Marvel Rivals‘ highly anticipated release is less than a week away. A collaboration between NetEase Games and Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Rivals is a free-to-play third-person hero shooter. The game will feature 33 unique, playable heroes and villains from across the Marvel multiverse at launch. While Marvel Rivals had held off on revealing the entirety of this roster, the game’s latest trailer showcased the remaining five characters that fans will be able to play as.
The latest batch of characters confirmed to be coming to Marvel Rivals includes Wolverine, Black Widow, Squirrel Girl, Iron Fist, and Cloak and Dagger — the two of which will function as a single playable character. The addition of Wolverine checked a huge item off fans’ wish lists. The scruffy, adamantium-infused mutant has been one of Marvel’s most popular characters since his introduction in 1974. This year especially has proven Wolverine’s staying power thanks to the popularity of both X-Men ’97 and Deadpool & Wolverine. While Marvel Rivals has finally revealed all 33 of its characters, Wolverine’s presence on the roster is the perfect setup for another beloved mutant to join in on the action.
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An X-Force Reunion in Marvel Rivals
Wolverine might be the most well-known mutant on Marvel Rivals‘ lineup, but there are several other characters from the X-Men side of the Marvel universe that fans will be able to play as. Magneto, Storm, Psylocke, and Magik are all confirmed to be available at launch. Considering how little the mutants were able to interact with other Marvel characters in non-comic media during the Fox X-Men days, fans are excited to see these characters in Marvel Rivals. That said, the presence of lesser-known mutants like Psylocke and Magik has made Deadpool’s absence all the more noticeable.
The Power of Deadpool’s Popularity
While Wolverine is an all-time fan favorite for Marvel, Deadpool has proven to be this year’s MVP. Despite the widespread superhero fatigue among audience members, Deadpool & Wolverine still brought in $1.3 billion during its worldwide theatrical run, making it the second highest-grossing movie of the year. Thanks to his appearances in popular films, comics, video games, and even Disneyland, Deadpool has become one of the most notable Marvel characters of the 21st century. Adding Deadpool to Marvel Rivals seems like an obvious move, as it would allow the game to capitalize on the character’s continued success.
How Deadpool Could Fit Into Marvel Rivals’ Roster
Besides his name recognition, Deadpool is a character that would slot perfectly into Marvel Rivals from both a gameplay and tonal perspective. The game’s tone already doesn’t seem to be taking itself too seriously thanks to its zany art style and the inclusion of characters like Jeff the Land Shark and Galacta. Considering the number of one-liners thrown out by characters like Spider-Man and Iron Man during matches, the merc with a mouth is already primed for some fun in-game dialogue.
On the topic of dialogue, Marvel Rivals could allow for some entertaining interactions between Deadpool and other members of the roster. X-Men fans already know just how crazy Deadpool can drive his fellow mutants. Deadpool constantly annoying Wolverine throughout a match would be a fun way to depict their dynamic, and Marvel Rivals could even have it impact gameplay. Plenty of established duos like Rocket Raccoon and Groot or Spider-Man and Venom have team-up moves that they can perform together while fighting the enemy team.
Though Marvel Rivals has yet to announce any of the characters that will be added to the game post-launch, Deadpool seems like a likely choice. It would be shocking if Marvel Entertainment benched the lead from the MCU’s most profitable phase 5 project, and the confirmation of one-half of Deadpool & Wolverine‘s titular duo in Marvel Rivals presents the perfect opportunity for Deadpool to join the game. More news about Marvel Rivals‘ future is sure to follow the game’s release on December 6 of this year, and fans will have to wait and see if Deadpool rears his head after launch.
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