Who are the Marvel Rivals characters? With any new Marvel game comes playable Marvel characters, and in Netease and Marvel Games’ new 6-vs-6 shooter, there are plenty to choose from. Spanning across some of the biggest and best comic book series, you can pick from a growing list of legendary heroes and villains.
When the Marvel Rivals release date rolls around this December, you could end up being spoiled for choice. At Gamescom 2024, it was revealed that every character at launch and beyond will be free. Who will you be deciding to play as in Marvel Rivals when the multiplayer game lands?
The confirmed Marvel Rivals characters so far are:
Star-Lord
Peter Quill lives to dazzle his foes on the battlefield with his signature swagger. As his element guns pain arcs of devastation, his acrobatic moves sail through the sky with unrivaled style. With performances this spectacular, it’s no wonder that Star-Lord is so legendary!
Hela
As the Goddess of Death, Hela wields supreme control over the fallen souls residing in Hel. With a haunting whisper and a murder of crows, the queen of the underworld gracefully reaps the souls of her enemies without an ounce of mercy.
Namor
Namor’s deadly trident allows him to wield water itself, using it to force enemies into vulnerable positions ready for allies to take advantage of the situation with their damage and abilities.
Loki
Loki appears able to use deception and trickery to his advantage, morphing into his opponents to mimic their abilities – he is the Norse god of mischief, after all.
Magik
Magik’s sword looks to be a formidable foe, and she can metamorphize into a stronger form to increase her damage output. As a powerful sorceress, Illyana Rasputin may be able to cast spells to disrupt her opponents.
Groot
Groot’s trailing, twisted roots seem able to stun and hold foes in place. In the MCU he’s able to sacrifice himself to save his friends before regenerating, so it’ll be interesting to see how Marvel Rivals implements that mechanic.
Rocket Raccoon
Rocket Raccoon’s fire weapons will cause blasts and burns to opposing teams, no matter their size. Who knows what other gadgets he has up his sleeve? Do Raccoons have sleeves?
Luna Snow
Luna Snow can use her ice abilities to freeze enemies and skating agility to evade tricky situations. She can also wield sound to her advantage, though her exact mechanics are yet to be confirmed.
Black Panther
Black Panther, also known as T’Challa, brings agility to the field, able to use his powered suit to rapidly scour the battlefield and address threats. He attacks with claws, meaning close-up combat will be where he excels.
Iron Man
Iron Man can use his repulsor blasts to reach vantage points most others on the roster can’t, leaving him able to attack with an advantage. It remains to be seen how else his suit will benefit him in combat, but expect great agility and strong damage output.
Hulk
The Hulk serves as a D.Va-like hybrid character in Marvel Rivals, being able to return to his Bruce Banner appearance or hulk out to smash through enemies with giant, overpowered fists.
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is one of the more instantly recognizable superheroes on offer in Marvel Rivals. His notorious agility will enable him to swing across the battlefield and get into the most advantageous positions quickly and efficiently. His webs can also be used to limit opponents’ movement.
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange seems able to throw spells and use his cape to traverse aerially. The former neurosurgeon has mastered the mystic arts, and will use that to his advantage in combat.
Magneto
Magneto, as the leader of the Mutant Brotherhood, will use magnetism to his advantage in the battlefield. We’d expect that he can summon and launch huge metal sculptures from the destructible environment to disorient and deal massive damage.
Mantis
Mantis joins as another support superhero from the Guardians of the Galaxy universe. She’ll use the power of emotion to both deal damage and protect her allies, combined with the deadly martial arts she has mastered.
Peni Parker
Peni Parker joins the roster from the Spiderverse. Originally designed by none other than My Chemical Romance’s Gerard Way, she has a psychically powered mech suit called SP//dr to leap into and attack foes, as well as allowing her to take increased incoming damage.
Venom
Everyone’s favorite malefic symbiote is here, and Venom is the perfect Vanguard if you’re looking to blend mobility with crowd control. Not only can he grab multiple enemies at once, but he can also swing high above rival combatants before initiating a Diving Strike, knocking up those he hits.
