Summary
The future is looking bright for fans of Marvel games, and the recently announcedMarvel Rivalsis just the icing on the cake for Marvel’s line-up of future titles. The roster forMarvel Rivalsincludes some of the most popular Marvel characters, like Hulk, Iron Man, and Black Panther, alongside more obscure characters like Luna Snow, Magik, and Mantis. Also included in this roster are two Spider-Verse characters: the classic Peter Parker incarnation of Spider-Man as well as Peni Parker, but the game can’t lean too hard on the Spider-Verse for its roster and risk oversaturating the game with these characters.
While it wouldn’t feel like a Marvel crossover game without Spider-Man,Marvel Rivalscould run into trouble if the game gets too lost in the weeds with Spider-Verse characters. Peni Parker seems like a great addition to the line-up of playable characters, likely beingMarvel Rivals' version ofOverwatch 2’s D.Vawith her SP//dr mech, and there are certainly other Spider-Verse characters that could make for fun playable characters. However,Marvel Rivalsneeds to walk a fine line when utilizing these characters so as not to make the game feel like less of a Marvel crossover game and more of a Spider-Verse game.
Marvel Rivals Should Avoid Overusing Spider-Verse Characters
AlthoughMarvel Rivalsfeatures a solid cross-section of Marvel characters in its roster, some fans have noticed several iconic characters are missing from the title. Characters so farmissing fromMarvel Rivalsinclude notable heroes like Captain America, Black Widow, Ant-Man, Deadpool, and more, making the roster feel somewhat incomplete without their presence. While Spider-Man and the Spider-Verse characters are popular for sure, ifMarvel Rivalsfocuses too much on adding more of these heroes, the game may overlook other characters that are just as deserving of representation.
Marvel Rivalswill likely want to balance the types of characters in its roster to ensure that a variety of classes and archetypes are represented without too much overlap. This means that, while they could potentially make for a fun playable character, a hero likeSpider-Man 2099might be too similar to another missing character like Wolverine in terms of gameplay abilities, making it unlikely that both would be added. The overuse of Spider-Verse characters could lead to other iconic Marvel heroes missing out on the game altogether, which would be unfortunate for Marvel fans disinterested in the Spider-Verse.
How Spider-Verse Characters Could be a Slippery Slope for Marvel Rivals
Focusing too hard on Spider-Verse characters could putMarvel Rivalsin a situation where it becomes more of a Spider-Verse game than a broader Marvel crossover game. While there is clearly a market for a multiplayer Spider-Verse game given the fan disappointment withInsomniac’s canceledSpider-Man: The Great Webtitle,Marvel Rivalsshouldn’t necessarily be the replacement for it and should prioritize giving representation to characters from all across the Marvel universe. It may be tempting forMarvel Rivalsto include characters like Spider-Ham, Spider-Man Noir, and Ghost-Spider on the roster given their unique gameplay potential, but characters from other franchises could fill similar roles.
Instead of relying on other Spider-Verse heroes to fill out its roster,Marvel Rivalscould still pay tribute to the popularity of Spider-Man by including some of the Wall-Crawler’s most iconic villains. Characters likeVenom, Green Goblin, and Doc Ockwould be great additions toMarvel Rivalswhile feeling distinct enough from other potential characters to avoid overlap. Going this route with Spider-Man representation allowsMarvel Rivalsto satisfy fans of the franchise without falling into the trap of becoming a Spider-Verse game, since many Spider-Man villains appear as antagonists for other Marvel heroes as well.
