Characters Who Should Be Added To Marvel Rivals

Key Takeaways

• Marvel Rivals is set to launch on December 6, 2024.
• NetEase Games announced the addition of Captain America and Winter Soldier.
• Roster additions like Ms. Marvel and Deadpool would bring unique gameplay dynamics.

Marvel Rivals is right around the corner, with a release date of December 6th, 2024. The Marvel-licensed hero-shooter promises to deliver on the fun factor, allowing players to team up and brawl it out with their favorite Marvel characters. Earlier this year, NetEase Games ran a beta that was well received by players, so fans are certainly in for a treat this December.

After the successful beta, NetEase announced at Gamescom that two Marvel heroes would be added to the roster. This included Captain America and the Winter Soldier. Marvel Rivals is a game that’s all about putting together the perfect team composition, so the roster of characters in this game must be expansive to permit fans to continue enjoying it for years to come. The launch day roster is already impressive, but there are more Marvel characters that fans would love to see in Marvel Rivals.

8 Ms. Marvel

Closing Distances With Her Morphogenetics

• Powers & Abilities: Inhuman Physiology, Morphogenetics, Size Alteration, Shapeshifting, Healing
• Weaknesses: Weakness to EMPs, Overhealing weakens her elasticity
• Affiliations: The Marvels, Champions, X-Men

In hero shooters, space and distance are important factors when it comes to team fights. Objectives are won and lost depending on how players utilize the space and abilities given to them. For this reason, Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan) would be an interesting addition to the roster, as her superhuman elasticity would give her a unique edge when fighting at a distance.

Ms. Marvel’s kit makes her a perfectly adaptable Marvel hero for any style of game. She has the ability to switch up her size and appearance, which could make for some interesting ultimate abilities where she either tricks opponents into thinking she’s another hero or overpowers them by growing in size.

7 Cyclops

Ricocheting Optic Blasts

• Powers & Abilities: Optic Blast, Spatial Awareness, Energy Resistance
• Weaknesses: Losing control of his optic blasts, a genetic weakness to his brother Vulcan’s energy manipulation
• Affiliations: X-Men

Cyclops has long been a controversial member of the X-Men, but he’s also a fan favorite. His optic blasts would fit right into Marvel Rivals, being a good counter for those characters who like to get too close.

Cyclops has a high level of spatial awareness. This is something that allows him to find ways to rebound his optic blasts. This would make for a fun passive ability that forces players to pay attention to where they can bounce their blasts. Maybe Cyclops players could also notice which pieces of the environment are destructible, using them to their advantage. The potential for Cyclops’s kit in Marvel Rivals is broad.

6 Deadpool

The Fourth Wall Breaking Merc Who Can Communicate With Players

• Powers & Abilities: Self-Awareness, Advanced Healing, Regeneration, Superhuman Strength
• Weaknesses: Mental instability, irritating to allies
• Affiliations: X-Force, S.H.I.E.L.D, Heroes For Hire

With the success of Deadpool and Wolverine earlier this year, it’s clear that the mouthy merc is a fan favorite in the Marvel Universe. Deadpool has appeared in Fortnite and his own video game before, so it wouldn’t be far-fetched for him to show up in Marvel Rivals at some point.

With Deadpool’s ability to break the fourth wall, players would likely get a kick out of the character speaking to them as they command him. Perhaps he’d even critique the player’s actions. In addition, his expert-level combat abilities would make him a threat at close-range and mid-range distances. His advanced self-healing would also make for a fine passive ability.

5 Nightcrawler

The Glass Canon With Powerful Teleportation Abilities

• Powers & Abilities: Teleportation, Beacon Teleportation, Camouflage
• Weaknesses: Physical vulnerability, susceptible to disease, certain healing doesn’t work on him
• Affiliations: X-Men

Nightcrawler is a character who could offer some powerful tactical support to the teamplay in Marvel Rivals. Nightcrawler would likely be a glass cannon, being easy to eliminate by more powerful heroes. However, his ability to stick to walls and crawl vertically could help him evade some of this danger.