Adam Warlock
If you thought Adam Warlock was OP in the canon, wait until you see him in-game. Using his protective light, Warlock can heal allies, dish out damage, and shield himself from harm within his quantum cocoon. What’s going to make him busted, though, is his team-wide resurrection, a mechanic who made Overwatch’s Mercy a must-use support until it eventually got canned from her kit.
Scarlet Witch
A powerhouse in the comics, Scarlet Witch, also known as Wanda Maximoff, has no problem keeping up with the game’s heavy hitters. If we’re comparing things to Overwatch, she’s a damage dealer version of Moira. Able to wield chaos magic to siphon energy from nearby enemies and charge more powerful attacks, as well as hover around the map, Scarlet Witch makes for a terrifying opponent.
Storm
Storm can control storms to deal damage and support her team with damage or speed buffs. This member of the X-Men stands out from the rest of the Duelists as a great support-DPS hybrid.
The Punisher
Frank Castle, better known as The Punisher, is a violent vigilante who lives up to his name in Marvel Rivals as a deadly damage dealer. Easy to get to grips with, The Punisher is very much intended as Marvel Rivals’ version of Soldier 76 from Overwatch, capable of switching between two weapons, throwing smoke, and spawning a turret.
Jeff the Land Shark
Who is Jeff the Land Shark, you ask? Well, this adorable little shark has had a wild ride, from being adopted by Gwenpool to spending time with Deadpool and later Kate Bishop too. Though he’s not the most well-known hero on the Marvel Rivals roster, he’s by far the cutest.
Thor
Ah, the God of Thunder himself. It was only a matter of time before Thor would be added to the roster, though his trickster brother beat him to the punch. With trusty Mjolnir and the power to channel lightning, Thor can cook up a storm on the battlefield.
Captain America
Revealed alongside his best friend turned enemy, the Winter Soldier, Captain America joins the cast, complete with his trusty shield. He storms onto the battlefield, charging shield first as he blocks incoming attacks and projectiles. The shield can also be used as a projectile, capable of interrupting abilities when timed correctly.
Winter Soldier
Equipped with his special metal fist, the Winter Soldier looks like an aggressive character, able to grab enemies from across the battlefield like a grapple hook. As you might expect from an arm made of metal, it also packs a punch, giving the Winter Soldier a way to launch any enemies with an uppercut to the face. That’s not all, his arm looks like it has been infected by an alien symbiote, revealing tentacles that can whip enemies. Finally, he also has a powerful pistol, ready to blast away anyone who gets too close.
Psylocke
Sporting a range of weaponry, Psylocke comes to the battlefield equipped with killer tools to combat enemies at any distance. She can immediately close the game in the middle of a fight with her dash, a strong tool when it comes to ambushing opponents. Speaking of ambushing players, Psylocke can temporarily turn invisible to make her way through enemy lines.
Moon Knight
Marc Spector, the avatar of the Egyptian Moon God, Khonshu joins the battle using ancient weaponry to take down anyone in his path. Sporting crescent darts, Moon Knight can hurl sharp objects towards opponents with ease, and he’s equipped with the moon blade to handle anyone who gets within melee range. Moon Knight’s ultimate opens a portal to space, allowing him to rain down Khonshu’s wrath onto anyone directly underneath the portal.
Hawkeye
Clint Barton makes his debut in Marvel Rivals, featuring a considerably cooler design than his MCU counterpart (no offense, Jeremy Renner). Overwatch players will be familiar with Hawkeye’s playstyle, sporting a deadly bow and arrow capable of dealing massive damage if you can land critical headshots. He also wields a sword to repel incoming projectiles, and it can be used to push enemies off platforms, which we imagine will be handy in many situations. Hawkeye’s ultimate gives him access to an instantly charged bow, allowing you to fire off arrows at lightning speed.
Marvel Rivals tier list
Now that the beta period has ended, we’re fully expecting the developers to overhaul some of the bad characters to bring them in line with the top tier brawlers. Don’t expect to hear about any of these changes before the game launches at the end of the year.
