Marvel Rivals has proven to be a massive win for the Marvel brand, largely due to its extensive roster of characters. When it hit the scene last December, players were already spoiled for choice with 33 characters to select from, and the list is only going to expand with future updates. Given Marvel Rivals’ access to endless comic book lore filled with superheroes and villains, this comes as no surprise.
The game has also cleverly positioned itself as a promotional tool for upcoming Marvel films. Case in point: they recently introduced The Fantastic Four as playable characters as a teaser for the upcoming movie, The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Looking forward, with the star-studded cast reveal for Avengers: Doomsday, set to premiere in May 2026, Marvel Rivals has a prime opportunity to sustain fan interest until this blockbuster arrives in theaters.
On March 26, Marvel Studios organized a five-hour livestream to unveil the cast of Avengers: Doomsday. It was a creative move where every 15 minutes a new actor’s name was shown on a studio chair, stirring both excitement and impatience among fans. The lineup includes big names: Robert Downey Jr. reprising a new role as Doctor Doom, Chris Hemsworth as Thor, Anthony Mackie stepping in as Captain America, Paul Rudd as Ant-Man, among others. Significant too are additions from the X-Men and Thunderbolts, hinting at future cast announcements, which already suggest an impressively full lineup.
Here’s a rundown of Avengers: Doomsday’s cast confirmed so far:
– Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom
– Chris Hemsworth as Thor
– Anthony Mackie as Captain America
– Sebastian Stan as Bucky Barnes
– Danny Ramirez as Falcon
– Paul Rudd as Ant-Man
– Letitia Wright as Black Panther
– Winston Duke as M’Baku
– Tom Hiddleston as Loki
– Pedro Pascal as Mr. Fantastic
– Vanessa Kirby as Invisible Woman
– Joseph Quinn as Human Torch
– Ebon Moss-Bachrach as Thing
– Simu Liu as Shang-Chi
– Tenoch Huerta as Namor
– Florence Pugh as Yelena Belova
– David Harbour as Red Guardian
– Wyatt Russell as US Agent
– Hannah John-Kamen as Ghost
– Lewis Pullman as Sentry
– Patrick Stewart as Professor X
– Ian McKellen as Magneto
– James Marsden as Cyclops
– Rebecca Romijn as Mystique
– Kelsey Grammer as Beast
– Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler
– Channing Tatum as Gambit
Notably, a large number of these characters aren’t part of Marvel Rivals’ roster yet. With over a year to go before the film’s release, it’s a golden opportunity for the game to roll out new characters inspired by this film. It might even introduce new skins for existing heroes, just like the Deadpool and Wolverine combo. This wouldn’t just diversify the game’s selection; it would also drum up excitement for Doomsday, keeping fans engaged right up to the movie’s debut.
Marvel has no shortage of upcoming releases this year, offering Marvel Rivals a wealth of fresh content to draw upon. Plus, the game could cleverly incorporate characters still exclusive to Marvel comics who haven’t yet made their film debuts, broadening the game’s appeal with unique playable heroes.
Being relatively new, Marvel Rivals has room to grow, especially in terms of balancing and refining gameplay based on player feedback. Yet, the excitement of potentially adding new characters aligned with MCU’s timelines is undeniable. For NetEase Games, this is a fantastic chance to observe what filmgoers love, translating cinematic thrills into compelling game abilities. In doing so, Marvel Rivals could very well be a secret weapon to draw more attention to the MCU’s new phases, possibly luring a new wave of players in the process.
