptain America: The Winter Soldier. He’s thecomputer that Steve Rodgers has to speak toin the climax of the movie. InMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydra, he would appear in his human form instead of his later, more advanced computerized forms.
Zola is the green face on the computer who tells Rodgers he’s the one with crucial information on The Winter Soldier (AKA Bucky). He also appears in the first movie, but he seems a lot cooler in the second.
As Hydra’s chief scientist, Zola is a key part of the story of the organization’s rise to power. I don’t think he’d be a good boss because he’s not a strong fighter; he was technicallyknown as Red Skull’s scientific advisor, so I’d be disappointed to see him appear as anything other than a genius.
Baron Zemo Will Likely Be The Second To Last Boss
He’s Always Been A Good Right Hand Man
It wouldn’t feel right if Baron Zemo wasn’t inMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydrabecause of his deep connections to Hydra in World War 2. Most people know aboutZemo as a Hydra operative today, but the original Heinrich Zemo was from the 1940s. He is one of the first rivals of Captain America, and I would question the developers if they didn’t have him.
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra: Everything We Know So Far
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra is a highly anticipated game coming in 2025.
He doesn’t even have to be a major villain, but at least make him a minor one. Warrior Woman has more ties to Red Skull than Zemo does, soit would make more sense to have Warrior Woman as a major antagonistand Zemo as a minor one. It is one of those homages that needs to be inMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydrabecause of the established history in the comics.
Obviously, Red Skull Will Be There
Captain America’s Main Rival
Red Skull is probably the most likely villain on this list to end up inMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydra. There’s no other Captain America villain that plays as big of a role in Marvel Comics. As the founder and leader of Hydra, he willlikely be the main antagonist in the game. The focus on Hydra’s rise during this time makes him a natural villain to feature. I think a real surprise would be if he wasn’t in the game.
Red Skull is in theFlags of Our Fatherscomic storyline, so he’s almost guaranteed to be inMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydra.
I don’t want to spoil anything, but Red Skull is in theFlags of Our Fatherscomic storyline, so he’s almost guaranteed to be inMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydra. In the comic, he tries to get vibranium from Wakanda for his war plans, so this won’t be a big surprise. However, the developers ofMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydracould surprise everyone and not include him. We’ll have to wait and see.
