Bolstered by the success of The Avengers in theaters, Marvel is now looking to take over your gaming time as well. A number of announcements about their new game, Marvel Heroes, was released today. Their timing is not arbitrary. Not only have they been successful with The Avengers, they are clicking with Diablo by announcing that the MMO will be an action RPG in the vein of Diablo. In fact the president of the game developer, Gazillion Entertainment, is David Brevik is the creator of Diablo.

A Diablo style action RPG with Marvel Heroes could be the ticket for Marvel to earn a spot in gamers hearts. The free-to-play model will not hurt in getting people to at least try the game. In the press release it indicates that you can “buy items from legendary Marvel characters, which is presumably the way the developer will make money from the game.

There are no details at the moment on platforms or release dates but it wouldn’t be surprising if we learned more about the game at E3.

The trailer and press release follow.

Thwart the Marvel Super Villains in this New Free-to-Play Marvel Action MMO

SAN MATEO, Calif. – May 22, 2012 –Gazillion Entertainment, a leading developer, publisher and operator of massively multiplayer online (MMO) games, has revealed the first glimpse of the eagerly anticipated free-to-play online game Marvel Heroes. Taking the MMO category to a completely new level of excitement and engagement, Marvel Heroes combines the energy of action role-playing games with the breadth and immersion of the MMO genre.

Drawing upon the 8,000-plus heroes and villains in the Marvel Universe, Marvel Heroes allows players to become their favorite Marvel Super Heroes – from the popular Iron Man, Thor, Storm and Black Widow to the lesser known Squirrel Girl and Cable. Fans will be able to completely customize their characters by constructing costumes taken from each hero’s rich history, choosing from a huge array of super powers for each character, and finding thousands of other items. There are countless ways for players to tailor their experience.

In the game’s social areas, including Midtown Manhattan and the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, players can meet up with other players, discover missions, and buy items from legendary Marvel characters. While pursuing missions, players will explore such famous Marvel landscapes as the Savage Land, Hell’s Kitchen and Mutant Town.

Written by Brian Michael Bendis, author of Ultimate Spider-Man, New Avengers, Secret Invasion and countless other successes, Marvel Heroes is inspired by some of the most popular tales and events in Marvel Comics history.

David Brevik, President of Gazillion Entertainment and creator of the massive hit games Diablo and Diablo II says: “I’ve been a big Marvel fan for all of my life. Marvel Heroes represents the combination of Marvel IP with all of the knowledge and experience I gained creating Diablo. It is a dream come true. I’m excited to unveil Marvel Heroes and share this revolutionary MMO with both gamers and Marvel fans.”

“Marvel Heroes marks a new era in gaming for us,” stated TQ Jefferson, Vice President of Games at Marvel. “For fans to actually become their favorite heroes in an original storyline, explore iconic Marvel landscapes and combat some of the most dangerous villains in a shared experience is unbelievably compelling.”