He would make up for his physical weakness by having the useful ability to teleport himself and teammates away from danger. His team teleportation could be reserved for his ultimate ability to keep the game balanced. Marvel Rivals also has Team-up mechanics that allow characters of the same affiliations to perform unique team moves. This would allow Nightcrawler to co-ordinate with other X-Men to set up his teleportations. With all of this combined, perhaps opponents would find Nightcrawler to be a nightmare to play against.

4 Silver Surfer

A Powerful Cosmic Entity Who Could Become A Game Changer

• Powers & Abilities: Superhuman Speed and Agility, Gravity Manipulation, Healing
• Weaknesses: Emotions, holding back (he does not fight to kill)
• Affiliations: Annihilators

Silver Surfer is a Marvel heavyweight who has the potential to be a must-pick in Marvel Rivals. His surfboard would give him good mobility, something that’s important in hero shooters. His list of abilities makes it difficult to place him in a specific role, however, because he can fit neatly into tank, damage, and support. Perhaps the damage category is the safest bet for balance reasons.

A fitting ultimate ability for Silver Surfer would be where he swoops above clumps of opponents and uses his gravity manipulation to raise them into the air, before slamming them back down. This would give teammates the perfect opportunity to follow up with their own offense.

3 Invisible Woman (Susan Storm)

The Founding Member Of Fantastic Four Who Can Utilize Invisibility

• Powers & Abilities: Invisibility, Light Manipulation, Force Fields
• Weaknesses: Concentration (force fields require intense concentration), weak to sound constructs
• Affiliations: Fantastic Four, Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D.

One of the selling points of the hero shooter genre is that it offers a wide variety of gameplay types. Unlike other arena-based shooters, hero shooters aren’t entirely focused on run-and-gun gameplay. This makes characters like Invisible Woman from Fantastic Four perfect for Marvel Rivals.

Sue Storm possesses the ability to make herself invisible to the human eye, which can provide players with the opportunity to sneak up on opponents and catch them by surprise. This would be similar to the gameplay of Sombra in Overwatch 2. Another ability NetEase could utilize is her force fields, giving her the ability to shield allies from crucial offense.

2 Doctor Doom

Doctor Doom Is A Perfect Tank

• Powers & Abilities: Magic, Technology, Mystic Blasts, Teleportation, Healing, Time Manipulation
• Weaknesses: Ego (his arrogance can be his downfall), and his magnet armor is weak against Magneto
• Affiliations: Galactic Council, Parliament of Doom

Marvel Rivals already features a list of powerful characters in the tank role, such as Thor, Hulk, Magneto, and Peni Parker. Doctor Doom would no doubt be a formidable addition to the tank/vanguard role. His armor makes him highly durable, allowing him to absorb enormous amounts of damage. His expertise with science and magic gives developers free rein to come up with a devastating kit that could consist of mystical blasts, spell casting, and summoning.

Doctor Doom is also a pivotal part of the story in Marvel Rivals, so it’s almost a given that fans will see him in the game. NetEase will likely save Doom for further into the game’s cycle.

1 Wolverine

The Mutant Savage With Animalistic Instincts

• Powers & Abilities: Aggression, Regeneration, Hot Claws, Animalistic Instincts
• Weaknesses: Sensory overload (his hyper senses can be taken advantage of), Weak against Magneto due to his adamantium skeleton
• Affiliations: X-Men, Avengers, X-Force

It’s impossible to think of the Marvel universe without thinking of Wolverine. Data miners have combed through the Marvel Rivals files and determined that Wolverine might already be on the horizon, but until NetEase makes an announcement, it’s never official. This is why gamers continue to pray that Wolverine makes it onto the roster.

With his adamantium claws, Wolverine has tremendous close-range fighting potential. His acute senses could also make him hyper aware of nearby enemy abilities that are heading for the player, similar to Spider-Man’s spidey-senses. His ultimate ability could send him into a temporary berserk rage, buffing his offense and allowing players to go to town with his claws.