10 Characters Fans Want In The 2026 Marvel Rivals Roster the Most & How Likely They Are To Happen

Marvel Rivals has an ever-growing roster of playable characters, with two new heroes releasing with each new Competitive Season. Of course, Marvel Rivals has also proven that it won’t just add the classic fan favourites to the roster - there are often more niche picks included, with Jeff the Land Shark, Luna Snow, and Angela all being relevant examples. Because of this, there’s always constant fan chatter and speculation about which heroes should be released next. If you’re wondering what some of the most popular choices around the Marvel Rivals community are in terms of wanted releases, this list takes a look at the ten most anticipated picks for 2026, as well as how likely they actually are to release in-game any time soon.

Cosmo The Space Dog

Jeff the Land Shark has proven the appeal for cute and cuddly critters in the game, with his popularity skyrocketing following his Marvel Rivals release. With how well-received Jeff was, it almost seems like a no-brainer to try to incorporate another cute companion like Cosmo the Space Dog. The skin potential for a character like this is limitless, and there’s a lot of room for emotes or Team-Ups too. Not to mention, he has strong telepathy and shield powers that could also see him fill a place on the Strategist roster.

As for how likely Cosmo is to launch in Marvel Rivals any time soon...well, there don't seem to be any leaks indicating his development just yet. However, with the popularity of other cute animal-like characters paired with the community’s desire for him in the game, I wouldn’t be surprised if some information and leaks pop up in the window between Marvel Rivals’ 2026-2027 year. After all, hero releases are developed ahead of time, so I don’t expect to see him in the 2026 wave. Still, with growing discussions and Cosmo’s name popping up more frequently, he has just as much chance as any of the other common choices around the community.

Jubilee

Jubilee seems to be a popular choice for wanted heroes in the Marvel Rivals community, with a lot of players believing her ability kit would undeniably be a lot of fun, as her powers revolve around energy blasts. Fans most commonly discuss being able to see her in a Strategist or perhaps Duelist role, with her popularity as a wanted addition increasing over the last year due to leaks indicating that she has been in development.

Jubilee is one of the heroes that has been previously datamined, indicating that she is already in the works, apparently as a strategist. However, if Gambit and Rogue’s releases are anything to go by, it’s proof that these leaks and datamined info can change quite drastically, with the two switching roles and having their kits redesigned from DPS to Strategist and Strategist to Vanguard. In addition to this, it is also possible that previously datamined heroes may be scrapped, put on hold, or replaced by others, with character IDs changing. Jubilee still seems to occupy the character ID 1064, which would indicate that she’s a release in progress, and it’s more a matter of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’.

Quicksilver

Quicksilver is another popular choice in the Rivals community when it comes to characters they’d like to see on the roster, especially for Scarlet Witch fans. Having Quicksilver in the roster would nearly complete the family (minus Polaris, who is a bit more niche), and offer some very amusing voice line interactions and potential Team-Ups with Wanda, Magneto, and more.

The big struggle with Quicksilver is that he will need to be carefully designed to ensure he isn’t overpowered, as his abilities to speed up through time could potentially be game-breaking. A popular theory is that he could operate as a Strategist pick, and use these powers in the form of abilities that enable him to tag in, grab a teammate, and rescue them from a fight/reposition them all over the map, speed boost allies, and a ‘time-slowing’ Ultimate that makes the enemy move in slow motion. As for the probability of his arrival, there have been a few leaks in recent months suggesting devs have started development on his character. But unlike others, there doesn’t appear to be a work-in-progress character ID or any hard evidence, so this is to be taken with a grain of salt.

Thanos

Thanks to the MCU, Thanos is one of the most notable Marvel villains of all time, so there’s no doubt about fans wanting to see him added to Marvel Rivals. Of course, much like Quicksilver, Thanos is a bit of a tricky situation in terms of powers. It’s a bit hard to imagine how stuff such as the iconic Thanos snap would operate in-game, despite it being quite an iconic moment for his character. Instead, Thanos, who would naturally be a Vanguard pick, could perhaps have a kit focused more on his super strength and cosmic energy manipulation in the form of both shields/barriers and blasts, operating as a close-to-mid range brawl tank.

One notable hint that Thanos could be entering the game sooner than anticipated is the Marvel Rivals MCU in-game event roadmap for 2026. This roadmap features both Infinity War and Endgame events – so what better time for Thanos to make an appearance than events themed around his biggest films? There has been no confirmation, of course, but there’s a slim chance NetEase could surprise fans with such timing.

Kitty Pryde

Kitty Pryde entered the game in the form of an adorable little accessory a while back, but that could never compare to the real character. She has a very unique set of abilities and is a much-loved hero, but the community often struggles to imagine how she would be implemented. Phasing abilities would surely create a series of pesky bugs at any given point as new maps and updates roll out. From a dive Duelist/flanker pick to a brawl Vanguard or melee Strategist, somehow Kitty seems to be able to potentially fit into any role, yet also not feel quite right for a standard pick under each option.

