With heroes and villains from the original Earth-616 and beyond joining the fray, Marvel Rivals is going to have no shortage of cosmetic options for players to choose from.
Although there have only been a few skins rumored for the game so far, there’s plenty of variety and alternate costumes from the 85 years of Marvel comic history.
So, we’ve rounded up our favorite possibilities for every character announced in the Marvel Rivals roster.
Iron Man
Iron Man is undoubtedly one of Marvel’s most iconic heroes. Behind the suit, Tony Stark is head of Stark Industries, a pioneer in innovation, and technically, the leader of the Avengers, too. Iron Man’s abilities are only limited by Stark’s imaginative ideas and his capacity to turn them into reality. Which, considering he’s filthy rich and the head of one of the world’s biggest engineering and tech firms, isn’t that hard for him really. This means the character has appeared in dozens of different suits throughout both the comics and the cinematic universe.
Marvel Rivals has gone for what looks like the Mark 85 Iron Man suit from Avengers: Endgame. An earlier version of Stark’s suit, like the Mark V from Iron Man 2 would make a great alternative skin.
Bruce Banner/Hulk
The other side of mild-mannered scientist Bruce Banner, the Hulk came into being after a bomb field test went awry, Banner was bathed in gamma radiation. Although he survived the explosion, the unintended side-effect is that any time he loses control of his emotions, he becomes a mean, green, muscle machine.
Despite his intimidating mood swings, Hulk has served on quite a few superhero organizations in his Marvel Career. Besides the Avengers, he’s also worked with the Defenders and he’s affiliated with Marvel’s Illuminati, too.
The classic green Hulk in the shredded denim jeans in the skin the character is launching within Marvel Rivals. But surprisingly, Hulk has had his fair share of costume changes through the years. The one we’d like to see show up as a skin in Rivals the most is definitely his World War Hulk costume.
Black Panther
The Black Panther is the ultimate warrior, armored in a suit of pure Vibranium, an ore unique to the secret nation of Wakanda that possesses near-magical properties. With his catlike reflexes, superior armor, weapons, and tech, the Black Panther, T’Chala protects his people, and serves as Wakanda’s ruler. Sometimes he even lends the Avengers a hand to protect the rest of Earth too.
Marvel Rivals is definitely taking heavy inspiration from Black Panther’s MCU incarnation. But while, T’Challa serves as the Black Panther for most of Marvel’s story arcs, we’d love to see Kasper Cole’s Dark-Knight-esque outfit from Black Panther #50 make it into the game someday.
Loki
The god of mischief, prince of Asgard, foster-brother of Thor, and burdened with glorious purpose. He’s a master of illusion magic, shapeshifting, and hypnosis, and not too shabby with a pair of daggers. Marvel’s Loki isn’t exactly pure evil. He’s a trickster. And he’s not averse to switching sides, so long as it benefits him, of course.
Loki’s Asgardian armor and helm is the look the character will launch within Marvel Rivals. That said, we’re very down to see a casual TVA Loki skin as an option eventually.
Spider-Man
Everyone’s favorite web-slinging, crime-fighting, photojournalist. Peter Parker’s amazing Spider-Man is one of Marvel’s oldest characters. First appearing in the 1960s, Spider-man has served as part of the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, and of course that’s on top of his normal neighborhood rounds.
It looks like we can expect the classic blue and red Spider-Man suit for the character at launch. That said, if we could pick any alternate spider costume for Marvel Rivals, Wolf Spider from Ultimate Spiderman, aka Peter Parker from Earth-16827, would be it.
Star Lord
Peter Quill, aka Star Lord, half-human, half-alien leader of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Intergalactic rogue and perpetual wise guy. In the comics, Peter Quill joins NASA, but he eventually ditches the astronaut life to take up the mantle of “Star Lord”, even if that wasn’t exactly what NASA had planned for him. In the MCU he ends up in the stars after being abducted by Yondu’s crew.
It’s the MCU look that Marvel Rivals has picked for Star Lord at the game’s launch. But, we wouldn’t complain if Quill’s Dirty Dozen costume showed up as a skin one day.
Rocket Racoon
This trash panda is scathing, and satirical, and he always shoots first. Rocket Racoon is the result of genetic engineering and neglect. He served plenty of time around the solar system before teaming up with Groot and the rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy as their trigger-happy demolitions expert.
Like the other Guardians in Marvel Rivals, Rocket is appearing in what looks to be a pretty close approximation of his MCU costume. But if there’s one Rocket Racoon skin we want to see make it into the game, it’s his slick white suit from the 2020 Guardians of the Galaxy reboot.
Groot
Unlike some of the other heroes on this list, Groot barely needs an introduction thanks to his appearance in the MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy films. Weighing in at 8,000 pounds at full power, and able to grow to a height of 23 feet tall, the stalwart companion of Rocket Raccoon, all of Groot’s abilities are drawn from his physical body, made of powerful dendronic wood which makes him all but impervious to most physical attacks.
Of course, we want what every sane person would want. To beat people up in a baby Groot skin.
Mantis
One of the Guardian of the Galaxy’s founding members, Mantis was raised by pacifist, alien priestesses and trained in the ways of their otherworldly magic. With both telepathic and empathic abilities, and the power to talk to plants, Mantis serves alongside the other Guardians, protecting Earth from intergalactic threats.
It looks like Mantis is donning her Guardians of the Galaxy costume from the MCU in Marvel Rivals, and we’re certainly not complaining! But we’d also love to see the woven leather threads designed for the character Mantis A3 costume in Guardians of the Galaxy 2. A variant on her original costume design would also be nice to see eventually.
