Marvel Rivals is already home to an incredibly strong hero shooter roster, containing 23 heroes and villains from across all corners of the Marvel universe. From X-Men to Avengers to the Guardians of the Galaxy to more obscure faces like Jeff the Land Shark, Marvel Rivals‘ roster is packed with unique and iconic fighters. And things are only getting started.
Marvel Rivals is set to launch fully on December 6, bringing with it Captain America and the Winter Soldier. Developer NetEase has already confirmed that all heroes will be unlocked on launch and that all post-launch heroes will be free for all players, which is a huge win for hero shooter fans. But when it comes to choosing which heroes and villains should come next, Marvel Rivals might want to borrow a trick from 2022’s Marvel Snap.
Marvel Rivals’ Post-Launch Heroes Should Coincide With The MCU
Since its launch in October 2022, Marvel Snap has continued to release content at a consistent rate. Every month, Marvel Snap begins a new season, bringing with it new cards, new card variants, and other tweaks often themed around a specific Marvel Comics event. More often than not, Marvel Snap tries to tie its seasonal content into whatever big project the MCU is releasing around the same time.
The most recent example of this was July’s “Maximum Effort” season, which tied in directly with the MCU’s Deadpool and Wolverine. Theming a season after a coinciding MCU release is a great way to cross-promote and capitalize on the success of both entities, with Marvel Snap players being encouraged to check out the MCU project, and fans of the MCU project being tempted to drop some cash on Marvel Snap‘s themed season pass.
Marvel Rivals could benefit from a similar approach. While it wouldn’t need to theme an entire season around whatever MCU project is releasing at the time, it would be fun to see a new hero or two from the MCU project head to Marvel Rivals. For instance, if/when the MCU’s Blade finally releases, it would be great to see the Daywalker head to Marvel Rivals at the same time, capitalizing on its sudden popularity.
Marvel Rivals Might Already Have The Perfect Post-Launch Approach Locked In
While Marvel Rivals‘ post-launch roadmap hasn’t been officially confirmed yet, there have been a wealth of leaks regarding the upcoming roster. It’s been heavily rumored that The Fantastic Four (The Invisible Woman, Mr. Fantastic, The Thing, and the Human Torch) will be heading to Marvel Rivals after launch. There’s already a perfect opportunity for NetEase to follow in Marvel Snap‘s footsteps and release The Fantastic Four alongside the upcoming MCU movie, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, which is set to release in July of next year.
Marvel Rivals can then continue adding heroes and villains to coincide with big MCU releases, such as Doctor Doom to coincide with Avengers: Doomsday in May 2026, and maybe some alternate variants of popular heroes to tie in with Avengers: Secret Wars in the distant year 2027. In between major MCU projects, Marvel Rivals can feel free to add any Marvel heroes or villains it likes from any corner of the comic universe.
