As a hero shooter in the vein of Overwatch, Marvel Rivals’ success is strongly intertwined with its ability to maintain the diversity of its roster. Thankfully, the Marvel Universe has no shortage of unique characters to pull from. Marvel Rivals launched with 33 playable heroes, and will feature 41 by the end of Season 3, with developers showing no signs of slowing down yet.
In a recent interview with VideoGamer, game director Guanyun Chen confirmed that his team at NetEase has been given full license to pull characters from Marvel’s entire history. That’s over 85 years to comb through, and Chen added they have no small interest in the more obscure side of Marvel. This instantly sparked a tidal wave of discussion, but most speculation has only just begun to scratch the surface. In no particular order, here are 10 underrated heroes who deserve to be playable in Marvel Rivals.
Armor
If there’s anything Rivals fans have been begging for, it’s more love to the Vanguard role. Being a Tank is a thankless job, and Rivals has the unique challenge of working with pre-existing character designs. The game could especially use more female characters among the Vanguards, if for no other reason than to give Emma Frost some company. Hisako Ichiki, also known as Armor, could very well be the perfect girl for the job. Armor, true to her name, has the ability to create a nigh-impenetrable psionic exoskeleton around her body.
If Armor were to find her way into Rivals, it would no doubt be best for developers to use her recent incarnation from Ultimate X-Men, in which she has a starring role. There’s already a precedent for the inclusion of Ultimate Armor thanks to Rivals’ take on Psylocke, both of whom were designed by Peach Momoko. Ultimate Armor maintains the same psionic set of armor, now with an appearance more strictly inspired by a samurai. This version of Hisako frequently forms armor around her motorcycle, which could give her some unique traversal options. Finally, it would be a real treat to see her interact with the counterparts of some of her close friends, such as in a Team-Up ability with Storm.
Role: Vanguard
Team-Ups: Storm, Psylocke
Cosmo
Rivals’ most obscure characters somewhat double as gag characters, as is certainly the case with Squirrel Girl and Jeff the Land Shark. In the case of Jeff, Rivals has also shown an impressive diversity of character models within the game. Some heroes like Spider-Man even exhibit subtle differences in their character model in certain skins. If developers wanted to really stretch their legs, they should take a crack at Cosmo the Spacedog.
Cosmo often uses his telekinetic abilities to construct forcefields, which would make him perfect for the Vanguard role. Cosmo would be a particularly unique Tank too, essentially wielding the kit of Magneto with the build of Jeff the Land Shark. Cosmo has also proven capable of creating telepathic illusions, which would prove invaluable for holding space. Cosmo has even matched up against heroes like Adam Warlock, so a Team-Up between the two seems inevitable. In fact, giving Cosmo a wide array of Team-Ups seems like an appropriate way to balance what may be an otherwise underpowered kit.
Role: Vanguard
Team-Ups: Star-Lord, Adam Warlock, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, Mantis, Jeff the Land Shark
Cypher
As a longtime fan of Doug Ramsey, I can’t tell you how happy it makes me that his transformation from Cypher to Revelation has made him the star of an entire crossover event. Better yet, it also happens to increase the chances Marvel would want to push for his inclusion in popular games like Rivals. With all that in mind, it’s just the cherry on top that Cypher would happen to bring a pretty unique moveset to the fray.
Cypher has the ability to understand all languages, meaning he is not limited to strictly spoken or written language. Cypher can thoroughly comprehend body language, computer languages like binary, and even languages not native to Earth. Rivals is a game where communication is key, meaning Cypher’s abilities are one of the biggest assets any player could ask for. Doug’s bond with his best friend Warlock provides additional cybernetic enhancements, and his wife Bei the Blood Moon might even aid him on the battlefield as well. Of course, Cypher’s newfound Revelation form should provide him a whole new arsenal of abilities, but the true extent of those abilities has yet to be discovered until X-Men: Age of Revelation is finished.
Role: Strategist
Team-Ups: Magik, Groot, Ultron
Darkhawk
Both in comics and comic adaptations, the cosmic side of Marvel is on the rise. Darkhawk is one of many characters who appears to have a role to play in Marvel’s Imperial event, which has been widely celebrated by the character’s cult following. With massively powerful cosmic threats like Knull beginning to rear their heads in Season 3 and onward, it’s about time for Darkhawk to make the jump to Rivals.
Varied movement options are of very high value in a fast-paced game like Rivals, and Darkhawk has no shortage of them. Darkhawk’s options for traversal include gliding, flying and the always-beloved grappling hook, and a kit including all of them would be a force to be reckoned with. The Darkhawk armor has plenty of other powers, including generating shields for itself and its allies, and even morphing its body to accommodate its vast arsenal of munitions. Best of all, Darkhawk does everything in style. His design oozes cool and would surely lend itself to a number of skins for players to wear into battle.