The Marvel Rivals tier list for the beta was:
| Rank | Character |
| S | Venom, Magneto, Luna Snow, Adam Warlock, Spider-Man |
| A | Doctor Strange, The Punisher, Iron Man, Rocket Raccoon, Star-Lord, Magik, Groot |
| B | Storm, Scarlet Witch, Loki, Mantis |
| C | Bruce Banner/Hulk, Black Panther, Peni Parker |
| D | Namor |
S-Tier
Venom
Standing tall with 800 base health, Venom is incredibly sturdy already, and Symbiotic Resilience takes this further when used in a tight spot, effectively giving him a second wind. His ultimate, Feast of the Abyss, may be easy to avoid, it also generates bonus health. Paired with Venom Swing to quickly get in and out of fights, he’s remarkably difficult to kill.
Venom also deals heavy damage with his tentacles, making him lethal up close. When combined with Cellular Corrosion to slow down enemies and Frenzied Arrival to close the gap between damaged targets, he’s an absolute menace. Pair him with a strong close-range DPS hero like Magic and you’ll dominate the match with ease.
Magneto
Magneto may be slow and challenging to use, but he has everything a tank could want: defensive capabilities, crowd control, and damage. His primary attack fires slow projectiles with limited range, but they hit like a truck and can quickly take out DPS and supports.
His Bulwark abilities provide a shield to either himself or an ally, which protects from damage and generates rings that Magneto can use to increase Mag-Cannon’s damage. This further builds upon his strong burst-damage potential. However, Magneto does feel like he’s missing something when he doesn’t have access to Metallic Fusion, the team-up ability provided by Scarlet Witch. This almost feels like an ultimate ability, dealing heavy damage in a wider area than his primary attack.
Luna Snow
Luna Snow is the perfect support hero, able to dish out damage and quickly heal allies back to full health. Her primary attack offers on-demand healing when fired at allies, and great damage against enemies if you can land precision hits. This is improved during the Ice Arts stage, replacing her basic attack with an amped-up icicle while also healing herself while the buff is active.
Share the Stage lets Luna Snow heal two allies at once, making it easier to keep your team alive. It’s best to place this on a tank or aerial DPS so you don’t have to chase them to keep their health topped up. Absolute Zero freezes enemies for a short duration and heal her, which is great against advancing enemies and flankers alike. Her ultimate, Fate of Both Worlds, is arguably the best in the game. With both a healing mode and a damage boost setting, Luna Snow can support the team, regardless of what the situation calls for.
Adam Warlock
Like Luna Snow, Adam Warlock is a versatile support hero. Soul Bond and Avatar Life Stream help keep allies fully stocked, while his basic attack and Cosmic Cluster dish out surprisingly strong damage.
However, Adam Warlock’s greatest strength is his ultimate and passive. His ultimate ability, Karmic Revival, can revive your entire team. He really can turn the tide of a fight with one press of a button. Likewise, his passive gives him a second life. Though it’s not necessary, his team-up with Mantis and Star-Lord also gives them a second life. What’s not to love about that?
Spider-Man
Spider-Man isn’t just an S-tier hero because he’s everyone’s favorite. No, this friendly neighborhood hero also brings the pain with incredible burst damage and mobility. Naturally, being a combo-driven character reliant on web-slinging around to stay alive, Spider-Man is difficult to master. However, once you do, he can easily take out healers and other DPS characters in a blitz.
Web enemies to mark them with a Spider-Tracer then use Get Over Here! to close the gap before smacking them with the Amazing Combo uppercut. This is typically enough for standard health enemies, giving you enough time to run away before swinging into the backline once again.
Hela
Befitting her name as the Goddess of Death, Hela is a terrifying damage dealer, though her precision-based playstyle does make her tricky to use in close range.
Her primary attack, paired with Piercing Night, is capable of decimating enemy health bars, and you’re incentivized to aim for the head for massive damage. This is what results in her struggling in close range against the likes of Spider-Man if you don’t have Astral Flock available to quickly reposition. Likewise, her ultimate can be disorienting to use at first, but it’s a great way to clear an objective and save your skin.
