Kevin Edwards, a former developer at Genepool Software, has recently unveiled captivating images of a previously undisclosed Iron Man game, titled "The Invincible Iron Man," which was set to launch in 2003. Edwards shared these insights and visuals on Twitter (now known as X), offering fans a glimpse into a project that never saw the light of day.
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Development Started After X-Men 2: Wolverine's Revenge
Kevin Edwards worked on "The Invincible Iron Man" shortly after the release of Genepool Software's previous superhero title, X-Men 2: Wolverine's Revenge. His Twitter posts showcased the game's title card, the studio's logo, and several in-game screenshots, providing a rare look at what could have been. Edwards also shared gameplay footage from the original Xbox, capturing the game's startup screen and a snippet of its tutorial set in a rocky desert environment.
"The Invincible Iron Man" Was Canned by Activision
Despite the excitement and support from fans following Edwards' reveal, "The Invincible Iron Man" was abruptly canceled by Activision only months into its development. This decision led to the closure of Genepool Software, leaving Edwards and his team jobless. While Activision did not publicly disclose the reasons for the cancellation, Edwards speculated on possible causes in response to comments on his post.
"We never got to hear the exact reason(s) why they canned it," Edwards stated. "The film being delayed was a big one, or perhaps they didn't think the game was good enough and therefore didn't want to fund it further. Or perhaps some other dev was lined up to get it instead."
Commenters were quick to notice the unique design of Tony Stark's character, which differed significantly from the modern Iron Man popularized by Robert Downey Jr. in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). The game's design, which predated the MCU's Iron Man by nearly five years, closely mirrored the "Ultimate Marvel" comic book run of the early 2000s, as noted by several fans.
Regarding the choice of design, Edwards admitted, "No idea I'm afraid. That was the [designer's] choice." He also promised to share more gameplay footage in future posts, although, at the time of this writing, those additional videos have yet to be released.