Role: Duelist
Team-Ups: Starlord, Phoenix, Mr. Fantastic
Elsa Bloodstone
Elsa Bloodstone is a relatively more recent addition to the Marvel Universe (compared to classic heroes like Spider-Man), but she has already become one of the foremost members of the supernatural superhero team known as the Midnight Sons. Some of Elsa’s teammates are already in Rivals, so she should have no problem at all with fitting in.
For a hero shooter, Rivals actually somewhat lacks gun-toting heroes. As an expert marksman, Elsa would fill this gap perfectly. Beyond dual-wielding firearms, Elsa is also known for the enhancements granted to her by the Bloodgem. The Bloodgem mostly enhances her physical capabilities in a number of ways, but can also exert energy blasts of its own.
Role: Duelist
Team-Ups: Blade, Jeff the Land Shark, Moon Knight
Jericho Drumm
Rivals currently has two Sorcerer Supremes on the roster, Doctor Strange and Magik. With the duo being a Vanguard and Duelist, respectively, it only seems right that a Strategist should arrive to round out the trio. Clea Strange and Jericho Drumm are no doubt the best candidates from the mystical side of Marvel, and the latter just barely manages to take the cake for me.
Formerly known as Brother Voodoo (and later Doctor Voodoo), Jericho is the foremost expert in “white magic” on the planet. He can commune with the spirits of the dead, often employing them to empower himself or rescue his allies. He has proven an expert at healing magic, and has even resurrected the dead to do his bidding. Jericho frequently wields the ghost of his twin brother, even using him to possess others. There are few heroes you’d rather see by your side, and this goes doubly so for heroes like Doctor Strange and the Scarlet Witch, with whom Jericho has developed close ties.
Role: Strategist
Team-Ups: Doctor Strange, Magik, Scarlet Witch
Monet St. Croix
The X-Men is already a team known for its variety, but Monet St. Croix takes this to the next level. Also known as M, she sports everything from a genius-level intellect and enhanced senses to flight and regeneration. Monet has an alternate form called Penance, which would no doubt play a large role in her Rivals moveset.
Monet’s Penance form expands her powers even more, granting her extremely durable red diamond skin. She also gains a pair of razor claws on the edge of each finger, perfect for racking up damage at close quarters. This can be understood by Rivals fans as a more offense-oriented rendition of Emma Frost’s diamond form, although Monet is more suited to the role of a Duelist.
Role: Duelist
Team-Ups: Emma Frost, Magneto, Wolverine
Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur
Moon Girl is the newest member of the Marvel Universe on this list, but it hasn’t taken her long to become deeply beloved among a small portion of comics fans. The Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur Disney+ series has raised the profile of Lunella Lafayette in the public eye, and a slot on the Rivals roster could easily help double this effect.
Moon Girl is a super-genius inventor, and Devil Dinosaur is – well – a mutant T-rex. The adventuring pair are an exciting inclusion if only for the potential to wreck enemies as a humongous dinosaur. Lunella’s knack for tinkering is the cherry on top, allowing her to serve as a support character with significant defensive abilities.
Role: Strategist
Team-Ups: Peni Parker, Mr. Fantastic, The Hulk, Squirrel Girl
Rick Jones
Thanks to his inclusion in Superman (2025), Jimmy Olsen has finally earned a bit of spotlight. Marvel Comics has its very own version of Jimmy with Rick Jones, the best friend of the Hulk. In fact, Rick’s adventures may be even wilder than Jimmy’s, and this wild card factor may make him a perfect inclusion for Rivals.
Rick started out as an ordinary teen but has wielded abilities as all-powerful as the Destiny Force. Rick had a brief stint as the second Bucky and has spent a great deal of time in Captain Marvel’s neck of the woods. Most famously, Rick joined the Gamma mutate family under the name A-Bomb. Most recently, Rick bonded with Sleeper, one of Venom’s many symbiote offspring. Any one of these alter egos would be material enough for a complete design, so one that could blend them all together would produce something truly special.
Role: Anything goes
Team-Ups: The Hulk, Captain America, Venom
Sentry
For the last entry in the list, we also have perhaps the least obscure. After receiving a starring role in Thunderbolts*, the Sentry has more relevance in the public conscience than ever. However, a few months of extra attention doesn’t make up for several years of increasing obscurity. Ironic, considering the character’s origin as a forgotten hero.
Sentry remains a compelling inclusion for his power set, as well as his particular mental predicament. Sentry’s Superman-inspired powers are unlike anything currently represented in Rivals, and this goes double for his malevolent persona known as The Void. The Void can produce tentacles made of darkness, which are shown to draw out people’s worst fears. Switching between the Sentry and the Void would provide a unique flow to gameplay, with players being careful to balance both halves if they want to keep the upper hand.
Role: Vanguard
Team-Ups: Mr. Fantastic, The Hulk, Spider-Man
