Mister Fantastic will fix one of Marvel Rivals’ most annoying problems
NetEase GamesMister Fantastic is officially coming to Marvel Rivals in Season 1, and the smartest man alive is set to finally address one of the most frustrating problems in the game since launch.
Marvel Rivals arrived with a huge roster of characters from across the Marvel universe, each with their own sets of powerful abilities and team-ups. But, just like Overwatch, the lineup is only going to get larger over time, and Season 1 brings the first set of new heroes.
In fact, there are four fresh faces coming over the course of the season, because Marvel’s first family, the Fantastic Four, is joining the fight. But while Sue Storm, Human Torch, and The Thing are all solid additions in their own right, their leader Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic) looks set to change Marvel Rivals for the better.
Duelist domination
Ever since Marvel Rivals launched back in December 2024, there’s been one contestant issue affecting the flow of matches – players won’t pick Vanguards. Given the number of powerful DPS characters and the patience and discipline it takes to be a Vanguard, as well as the lack of a role lock, tanks have become an increasingly rare sight while Duelists run riot.
NetEase GamesThis is fine when both teams elect not to pick a tank, but if the opposition selects one or even two Vangaurds, such as Venom or Doctor Strange, and uses them effectively, it makes for some very one-sided and painfully frustrating matches.
After Mister Fantastic was revealed ahead of the long-awaited Season 1 update, the character is the first step in addressing this problem, as he acts as the first true tank/DPS hybrid in Marvel Rivals.
This is because he combines the best aspects of both roles; the damage output of a Duelist and the self-sustainability of a Vanguard. Reed starts with an already impressive 350 health, and his passive allows him to build elasticity to inflate himself, boosting his own damage and, crucially, restoring his health as high as 600.
The result is a Duelist that draws the attention of the enemy team, as it requires a coordinated effort to take him down once he reaches maximum elasticity. Mister Fantastic thrives when leading the attack, soaking up damage and taking the heat away from the rest of his team. With the help of an effective healer, Reed has the potential to be a one-man wrecking crew.
Stretching across two roles
If this all sounds familiar, it’s because this is exactly what many of the tanks in Marvel Rivals are designed to do. Think about Doctor Strange’s shield or Venom’s Sybmbitic Resilience, it makes them beefier and harder to kill, allowing them to act as the focal point of the team.
By placing Mister Fantastic into the Duelist role, the devs are sneakily encouraging players who usually stick to DPS characters to play as a tank in all but name. So, while it won’t do anything to address the overwhelming popularity of Duelists, it at least increases the chances of having a Vanguard-like character on the team to add some much-needed balance to matches.
I’m not the only one who picked up on this either. Shortly after the reveal of Mister Fantastic, many players took to Reddit claiming that this was a way of ‘tricking’ Duelists into playing as Vanguards. However, not everyone saw this as a positive, as many felt that Reed should have been classed as a tank based on his abilities.
While there’s no doubt that his huge health pool and kit are definitely on the tankier end of the spectrum, I can’t help but feel like this was a deliberate decision. By giving Mister Fantastic the best of both worlds, they’ve managed to kill two birds with one stone. Not only have they added a fan-favorite character with abilities that feel true to the source material, but they’ve also subtly introduced more balanced team compositions even if players don’t want to play as a Vanguard.
All that’s left to do now is wait and see if Mister Fantastic is strong and popular enough to have the desired effect when he arrives with Marvel Rivals Season 1 on January 10. But with a role lock looking increasingly unlikely, don’t be surprised to see more of these hybrid characters in future updates.
For more on Reed and Co., be sure to check out the release date for Fantastic Four: First Steps and our full Marvel timeline.