Marvel heroes head into harm's way, backed by an unlikely ally

Not every hero gets top billing, or even a real name. In a new spot for the Marvel Strike Force mobile game, a S.H.I.E.L.D. medic seizes his moment in the spotlight, only to get tripped up by his lack of plot armor.

Many war-themed game franchises are self-serious affairs--all monologue and machismo, backed by heavy metal or an incongruous ballad. But Marvel takes the wind out of Medic's brooding with the help of a little schadenfreude from the more famous Drax. It's the same kind of lightheartedness that infuses the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It isn't afraid to make fun of itself, unlike the grim (and inferior) films DC offers.

Aside from a few seconds of gameplay at the end, the footage is original CGI. Agency barrettSF was behind the effort, produced out of visual effects studio The Mill. The company took characters designed by game developer FoxNext and animated them using live actors in motion-capture suits. A stuntman even took a tumble to make the action as realistic as possible. Six to 60-second cuts began running a few days ago and hit broadcast and cable this week.