Source: Aquaman via Facebook.
2018 has truly been the year of the superhero movie. Of course, you could make a reasonable case for many of the preceding years also staking a claim to that accolade, but 2018 has ratcheted up superhero cinematic fare to the next level. With February’s Black Panther predicted to make waves at the Oscars and April’s Avengers: Infinity War needing no explanation, the momentum of superhero movies is showing no signs of subsiding.
The global appeal that superhero movies hold is reflected in their prominence in the world of online slots. These online slot games are usually a fair barometer of what is popular at any given moment, with the most successful television and movie franchises often the creative influence for a variety of slots.
When many people think of slot machines, they immediately conjure images of the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas casinos. Some online slots pay homage to that legendary atmosphere, with the Heart of Vegas platform using virtual recreations of real Vegas slot machines to make the whole world an extension of the world’s live entertainment capital. While Las Vegas will forever have a fabled aura, a growing number of people are preferring to play slots with online casinos rather than their land-based counterparts.
This is because online casinos can offer a far greater range of games due to the lack of physical restrictions, with greater diversity to boot. One of the main attractions on offer in online slots is that new games can be released in the aftermath of huge blockbusters, borrowing themes and images from popular movies. This is why online superhero slots have proven so successful; they tap into something topical while delivering a new level of excitement that many physical slot machines cannot match. Moreover, online casino slot developers tend to get faster access to franchises, often creating branded content based on superheroes faster than their land-based counterparts – even in those cases where a company produces both online and offline offerings.
While most critics would consider that the Marvel Cinematic Universe is ahead of DC’s equivalent, DC has a clear edge in the world of slots. The former point may be up for some debate, but the latter is incontrovertible. This is because Playtech pulled all of their Marvel branded slots in 2017, including titles based on characters like Daredevil and Captain America.
There were even slots specifically based on Iron Man 2 and Iron Man 3, a clear representation of the close links between slots and cinema. DC has a near monopoly on the superhero slots market, with games based on The Dark Knight trilogy and other games that take inspiration from films that are part of DC’s Extended Universe.
Source: The Dark Knight Trilogy via Facebook.
The Justice League slot brings together all of the heroes from the movie to collaborate once again. As each character has their own distinct powers in the movie, each character symbol brings a unique bonus. This demonstrates how naturally superhero characters can translate to slot machines, through utilizing elements from the comic books and movies. This is already an Aquaman slot that deploys images inspired by the comic book, but expect the 2018 movie to provide the focus for a slot game sooner rather than later; slot games based on popular culture thrive when they are at their most relevant.
With both Marvel and DC in a constant state of building hype for the next cinematic release, expect 2019 to be another year of superhero stardom in both cinemas and slots.
Do you think Marvel would perhaps have scaled back the property branding of slots due to the fact that they are family friendly? Gambling is not a good look for Disneys image, imo.
It’s weird. I did this piece for a reason ( I need portfolio pieces really) but licensing of characters is a big part of Marvels money. There are a ton of Disney themed slots too.
I was on a cruise once and there was a massive, “Wonder Woman,” slot loudly playing the music from the 1970’s show. I imagine one for the newer movie would be popular too.
I don’t play slots, but if I heard that WW riff going, I may pop a coin or two into that machine.