The 5 most interesting things we just learned about the huge new 'Avengers' game arriving in 2020

In one section of the gameplay I watched, the player just controlled Thor and his massive hammer. In another section, the player controlled Iron Man, and yet another as The Hulk.

Each of these transitions were handled by the game — scripted jumps from one character to another.

Though you'll be able to play a lot of "Marvel's Avengers" as whichever superhero you choose, there are sections where the game forces you to play as one or another.

"Sometimes certain Avengers are the focal point, and that's important because if you're going to tell a story about Hulk, Hulk needs to be there, right? But at other times it's just The Avengers dealing with something, so then you pick what hero you want to play," Therien said.

"Post-launch, we're gonna have regular content so people can continue to enjoy the story for years to come as it evolves," lead producer Rose Hunt said in our interview. "More Avengers! We have over 80 years of Avengers to pull from."

Though "Marvel's Avengers" can be played through entirely as a single-player, offline experience, it's also being built for co-operative online play.

"We want to keep people engaged over years," Hunt said. "So we are going to be releasing on a regular basis new regions, and new characters, and there'll be chances to customize your costumes. Lots of customization."

To that end, just five superheroes have been announced thus far — The Hulk, Black Widow, Iron Man, Captain America, and Thor — and a handful of other Marvel characters showed up in the recent trailer: Ant-Man, Abomination, and Taskmaster.

"We wanted to do something unique," Therien said in an interview on Tuesday.

Given the vast popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which revolves around the core plot of the Avengers films, it may seem surprising that the Avengers game features an entirely new cast that look and sound nothing like the movie versions. It certainly surprised a large group of fans.

But the game's developers say it was a choice made long ago with an intent behind it.

"We wanted our own heroes, our own actors, so we could tell our own stories with no expectations," Therien said. "We totally understand that people are in love with the characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. We are too! They're awesome! They're great! But their chapter has come to an end, and now we're gonna have something new that comes after."

The game isn't intended as a tie-in or cross-branding opportunity either, as so many licensed superhero games have been in the past.

After years in development, the first-ever Avengers game is scheduled to arrive on May 15, 2020.

For now, "Marvel's Avengers" is only announced for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Google Stadia, and PC — but given its proximity to the expected arrival of new game consoles in holiday 2020, it would be totally unsurprising to see it also show up on the next Xbox and PlayStation consoles.