You'd think developing a Marvel game would be easy. It's a huge, established IP. All you have to do is create a good game using its characters and lore, and bam, you have an instant big seller. But this isn't the case. The reality is there's an unimaginable amount of expectations and a large fandom ready to eat you alive if you don't live up to said expectations. Further, it's hard to be original and create something unique with such defined and iconic characters. That said, developer Crystal Dynamics is taking a stab at it with Marvel's Avengers, an upcoming live-service co-op game meets single-player action title that's coming to PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia next May.

For those that don't know anything about Crystal Dynamics, it's the developer best-known for the Tomb Raider reboot. In other words, it knows a thing or two about taking a beloved IP and doing something new with it.

"We stake our reputation on it," said Studio Head Scot Amos while talking about the game with the PlayStation Blog. “Just like we approached Lara Croft back in 2013, we want to show the world how we do things in a new and original way.”

Of course, when the Tomb Raider reboot arrived on the scene, it was instantly compared and held up to Uncharted. And by most accounts, it never hit the same highs the Naughty Dog series did. Now, when it releases Marvel's Avengers, it will inevitably be held up against Marvel's Spider-Man, which released last year to massive sales and critical-acclaim. Interestingly, it's another Sony-owned studio Crystal Dynamics finds itself seemingly competing with. Hopefully this time it can come out on top.

Marvel's Avengers is in development for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia. Barring any delay, it will release worldwide next year on May 15. For more news, media, and information on the game, click here.

"Marvel’s Avengers begins at A-Day, where Captain America, Iron Man, the Hulk, Black Widow, and Thor are unveiling a hi-tech Avengers Headquarters in San Francisco — including the reveal of their own helicarrier powered by an experimental energy source," reads an official pitch of the game. "The celebration turns deadly when a catastrophic accident results in massive devastation. Blamed for the tragedy, the Avengers disband. Five years later, with all Super Heroes outlawed and the world in peril, the only hope is to reassemble Earth’s Mightiest Heroes."