A-Tier
Doctor Strange
Doctor Strange is an aggressive tank thanks to his team-wide teleport, making him perfect in coordinated teams. His large shield will also help you push an objective or hold your ground.
Although it feels like you’re constantly reloading, his basic attack is deadly in the right hands. Plus, dealing damage charges Dark Magic which is both a blessing and a curse. If you don’t release it before it fills up using Maelstrom of Madness for massive AoE damage, then you’ll enter an anti-heal state. As a tank, this can be a death sentence. Nevertheless, play Doctor Strange well and he can carry a team.
The Punisher
As the Soldier 76, Call of Duty character stand-in, The Punisher is simple but effective. Equipped with an assault rifle for mid-range and a shotgun for when things get up close and personal, The Punisher can put just about anyone in their place. Iron Man picking you off from above? No problem. Spider-Man flanking you? Blast him with a shotgun.
His deployable turret and mech ultimate are great ways to rapidly increase your damage output, whether you’re pushing an objective or the enemy is getting into position to push you.
Iron Man
Iron Man might not be as agile as you’d expect, but he’s a superb ranged, aerial, AoE DPS character. Being able to hover above the battlefield puts him out of reach of most of the roster, though The Punisher counters him easily, especially due to the lack of a dodge.
When you’re not being countered, though, Iron Man is a consistently strong damage dealer that can soften up groups of enemies. However, Iron Man’s lack of burst damage outside his amazing ultimate holds him back from the top of the pack.
Rocket Raccoon
While healing isn’t Rocket’s greatest strength, he’s a handy and versatile support character. Like Adam Warlock, Rocket Raccoon can also bring an ally back from the dead using Battle Rebirth Beacon, which will also periodically provide armor packs. Otherwise, Rocket is reliant on his repair mode secondary fire to heal allies, which isn’t as effective as the likes of Luna Snow or Adam Warlock when it comes to saving allies from near death.
His synergy with the popular Punisher also helps Rocket shine. Well, at least when The Punisher remembers to take advantage of your pylon, that is.
Star-Lord
Although Star-Lord feels like he’s missing an ability or two, his agile nature and high damage make him a strong DPS character in the right hands. Star Lord is at his most powerful when played aggressively. Dash in and dodge damage while bursting down weaker enemies, especially healers. His Blaster Barrage is great for softening up groups of enemies, just make sure you’ve got teammates with you, as you’re an easy target.
Magik
Magik is a melee DPS that’s difficult to master but can be powerful when played well, especially with allies like Venom or Magneto to soak up much of the damage. Able to teleport in and dish out various melee attacks, all of which grant her bonus health, Magik has survivability that other melee DPS heroes like Black Panther simply don’t have without sacrificing damage.
Groot
A tree of very few words, Groot is a stalwart tank that stands out in certain team compositions and modes. With his playstyle being all about blockading the enemies and standing near these barriers to buff himself, Groot needs to be up close to succeed. This, paired with his large stature, makes Groot an easy target. However, if you can assemble an equally in-your-face team, like Venom, Star-Lord, and Magik, then Groot is key to overwhelming your enemy.
B-Tier
Storm
Storm is a support-damage hybrid, giving her a unique, albeit limited role. Firstly, her basic attacks, Bolt Rush, and Goddess Boost deal good damage and let Storm strategically go on the offensive, particularly since she can fly. However, her main feature is her ability to switch between two different buffs using Weather Control. From buffing movement speed to increased damage, Storm works wonders in tight-knit teams that take advantage of these powerful effects. With random players, though, that’s sadly all too rare.
Scarlet Witch
While Scarlet Witch is dominating matches during the playtest, her kit is rather limited and will no doubt see her effectiveness fall off as players improve. Scarlet Witch’s basic attack is annoying, no doubt about that, but its low, constant damage can be cancelled with healing from the likes of Mantis, Adam Warlock, or Luna Snow. However, it’s more of a means to an end as it generates Chaos Energy used for Chthonian Blast, a much more deadly attack.
