Marvel Rivals — the 6v6 team-based hero shooter from NetEase and Marvel Games — has gained serious traction thanks to its environmental destruction, team-up abilities, and a roster of iconic Marvel characters. But as anticipation grows around future beta phases and full launch plans, one surprising rumor keeps resurfacing: Marvel Rivals could include completely original, game-exclusive heroes.
That means characters created specifically for this game — not drawn from comics, films, or TV.
Whether that sounds exciting or unnecessary depends largely on how you feel about Marvel expanding its universe beyond established canon.
Why Original Heroes Are Being Discussed
Although nothing is officially confirmed, the idea isn’t far-fetched. Marvel Games has already introduced several game-born heroes in past titles:
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Contest of Champions → Guillotine, Aegon
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Future Fight → Luna Snow, Sharon Rogers
Those characters eventually crossed into Marvel comics canon — showing Marvel is open to original creations when they enhance gameplay or fill a design gap.
Why Some Fans Say “No One Asked for This”
There are legitimate concerns in the community:
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Roster priorities – Players want core Marvel characters first (e.g., X-Men, Fantastic Four, major villains)
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Lore fidelity – New heroes could feel out of place if not rooted in Marvel canon
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Power creep – Original characters might be overtuned to drive engagement
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Monetization – Fear that new heroes would be paywalled or linked to aggressive cosmetic models
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Brand dilution – Too many original inclusions could erode the “Marvel” identity
Why Original Heroes Could Work in a Hero Shooter
NetEase and Marvel may consider original heroes for several important reasons:
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Fill gameplay gaps – Add roles the roster doesn’t currently support (e.g. anti-mobility controllers, vision scouts)
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Faster design pipeline – Less approval complexity compared to well-known characters
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Better mechanical fit – Ability kits tailored to destructible environments and team-up mechanics
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Regional appeal – Opportunity to introduce globally-resonant characters
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Meta balance – Original heroes offer flexibility for countering stale strategies
How NetEase Could Introduce Original Heroes Successfully
1. Design around destruction
Example: A support hero who reinforces damaged cover or builds temporary barriers from debris.
2. Amplify team-ups
Example: A hero that enhances ally ultimates with stacking effects instead of raw damage.
3. Cover missing gameplay roles
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Anti-dive controller
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Projectile absorbing tank
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Intel/vision support via destructible wall scanning
4. Anchor them in canonical institutions
Tie new heroes to places like S.H.I.E.L.D., Wakanda, or multiversal anomalies to maintain Marvel legitimacy.
Maintaining Balance and Community Trust
For this to work:
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Test new heroes in public test servers
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Publish transparent patch notes explaining balance decisions
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Avoid pay-to-win mechanics
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Keep all heroes earnable through gameplay (cosmetics should drive revenue)
Is It Canon Breaking?
Not necessarily. Marvel routinely treats its games as alternate-universe storylines (“Earth-XXXX” designations). If a character resonates, Marvel could pull them into mainstream canon later — just like they’ve done before.
While “original heroes” may sound like something nobody asked for, they can actually strengthen gameplay and keep the live-service meta healthy — as long as they’re introduced with respect for Marvel’s lore and player expectations.
Done wrong, it risks diluting the brand.
Done right, it expands it.
