One of Marvel’s Best Games Keeps Getting Better

Marvel‘s games have not been getting a lot of updates in recent years, with only ongoing titles like Marvel Rivals or Marvel SNAP receiving a variety of new content post-launch. Even those games have seen their ups and downs, whether it’s the layoffs behind the Marvel SNAP team or the rise in player attention for Season 8 of Marvel Rivals. However, one unlikely game from Marvel’s catalog is getting unexpected but welcome DLC, expanding a great title and setting it up for the future.

Among Marvel’s other great games in past years, Marvel’s Cosmic Invasion was one of the best beat-em-ups in recent years. Adopting a classic arcade pixel-art style, this hand-crafted game featured detailed animations for non-stop action against the forces of Annihilus, a lesser-known Marvel villain. With unique dialogue between characters, great co-op fun, and satisfying combat, this was easily one of my favorite games to release in 2025.

Marvel’s Cosmic Invasion Adds Cyclops & The Thing To Its Already Impressive Roster of Characters

The Thing and Cyclops have been added to Marvel Cosmic Invasion as DLC fighters, coming into the game with special voice lines and interactions with the game’s whole cast. This includes fun interactions between Cyclops and his wife Jean Grey, or fun banter between him and Wolverine. The Thing also brings his rough-and-tumble attitude to the game, mingling well with other characters even if the rest of the Fantastic Four aren’t in the beat-em-up yet.

These two Marvel icons expand Marvel Cosmic Invasion‘s roster to 17, available as DLC that players can purchase for $3.99. Thankfully, players don’t have to unlock these characters within a story playthrough, as they did for Silver Surfer, Venom, Phoenix, and Phyla-Vell. Cyclops and The Thing come equipped with a variety of skins to use as you please, with special fighting styles that diversify them from other characters. For example, Cyclops’s Optic Blasts allow him to attack a variety of enemies from long-range, while The Thing uses grappling attacks and close-range strikes to deal heavy damage to any foe.

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Both of these characters fulfill a specific niche the game didn’t really have before, allowing players to choose fighters more in tune to a different beat-em-up style of combat. More importantly, players have a better opportunity to form unique teams, such as using Cyclops to lead a squad of all X-Men into the fray. Finding cool team synergies through the inclusion of Cyclops and The Thing will add to the fun of Marvel Cosmic Invasion, adding to an already solid experience.

Additional DLC Characters For This Stylish Beat-Em-Up Is Planned For Later In 2026

Cyclops and The Thing’s inclusion isn’t a one-and-done addition to Marvel Cosmic Invasion, much to the delight of fans like me. Another round of DLC is planned for Fall 2026, at least according to the trailer for the extra characters released by Marvel Entertainment. The “DLC #2” as it is called promises new playable characters, which could be anyone from Marvel’s storied library of legendary heroes. Considering how Marvel Cosmic Invasion already uses figures like Cosmic Ghost Rider and Beta Ray Bill, there is a possibility for even greater roster variety.

The next DLC also is set to have a new game mode, set to release whenever the new characters do. This could be additional story content, an endless mode, or a boss rush against some of the greater challenges within the game’s Campaign. Marvel Cosmic Invasion already has an Arcade mode with its own modifiers and systems, but a new mode could offer new angles to gameplay that haven’t been explored yet. Perhaps even the new characters in the second DLC will relate to the new mode, being more suited for it than others.

Extra Story Content & Dialogue Makes Each Character Expansion Feel Impactful

The split-screen multiplayer appeal of Marvel Cosmic Invasion is only one reason why the inclusion of new characters is wonderful for the game. As was mentioned earlier, new characters in the game means extra beats to different stories, allowing the unique personalities of fresh faces to shine. Having Cyclops and The Thing automatically means new interactions, either with other roster characters or bosses throughout the game. The commentary each character provides helps players connect to them, which is great for those who are already fans of those Marvel heroes.

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Seeing how the story changes and adapts to new characters is part of why this game feels so different from other Marvel titles released in recent years. The layers of authenticity to Marvel characters in recent games like Marvel Cosmic Invasion and Marvel Rivals shows much better adaptations than films or TV shows have typically done, showing how appealing they can be when given the space to shine.

What do you think about the addition of new characters to Marvel Cosmic Invasion? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!