Marvel Rivals Season Theme Wish List

Marvel Rivals’ Season 1 has incorporated both unique storylines and character beats specifically from NetEase alongside Marvel Comics canon. An incredible way to introduce the Fantastic Four, Marvel Rivals Season 1 has been immensely successful so far. With Season 2 speculated to be based on Krakoa and the Hellfire Gala, it’s clear that NetEase’s approach to Season 1 will continue into Season 2, if true, with the introduction of various X-Men.

Based on Season 1’s release strategy and theming, creating a wishlist for future Marvel Rivals seasons is easy. However, there are a few caveats to consider. First, NetEase has confirmed that it wants to release multiple heroes over the course of each season. Therefore, these seasons not only have to be thematically unique, but introduce new heroes to Marvel Rivals. Considering previous seasons and Marvel Rivals’ established lore is also important, as certain character designs or iconic Marvel Comics storylines could clash with what NetEase has already set in place.

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Group-Themed Seasons for Marvel Rivals

Sinister Six

With three spider characters already on Marvel Rivals’ roster, it’s clear that adding more characters from the Spiderverse could flesh out the game’s lore further. However, rather than adding more spider-people, a season themed entirely to the Sinister Six could feed into spider-mania while making Marvel Rivals’ roster still feel diverse and more villainous. Season 1 added the Central Park map, setting a precedent for New York-themed maps in the game. A map of Queens or another New York location featuring the Daily Bugle could be the two new maps added in the season.

As for characters, the core Sinister Six should be top priority. Season 1 has added four characters as of writing, with Blade established in Marvel Rivals lore and his speculated addition ranging from the end of Season 1 to the beginning of Season 2. At the very least, NetEase has established that four characters can be added in the span of essentially two months. If NetEase expanded this hypothetical Sinister Six season’s length, all six villains would be able to join the game easily. The original edition of the Sinister Six did not include Green Goblin, but considering how iconic of a villain he is, he should definitely be included in this hypothetical season.

X-Force and Other Supergroups

Going by superhero, or anti-hero, group also makes sense for season theming. Both Iron Fist and Punisher are present in Marvel Rivals, though the game’s version of Iron Fist is Lin Lie rather than Danny Rand. This is the perfect setup for a Defenders reunion, with Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, and especially Daredevil, all primed to join Marvel Rivals. Other groups, like the Inhumans and the Eternals, could see a new life if they got their own season, though NetEase would have to be selective with its choices from these supergroups.

But X-Force might be the superteam Marvel Rivals currently needs, both in terms of players’ wishes and narratively. Deadpool is one of the most highly anticipated characters for the shooter, with datamines already leaking the merc with a mouth. As an X-Man, one would expect a character like Colossus to possibly join the game in the rumored Krakoa season, but considering that both Cyclops and Phoenix are rumored to hit Rivals during the hypothetical Season 2, a full X-Force addition would make sense after this narrative beat. Not only would Colossus get to reunite with his sister Magik in Rivals, but Cable would reunite with possibly alternate-reality versions of his parents. This could tie loose ends introduced by the alleged Krakoa season in Gallery cards and other lore while also adding in fan-favorite Deadpool.

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Comic-Based Seasons for Marvel Rivals

Secret Invasion

Though the Disney+ miniseries of the same name was not popular, Secret Invasion was an incredibly impactful event in Marvel Comics canon. The line-wide event focuses on the Skrull Empire and their infiltration of Earth. The Skrull and the Kree have long been at war, an important piece of lore for characters like Captain Marvel. A Secret Invasion-themed season would establish the Skrull vs. Kree dynamic in Rivals while also being the perfect excuse for characters like Captain Marvel and Sentry to join.

Children’s Crusade and Beyond

Young characters from Marvel Comics canon could also get their time to shine in Marvel Rivals. While the Children’s Crusade storyline hinges heavily on the House of M storyline, which would be difficult to implement narratively in-game, the story’s involvement with Doctor Doom makes it a great avenue to add the Young Avengers. A Children’s Crusade season would have to be further down the line, with dynamics like the Skrull vs. the Kree, Scarlet Witch’s relationship with Doctor Doom, Kang, and parts of House of M established.

House of M has already been referenced in Marvel Rivals, through Magneto’s “King Magnus” costume. House of M led to Scarlet Witch “wishing away” the powers of almost all the world’s mutants. She then disappeared, though the Young Avengers discovered her years later living with Doctor Doom in Latveria. Rivals obviously can’t take away the powers of its character roster, meaning they would have to retcon this with multiverse magic somehow. Nevertheless, Children’s Crusade is the most likely comic storyline for NetEase to use in order to bring in the Young Avengers.

After the addition of the Young Avengers, the floodgates would open for superteams like the New Champions or the Runaways to join. The Runaways notably crossed over with the Young Avengers both in the Civil War and Secret Invasion storylines. Civil War would be another difficult storyline to implement, but going the Secret Invasion route for a season would help. Nico Minoru is a highly anticipated character for some players, so a Runaways season is likely in the cards.

Other Characters and Supergroups

There are plenty of other standalone characters that could benefit from their own seasons. A “Sinister Six Part 2” season could add in more Spiderman villains, or even Black Cat and Mary Jane as Jackpot. The Agents of Atlas will likely see an expansion considering Luna Snow and Iron Fist’s voice lines about the super team, with characters like Silk and Shang-Chi at the top of the list. At the end of the day, the possibilities for Marvel Rivals seasons are endless, but these are just a few inspirations NetEase should investigate for the shooter going forward.

Game

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Third-Person Shooter

Action

Multiplayer

Released

December 6, 2024

ESRB

T For Teen // Violence

Developer(s)

NetEase Games

Publisher(s)

NetEase Games