There are currently no major leaks or information or assets for Kitty Pryde circulating the community, so chances of her releasing anytime soon (especially throughout 2026) seem unlikely. Still, this doesn’t stop her from being one of the most anticipated picks for a new roster addition, so perhaps Rivals will eventually give the playerbase what they want.

Vision

There are a few flying characters on the roster already, but they are a bit of a rare occurrence for new additions, with Human Torch being the latest flyer to join. Vision could potentially add another flying hero to the board, with some unique abilities to differentiate him from the likes of Iron Man’s beam and blasts. Perhaps he could scan and detect nearby threats through walls and detect invisible enemies for a duration, similar to Daredevil’s passive. In addition to this, perhaps he could project holograms to fake out certain abilities or mimic an Ultimate voice line from an ally to trick enemies.

Honestly, there are a lot of directions a Vision concept could go in. Beyond his kit, he would also be a fun add, especially for Team-Ups or interaction potential with Wanda. We’re yet to see any news or leaks on an Ultron addition, but there will come a time when we’re overdue for a new flying hero, and who better to add next for flyers than him?

Doc Ock

Doctor Octavius, otherwise known as Doc Ock, is one of the most notable villains related to Spider-Man. In the latest map added in Marvel Rivals Season 7.5, a teaser for Doc Ock can be found, with one of his arms hanging up a Spider-Man suit within one of the rooms. This has sparked interest in whether Doc Ock will be added to the game later this year or in 2027, with speculation about him potentially fitting into the Vanguard or Strategist roles.

Other than this little map teaser/Easter egg, there has been no hard evidence of Doc Ock coming to the game anytime soon. However, this hasn’t stopped fan concepts and ideas from circulating on the internet, with one involving a Vanguard kit that enables his mechanical arms to move across structures/walls, close-to-mid ranged rapid poke damage, and the ability to hurl large objects at the enemy.

Kingpin

Kingpin actually made his arrival in the game during Season 7.5 – but not as a playable character. Instead, he’s playing the role of a secret boss during the latest limited-time PvE game mode. However, as he now has a model in the game, there is a possibility that he may follow later on as a playable pick on the roster, including a fully developed ability kit centred around his staff.

In terms of characters who do actually have decent chances of releasing, Kingpin is in a good spot. As he already has assets/a model in the game, half of the work is done. Besides, previous bosses in these PvE events have included playable heroes such as Namor and Wanda, so what’s to say that Kingpin won’t end up as one of them, too? Perhaps this is just our first sneak peek at him before he returns later on. The only thing that doesn’t work in favour of this theory is that he also happens to be the Seasonal villain, and previous Seasonal villains from the lore/story progression generally don’t end up as playable. At least, not yet. Will Kingpin be the first? It’s hard to say, but fans certainly wouldn’t be disappointed if he is.

Ghost Rider

Ghost Rider has been one of the most wanted heroes for the game ever since launch, and that hasn’t changed in the sixteen-month period it has been live. There are a number of reasons people want to see Ghost Rider – the amazing potential for different hero skins, very interesting abilities to incorporate into his kit, and some very fun Team-Up potential with the likes of Spider-Man or Wolverine.

He would likely fit the Duelist role the best, with high mobility, and even the potential to self-heal or self-revive in his kit, similar to Adam Warlock, or Anran from Overwatch (through her Ultimate). Hellfire manipulation could enable him to target enemies, create walls or terrain threats to isolate the enemy. And then, of course, his Ultimate could be something flashy involving his motorcycle. There have been a few different leaks regarding Ghost Rider throughout Marvel Rivals’ lifetime, with recent ones pointing towards a variant of Ghost Rider, The Hood, having real potential of being added throughout 2026-2027. If he is, he will certainly be one of the most popular additions of the year!

Nightcrawler

Last, but certainly not least, is Nightcrawler, who is a popular pick that fans would love to see on the Duelist or Strategist role, playing either a dive/flank Duelist or melee Strategist. Nightcrawler would very likely include teleportation of some kind, likely more along the lines of Magik or Black Cat than Doctor Strange’s portal. Perhaps this could function more like Tracer’s recall in Overwatch, where he can teleport a certain distance either in general or to a target such as an enemy or ally, leaving a cloud of smoke behind in which he can return. This would likely ensure his teleportation isn’t considered too broken, as there would be a visual tracker. In addition to this, his agility could be incorporated in the form of stacking attack speed for every consecutive attack hit, to a maximum.

Like Jubilee, Nightcrawler is one of the characters who has been previously leaked. In fact, they were both in the same leak, back from X0X_Leak on X/Twitter. According to this leak, Nightcrawler is indeed in development as a Duelist character. He could have potential Team-Ups with certain characters on the roster, such as Magik, Spider-Man, or Rogue. Nothing is currently known about his supposed ability kit just yet, though, but there is plenty of speculation, such as the possible features mentioned earlier.