Today, a rumor began to spread that Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra was about to be canceled. But according to a source on the project, developers are being reassured that it is not, in fact, canceled, despite ongoing struggles.
The news of a cancelation announcement was first spread by fan account Marvel 1943 Rise Of Hydra Countdown, and was quickly picked up in fan circles. However, before it could be confirmed or elaborated upon, executive producer Lu Gigliotti posted a message in the Skydance Slack (viewed by Kotaku) stating that he had spoken “directly” with the “executive leadership team (Dan [Prigg], Shawn [Kittelson], Andrea [Benavides], etc.) [all Skydance employees]” and that the game was not canceled. “They asked me to make sure you all hear that directly. There is no truth to these claims.” Developers were told not to let the rumor distract them, and that the studio was “monitoring the situation” and would address it “through the appropriate channels.”
Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra was begun as Amy Hennig’s project within the newly established Skydance New Media in 2019. It was teased in 2022 and fully revealed in 2024, with plans to release in holiday of 2025. The game would have been an action-adventure starring Captain America, Black Panther, Gabriel Jones, and Nanali as they take down the budding terrorist organization Hydra.
According to the Slack post, the game is approaching an “Alpha” milestone later this month, though Kotaku understands it has run into significant, repeated trouble throughout its development. Marvel 1943 was first delayed to “beyond early 2026” and then further delayed into 2027 and beyond. The original pitch for Marvel 1943 was as a Netflix game, but it transitioned to a console and PC game during development. As a result, its current rendition is light on gameplay, primarily using only one button and lacking significant interaction. It is also well over budget, and has been significantly cut back from its original vision both in terms of length and content. Kotaku’s source says the project is now “close to done.”
Just two days ago, at least 30 people at Paramount Games were laid off in the wake of the merger between Paramount and Warner Bros., Those impacted included many from Skydance, though the exact number remains unclear, and it does not appear to have had significant impact on the Marvel 1943 team.
Kotaku has reached out to both Skydance and Marvel for comment.
