An influential former Marvel executive joins Epic Games as Chief Creative Officer
Epic Games, the creators of the popular online game Fortnite, have recently appointed Charlie Wen as its new Chief Creative Officer (CCO). Wen, who has a strong background in the entertainment industry, is a pioneer of IP creation in film and games and has been involved in some of the entertainment industry’s largest franchises. He was formerly the director of visual development for PlayStation’s Santa Monica Studio, co-founder and head of visual development for Marvel Studios, and a director at Riot Games.
Wen is most known for co-founding and heading Marvel’s Visual Development department, where he was responsible for the look and feel of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and for creating God of War’s iconic protagonist, Kratos.
Excited to share that I embarked on a new adventure as Chief Creative Officer (CCO) of Epic Games.
Deeply grateful to everyone who has come alongside me thus far. The journey ahead promises to be truly epic! #EpicGames #fortnite #ue5 #mcu #godofwar #metaverse #videogames pic.twitter.com/nND73BGekB
— Charlie Wen (@imcharliewen) September 11, 2023
According to his LinkedIn profile, Wen’s creative leadership in story, character, and world creation has culminated in global smash hits such as Marvel’s The Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, League of Legends, and God of War. He is also credited with designing Kratos.
In a PlayStation Blog post published in 2019, Wen revealed that he had sketched out 90% of Kratos’s finished design during a lunchtime design meeting on restaurant napkins. Donald Mustard, who previously held the position of Chief Creative Officer at Epic Games, will be leaving the company this month after almost 25 years with the company.
