Marvel Rivals dev admits cult-classic hero is “hilarious” request from fans

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Marvel Rivals has quickly become the most popular hero shooter available to play, and one of the reasons is because it features a gallery of the most iconic and beloved superheroes from comic books and the MCU. More characters will continue to be added to the game in the future, and the developer has admitted that a particular cult-classic hero is an “hilarious” request for the Marvel Rivals roster.

There is a lot to look forward to over the next 12-months as per the 2025 roadmap. Season 1 is scheduled to start very soon, and leaks have revealed the abilities for The Fantastic Four ahead of their imminent debut. Season 1 will also include a fix for several heroes nerfed by FPS issues, and it will include a fix for mouse acceleration issues, too.

Quality-of-life improvements and fixes are paramount, but it’s the addition of new content fans look forward to the most. There are leaks for new game modes as well as maps, and there’s also a plethora of leaked characters for the future. There is one specific fan-requested hero for Marvel Rivals that hasn’t leaked, and they would be an “hilarious” addition.

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Marvel Rivals dev responds to Howard the Duck fan-request

Marvel Rivals players have a plethora of characters they would love to join the game’s roster. There are more faces from X-Men people would love to see such as Mystique and Magneto, and there’s also more obscure characters that haven’t been given the spotlight through movies.

Howard the Duck is one of the more popular obscure characters of Marvel comic book history that people would like to see in Rivals. They more recently appeared in the MCU through blink and you’ll miss it cameos in The Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, but Howard the Duck did actually star in his own movie back in 1986.


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It was a weird flick involving a human totally falling in love with a duck, it was executive produced by George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, and it’s a film that surprisingly has a cult following.

On the game’s official Discord, community manager, James, was asked, “If you [NetEase] had the chance to put Howard the Duck would you do it? This isn’t a meme question, I just think Howard would be funny”.

The community manager responded by admitting “I agree that he’s a hilarious question”. While he would be an “hilarious” addition to the game, James stated that it’s a “collaborative team decision” for whom gets added to the roster.

Image credit: Marvel Rivals Discord

It’s possible Howard the Duck could be added one day, but right now the odds look unlikely. He would be hard to implement as he doesn’t have any super powers, but, at the same time, he is a master of the rare martial art Quak Fu, and he is recognized by Marvel as a “surprisingly fierce and capable fighter when his temper flares”. He has also possessed the powers of Doctor Strange in the past, so there are things that could be done with him.

Leaked characters

While Howard the Duck is a fan-request from some, they are not among the lineage of leaked heroes for Marvel Rivals. Below is a list of characters that have leaked for the game, no longer including The Fantastic Four as they are now confirmed for Season 1:

  • Emma Frost
  • Blade
  • Jean Grey/Phoenix
  • Deadpool
  • Angela
  • Valkyrie
  • Hit-Monkey
  • Modok
  • Human Torch
  • Ultron

For more Marvel Rivals, check out our guides to the best Duelists and DPS characters, along with the best Vanguards and Tanks.

About the Author

Callum Smith

Callum Smith is a freelance gaming writer for Videogamer. He covers news for PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, and he has over five years experience covering the video games industry.

Marvel Rivals

  • Platform(s): macOS, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X
  • Genre(s): Fighting, Shooter