Dr. Strange
From the world’s best surgeon to the world’s best wizard. Dr. Stephen Strange is the Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme, is the world’s primary defense against incursions from malevolent, magical beings. Able to wield the immensely powerful Eye of Agamoto and sporting his trusty cloak of levitation, Strange uses the mystical occult arts to help Earth’s heroes.
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In Marvel Rivals, Dr. Strange’s classic skin looks to be a clear match for the outfit worn by Benedict Cumberbatch in the MCU. However, we’d love to see Stephen in the villainous vibes of his Midnight Sons outfit too.
Scarlet Witch
Marvel’s Lady in Red. The Scarlet Witch is undoubtedly one of the most powerful characters in the Marvel Universe. A master of the mystic arts, Wanda Maximoff has played both the hero and the villain in a huge number of storylines.
Scarlet Witch’s Marvel Rivals costume looks to be something of an original creation. Sort of like a fusion between her MCU costume and her threads in Wolverine and the X-Men.
We’d love to see a version of the medieval Merlin Wanda skin from What If make an appearance eventually. And of course, it’s hard to go past the classic Scarlet Witch look too.
Storm
Ororo Munroe aka Storm, is one of the veteran X-Men. Appearing in the series and the majority of its spinoffs since 1975. The wise weather-witch has led the X-Men, married Black Panther, she’s even been a vampire for a little while. There’s not many Marvel heroes with as many story arcs under their belt as Storm.
Judging from the gameplay footage, Storm is appearing in Marvel Rivals in a fit similar to her 2022 Marauders costume. Which is a nice pick to be sure. Still, we’d love to see a Mohawk Storm skin eventually, and maybe even a classic 90s X-Men style look for her too.
Luna Snow
Earth-616’s superhuman K-Pop sensation. After a run-in with A.I.M agents during a concert grants her elemental affinity, Luna Snow, wields the powers of ice to keep Earth-616 safe. With the ability to both harm and heal with her dark and light ice manipulation, Luna’s looking like she might be a good fit for support players.
The Korean-born member of the Agents of Atlas has plenty of skin potential thanks to her double life on the stage. A skin featuring her denim-cutoff costume from her solo one-shot comic would be a treat. But we wouldn’t go past her kick ass Tiger Division suit either.
Peni Parker
Earth-14512’s Peni Parker is almost like a meld of Spiderman and Shinji from the cult classic anime, Neon Genesis Evangelion. Although she actually gets into the robot, which is better known as the SP//dr Suit.
After losing her father as a young child, Peni takes up his mantle, finishing her father’s work and climbing into her spider robot suit. Her ability to pilot the suit comes from a radioactive spider with whom she shares a genetic bond… we’re sure you see the similarities.
We’d love to see a cute version of the scrapped Peni Plug suit and her school uniform and windbreaker concept make their way into the game eventually.
Magik
Another hero from the original Earth-616, Magik is the mutant Illyana Rasputin, the younger sibling of Colossus. With her superior swordsmanship and ability to teleport.
Born into a family of mutants, Illyana has the innate power to teleport herself and allies across interstellar distances. Her powers are corrupted by demonic energy after she’s trapped on Limbo. Eventually, she creates the immensely powerful Soulsword, escapes, and joins her brother alongside the X-Men in the New Mutants arc.
We’re expecting to see Magik in all her All New, All Different mutant glory as her classic skin. But we’d absolutely love to see the amazing Phoenix Five-inspired Marvel Snap art made into a custom skin for her.
Namor
Prince Namor aka the Sub-Mariner, is one of Earth-616’s most interesting anti-heroes. Most recently appearing in the MCU’s Wakanda Forever, Namor’s not quite a villain, but not always the good guy either. The prince’s toolkit comes with telepathic abilities thanks to his half-Atlantean heritage, and the ability to fly. Oh, did we mention he’s the guardian of one if the infinity stones?
From what we’ve seen of Namor from the trailer and promo art, it looks like his Marvel Rival appearances is taking some inspiration from his look in Wakanda Forever, as well as a touch of Defenders of the Deep. Still, we’d love to see the prince in one of his hero fits, like the black and white sleeveless suit he sports in Origins of Marvel Comics: X-Men.
Magneto
Born amid the chaos of World War II and imprisoned in Auschwitz, Max Eisenhardt eventually revolts against his Nazi captors and escapes. A freedom-fighter at heart, he rallies other oppressed mutants to his cause. Subjugating mankind beneath mutant-rule. Still, like many Marvel villains, he doesn’t always play the straight bad guy. Wielding the ability to control magnetic fields, Magneto bends metal as easily as he bends the rules, and that’s why he’s one of Marvel’s most compelling characters.
From the gameplay trailer, Magneto’s outfit looks to be taking some inspiration his Uncanny X-Men suit. However, we’re definitely keen to see his Dawn of X suit, or Age of Apocalypse costume as options.
The Punisher
When it comes to iconic anti-heroes, it’s hard to go past the Punisher. Frank Castle’s charm in the Marvel Universe comes from his lack of super, superpowers. Instead, his superpowers are his wits, his experience as an ex-marine, and a whole lotta guns.
Frank Castle plays judge, jury, and executioner against some of Marvel’s baddest crooks, dishing out his unique brand of brutal justice.
Marvel Rivals looks like it’s taking some inspiration from War Machine Punisher for the character’s skin at launch. While a classic skull-shirt Punisher skin would be great, the one we’re really hoping for is Franken Castle.