Scarlet Witch’s biggest strength is in her crowd control abilities. Dark Seal can repeatedly stun enemies caught in its blast. When placed in choke points or against tank characters, Scarlet Witch can shut teams down very effectively.
Loki
Living up to his pedigree as the god of trickery, Loki is a slippery support that excels when he’s on the move and healing allies. His decoys won’t fool anyone, but they are great at causing a temporary distraction. Likewise, his invisibility powers and deadly backstab make him lethal in the right hands, capable of assassinating players by weaving in and out of combat.
Since he’s not a dedicated healer, he’s best played alongside a hero like Adam Warlock or Luna Snow who can help keep enemies alive while he’s fooling the enemy.
Mantis
Mantis is the support character with the biggest focus on healing, though this is largely healing over time rather than burst heals. This means you will want a strong healer like Adam Warlock or Luna Snow to who can quickly heal an ally. Nevertheless, this constant healing makes Mantis a pest for the enemy, so its lucky Mantis has self-healing.
Due to her focus on healing over time and lack of damage, Mantis is less versatile than her competition but makes the perfect second support. Plus, a stun ability and damage boost effect do help make up for her shortcomings.
C-Tier
Bruce Banner/Hulk
Though Hulk has three forms, each with different abilities, he isn’t nearly as complex as it sounds at first. Most of your time will be spent as Hero Hulk, unfortunately, he simply isn’t that powerful. From heavy punches and gamma-ray blasts to an immobilizing effect, Hulk has a varied kit focused on damage, though these abilities lack impact. Plus, as a raging green beast, Hulk is an incredibly easy target to hit, and one that largely lacks defensive options.
Hulk is best played like Winston from Overwatch, diving in and out of the action while trying to cause as much chaos as possible. Killing enemies is secondary, so it’s best to only pick Hulk if you have another strong tank or damage dealers on your team.
Black Panther
Unfortunately, Black Panther can’t quite keep up with competition like Magik and Spider-Man. Boasting a similar, close-range, combo-based kit Black Panther needs to land his attacks in a specific order to deal optimal damage. Missing any of these attacks then leaves you in a very vulnerable position. Even when you nail the combo, Black Panther simply deals less damage than his rivals.
Peni Parker
The happy-go-lucky super-scientist spider-woman, Peni Parker is undeniably a fun hero, though her trap-based abilities make her cumbersome. These traps can deal great damage, but she’s easily countered traps are lurking whenever Peni is around. Moreover, she struggles to push objectives given this more defensive approach, though her webs do offer her added survivability across the board.
D-Tier
Namor
All alone at the bottom of the Marvel Rivals tier list is Namor. This half-human and half-Atlantean is a damage dealer in name only since he relies on turrets that can be easily destroyed, quickly nullifying his unique feature. While he’s better with Luna Snow thanks to the ice-imbued effect, it doesn’t make his turrets more durable.
All leaked Marvel Rivals characters
The Marvels Rival alpha has been data mined by X (formerly known as Twitter) user, Miller Ross, revealing many characters that have yet to star in the game. As we know from data mined leaks in the past, this list of characters doesn’t necessarily point towards these fighters joining the game any time soon. They might be placeholder names, or characters the developers thought they might add but never got the opportunity to work on.
The leaked Marvel Rivals characters are:
- Human Torch
- Cloak & Dagger
- Ultron
- Squirrel Girl
- Black Widow
- Mr. Fantastic
- Blade
- Wolverine
- Invisible Woman
- The Thing
- Iron Fist (Lin Lie)
Those are all the confirmed characters in Marvel Rivals so far. We’re sure more will be added when the release date comes around. You can also check out the Marvel Rivals system requirements to see if you can run it on your PC. If you’re eager for more team-based shooting, why not check out our Apex Legends tier list or Overwatch 2 tier list, to see who you should be jumping into combat.
Original contributions by Cheri Faulkner and Christian Vaz.
