Spider-Verse Heroes We Still Need in Marvel Rivals

Let’s be real for a second: swinging into a match as Spider-Man in Marvel Rivals feels incredible. Since launch, I’ve spent countless hours perfecting web-slinging flanks and landing that perfect diving uppercut. But as much as I love the core roster, something keeps gnawing at me every time I queue up. We’ve got a handful of spider-themed characters already—Venom is an absolute monster, Peni Parker locks down objectives like nobody’s business, and the Chasm skin for Peter is a beautiful nod to the clone saga—but the multiverse is literally infinite. It feels like we’ve barely scratched the surface of what’s possible, and 2026 is the perfect time for the developers to unleash a proper Spider-Verse season. The comics, the movies, they’ve handed us a treasure trove of heroes who aren't just palette swaps; they bring fundamentally different combat philosophies. So, let’s dive into the characters I’m itching to play, starting with the most obvious omissions and working our way through the deep cuts.

I’ll start with Miles Morales, because honestly, his absence is the most baffling decision currently sitting in the roster selection. We are talking about a character whose popularity has rivaled, and in some circles, surpassed Peter Parker’s. You can bet the fanbase will descend into a frenzy the millisecond that black and red suit materializes in a cinematic trailer. Gameplay-wise, he isn’t just a younger Peter. His Venom Blast mechanics could easily translate into a crowd-control Vanguard or a close-range Duelist who punishes divers. I see him having an enhanced Spider-Sense that works like a radar for the entire team, a massive utility in a game where flankers like Black Panther can dismantle a backline. Plus, turning invisible with his camouflage would put Psylocke’s stealth to shame. If I were designing his Ultimate, it would be a massive area-of-effect Venom Blast detonation—call it “Mega Venom Strike”—that stuns nearby enemies, giving your team that split-second window to wipe a clustered backline.

Close behind him on the popularity chart is Spider-Gwen, or Ghost-Spider if you prefer her current canon alias. While she shares the web-slinging genes, her Earth-65 origins turned her into a ballet dancer of chaos. I’m not just here for the white hood aesthetic; I’m here for the distinct biological differences. Imagine a Strategist, or a highly mobile Duelist, who doesn’t just swing away but generates bio-electricity and commands swarms of spider-like creatures as scouts. Her ability to mimic clothing textures would serve as a perfect camouflage support tool, letting her disguise herself as an environmental object or even a friendly player to bait out enemy flanks. It’s only a matter of time before she debuts. She’s a license to print money, and her ballet-inspired combat loops would feel completely fresh.

Let’s talk about raw firepower for a second, because Spider-Man Noir deserves a slot purely to break the mold. We got a taste of him in the animated movies, but in Marvel Rivals, he would be the ultimate hybrid. This guy isn’t just throwing acrobatic kicks in 1930s New York; he’s packing a revolver and a Tommy gun. I envision him as a mid-range hitscan Duelist, the kind of character who can stand his ground on a payload and trade blows with a Punisher. His playstyle would be slow, deliberate, and brutal. You’d lurk in monochrome shadows, using web lines less for traversal and more as trip-mines or yanking mechanisms, and then unload a drum magazine into a Vanguard’s head hitbox. The tone shift would be magnificent—this isn’t your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man, this is a hardened noir detective.

But if we’re going for broken hitboxes and pure comedy gold, give me Spider-Ham. I know, I know, competitive players are groaning at the thought of a toon character jiggle-peeking corners, but Marvel Rivals already embraces the absurd with characters like Jeff the Land Shark. Peter Porker is a certified legend from Marvel Tails, and his charm isn’t just a gimmick. Going “ham” in a live-service game means you’d have a tiny character drawing aggro, distracting snipers by simply existing, and pulling out 1000-ton anvils from hammerspace. The mind games would be glorious.

We need more Vanguards, and that’s why I’m campaigning for Spider-Girl (Anya Corazon). Her unique carapace summoning is a mechanic begging to exist in a hero shooter. She could start as a nimble brawler, but her ultimate involves summoning that massive blue exoskeleton, instantly converting her into a damage-soaking tank that adjusts armor thickness on the fly. It’s a stance-switch mechanic that would allow skilled players to bait out aggression and then harden their defenses.

On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, Spider-Woman (Jessica Drew) is often overlooked, which is a crime. This is not a web-slinger in the traditional sense; this is a bio-electric powerhouse who also glides. I want to see her as a flying disruptor, similar to Storm but with an assassin’s precision. Her venom blasts wouldn’t be area-of-effect like Miles; they’d be precise, charged shots that chain lightning between grouped-up opponents. She'd be the bane of a tightly packed 'Death Ball' composition.

Here’s a quick look at how some of these abilities might categorize them in a typical composition:

Now, you can’t have a multiverse without a punk rock revolution. Spider-Punk (Hobie Brown) is who I pick when I want to tilt an entire lobby. A Duelist wielding a guitar as both an axe and a buffing instrument, Hobie would ooze style. I see him using his guitar riffs to apply buffs to nearby allies (maybe a movement speed boost for a dive meta), while his denim vest visually shreds projectiles. He’s the counter-culture icon that would make playing an objective feel like a rebellion against the oppressive boredom of a 'mirror match' meta.

For the players who love a high skill ceiling, Silk (Cindy Moon) is the obvious choice. Organic webbing shooting from her fingertips opens up a design space far beyond swinging. She can weave clothes instantly, which means she could create deployable web-snares or barricades on the map. I’d play her as a trapper—the kind of Strategist who locks down rooms like Peni on steroids. Her ult could be a web tornado, wrapping enemies in cocoons that require teammates to break them out manually, effectively removing them from the fight for precious seconds.

Then there are the legacy picks that hit me right in the nostalgia. Scarlet Spider (Ben Reilly) is technically here via a skin, but I refuse to settle for a color palette. I need the hoodie. I need the impact webbing as a distinct ability instead of the standard web-shooters. His extrasensory Spider-Sense could work as a parry mechanic, negating incoming melee attacks and instantly regenerating a chunk of health. If I can’t rock the iconic blue sleeveless hoodie with the torn web sash, is it even a true clone saga?

Lastly, saving the most terrifying for last, Spider-Man 2099. Miguel O’Hara is not a hero you want to bump into in a dark alley on 2099 Nueva York. With his fangs that induce paralysis and razor-sharp talons, he’s a Vanguard/Duelist hybrid built for vertical assassination. I’d make him an anti-mobility character: his paralyzing bite could ground flying heroes like Iron Man or disable hyper-mobile flankers. That 90s sci-fi aesthetic sells itself.

From the lighthearted chaos of Spider-Ham to the brutal efficiency of Noir, the Spider-Verse is literally overflowing with characters who could redefine the meta in 2026. The developers have crafted a game where comic-book weirdness shines, so sticking purely to clones of Peter’s kit would be a wasted opportunity. I want distinct silhouettes, distinct audio cues, and the kind of diverse gameplay that forces me to learn new combos all over again. Hopefully, we won’t have to wait another cinematic universe phase to see some of these faces finally make the cut.