Marvel Rivals has been around for half a year, and players are already excited to see what NetEase and Marvel are cooking up for the next batch of characters in the competitive hero-shooter. However, there are growing discussions on the game's subreddit about whether the upcoming additions should focus more on heroes rather than villains.
While this might seem like a non-issue as more characters generally mean more content, I’d personally love to see more heroes join the roster instead of villains who might not fit the game’s evolving narrative.
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+ 3The core story of Marvel Rivals revolves around two versions of Doctor Doom wreaking havoc on the spacetime continuum, creating massive rifts across timelines and introducing alternate versions of our favorite Marvel characters. That’s why their dialogue and banter can feel inconsistent from match to match. Essentially, they’re not the same characters we saw a few games ago, and that multiversal chaos is part of the charm.
But adding more villains into the mix might not fit this narrative direction. These characters are supposed to be working to stop a multiversal rift from destroying the fabric of spacetime, which involves taking down either of the two Dooms and choosing which side is better. It’s a little jarring to see heroes like Iron Man fighting side by side with someone like Thanos.
click to enlarge+ 3Of course, Marvel Rivals is a live-service game, and narrative consistency often takes a backseat when new content rolls out every month. Still, it would make more sense to introduce lesser-known heroes before diving deeper into the villain lineup.
Right now, there are already a few villains in the game, and seeing Ultron cooperating with Iron Man and Captain America is admittedly odd. I can understand how characters like Loki, Hela, Magneto, and maybe even Venom make the cut, since they’re not entirely evil and have more nuanced roles in the Marvel universe, but that’s a topic for another time.
click to enlarge+ 3As much as I’d love to eventually see villains like Knull or Galactus become playable, I think NetEase should focus on adding more heroes first. Leaks have already hinted at potential newcomers like Forge, Armor, Rogue, and maybe even Gambit in future seasons. There’s also talk about villains like The Hive joining the roster, which adds to the concern.
It’s not that I’m against villains entirely, it just feels strange to see them take priority over the good guys. Marvel Rivals isn’t lacking in hero options, especially after NetEase’s deal with Marvel to access over 80 years’ worth of characters and stories.
With the game’s current “one hero per month” release model, there’s plenty of room to spotlight both iconic and lesser-known characters. But if I had to choose, I’d prefer fewer villains and more heroes.
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