Marvel Rivals: 6 Pairs of Characters That Need to Make an Appearance

Joe Meola ‘25 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer

On March 27, Marvel Entertainment and NetEase Games announced Marvel Rivals, a 6v6 third-person shooter similar to the likes of Overwatch. Along with that, a starting roster of eighteen playable characters from the Marvel Universe has been leaked, featuring a healthy variety of A-list names and lesser-known characters from all corners of the Marvel Universe. Hot on the heels of this news, fans are already speculating which of their favorite characters may be joining the game next. An important detail to note is that this game will feature special team-up moves, allowing pairs of characters to combine forces to unleash a unique attack on opponents. There are plenty of characters in the Marvel Universe whose unique talents would play off of each other perfectly in this kind of game, so let’s take a look at six duos that would be a perfect fit for Marvel Rivals.

Captain America and Thor

Two of Marvel’s biggest stars in modern times are shockingly absent from the starting roster of Marvel Rivals, but it’s only a matter of time before they make it in. Captain America’s gameplay could combine top-tier defensive maneuvers with swift mid-range projectile attacks, both via his trusty shield, while Thor would be an absolute powerhouse with his hammer. If these two were to pull off some sort of team-up move, it would be a no-brainer for it to be Cap deflecting a beam of lightning from Thor’s hammer off of his shield towards his opponents, and a similar tactic could easily be achieved with characters like Storm and Iron Man.

Green Goblin and Doctor Octopus

This game is severely lacking in villains. Out of the eighteen characters thus far, only three are villains, and all three of them more or less operate as anti-heroes or sometimes even straight up heroes nowadays, so why not put some more bad blood into the roster? These two are among Spider-Man’s greatest foes, as well as some of the greatest villains in the Marvel Universe (let’s give Thanos a rest, people!). Both of these characters could have incredible mobility on the battlefield, with the Goblin flying around on his glider and Doc Ock using his four mechanical tentacles to maneuver. These unique modes of transportation could come into play during team-up moves, both with one another and with other characters. Green Goblin’s team up moves could involve him lending use of his glider to teammates, allowing them a new sense of mobility and opportunities for new aerial attacks. Doc Ock could possibly combine the range and mobility of his tentacles with attributes from teammates’ skill sets to unleash devastating new attacks.

Spider-Man (Miles Morales) and Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan)

It wouldn’t make any sense not to include two of Marvel’s biggest legacy heroes in this game. Miles Morales is the star of two animated feature films, two videogames, an animated short film, and of course his own ongoing comic book series, while Kamala Khan has her own television series, recently made her big screen debut, and has been making big waves in the pages of comic books with the recent revelation that she is a mutant. These two young heroes frequently team up with one another, having served together as members of both the Avengers and the Champions. While Miles shares the mantle of Spider-Man with Peter Parker, he has several abilities that can set him apart from his predecessor gameplay-wise. He has the ability to turn invisible, which could allow him to get the drop on opponents. He also has the ability to emit bioelectric “Venom Blasts” to injure or stun foes, and he’s recently gained the ability to generate a sword out of this bioelectricity. Kamala has the ability to stretch her limbs and increase her body mass, a skill that sets her apart from the rest of the game’s cast and would allow for some incredible team-up moves. For example, she could very easily stretch her arms to create vantage points for either of the Spider-Men to swing from, or even launch teammates across long distances.

Cyclops and Bishop

The base roster already has three X-Men characters, so why not add two more? Cyclops is a founding member of the X-Men, while Bishop is a mutant time traveler that has gained popularity due to his appearance in X-Men: The Animated Series and X-Men ‘97. Cyclops’ gameplay would of course focus on his use of optic blasts, concussive beams of energy fired from his eyes. This could allow not only for a variety of ranged attacks, but also a unique sense of mobility, as he can use these blasts to move his body in evasive maneuvers and even in air combat. Bishop’s gameplay would revolve around his use of futuristic firearms and his ability to absorb and dispel energy. This could allow for some defensive moves, like tanking enemy projectiles, and varying degrees of offensive capability depending on the projectiles he absorbs. The pair’s powers would play hand-in-hand perfectly for a team-up move, with Cyclops directing his optic blast towards Bishop, who would fire it back out towards enemies. Bishop could do this for other projectile-based teammates as well.

Medusa and Sersi

Two Marvel groups severely lacking representation in Rivals are the Inhumans and the Eternals. Medusa is the queen of the Inhumans, and she has the ability to manipulate her hair to use in combat, which would be incredibly useful for melee attacks and grabs at various distances. Sersi is an Eternal with the ability to manipulate and change matter, which would make her attacks a visual delight on the battlefield. Medusa’s team-up moves could allow her to carry teammates with her hair, while Sersi’s could modify teammates’ projectiles.

Wolverine and Colossus

More X-Men! Wolverine is one of the biggest names the X-Men has to offer, and Colossus has been a mainstay of the team for just as long as Wolverine has. Wolverine could overwhelm opponents with his sharp claws and animalistic ferocity, and his healing factor could add a whole new level of power to his gameplay. Meanwhile, Colossus’ super strength and metal skin would make him an absolute tank on the battlefield. In a game with team-up moves, this duo needs to be included, as they have the most famous team-up maneuver in all of comics: The Fastball Special, in which Colossus picks up Wolverine and throws him at opponents. It’s simple, yet iconic, and different variations of this move could occur if each of the two is paired up with other characters. This needs to happen! 

Marvel Rivals has so much potential to thrive as a game, regardless of which characters get added. The unique team up mechanic gives the game that extra oomf to truly be something special.