The main roster for Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls has been revealed, with 20 characters from across the Marvel universe joining together in a brand-new fighting game. Organized into five teams of four, this game structures characters into various teams, such as the Fighting Avengers, Unbreakable X-Men, Knights of Doom, and so on. However, the first year of DLC for this title is set to introduce four more characters, likely in a fresh team that fits into the game’s story.
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According to snippets of the story we’ve seen, “leader” characters have assembled their teams together to take on the challenge of The Champion, a figure from Marvel known to bring devastation to different worlds in search of strong fighters. For example, Spider-Man brought Star-Lord, Ms. Marvel, and Peni Parker onto The Amazing Guardians team. Through this structure, it’s safe to assume that the DLC characters will make up a new team, but the unorthodox pairings already in the game make it impossible to predict which Marvel figures are likely or deserving of a roster slot.
5. The Defenders
The Defenders are often considered the “street-level” heroes of Marvel, working on a grounded level instead of fighting cosmic threats, evil dictators, or other large-scale foes. Often in conflict with criminal underworld figures like The Kingpin, The Defenders may not be as strong as Thor, but this only serves to accentuate their unique skills compared to other heroes. From skilled martial arts combatants to walking arsenals, some members of The Defenders could be a variety of well known characters or obscure picks.
Even though some characters from The Defenders have already been seen in Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls‘ stages as background cameos, developers have already stated that this doesn’t de-confirm anyone from joining the roster. From The Defenders’ history, some of the characters that could be on a team in Marvel Tōkon could include:
- Daredevil
- Power Man (aka Luke Cage)
- Jessica Jones
- Iron Fist
- The Punisher
- Doctor Strange
- Silver Surfer
- Namor
- Nova
- Valkyrie
Doctor Strange is one of the founders of The Defenders from Marvel Comics, but both Stephen Strange and his wife Clea could take up the mantle of the Sorcerer Supreme. Fan-favorites like Daredevil or Luke Cage are easy fits for a Defenders team too, but lesser known choices could help the DLC stand out too, such as Valkyrie. The inventive gameplay that could emerge from any of these characters would be exciting, whether it’s Luke Cage’s invulnerability or Iron Fist’s martial arts.
4. The Thunderbolts
There are many iterations of The Thunderbolts, a group originally meant to be a disguised team of villains masquerading as heroes. Over the years, however, The Thunderbolts have become more heroic, enlisting characters of morally grey demeanor from across Marvel into a volatile roster. The range of The Thunderbolts fluctuates often, sometimes with incredibly powerful members, but often with ex-soldiers and mercenaries who go out on tactical missions at the behest of whoever the team’s leader is at the time.
For Marvel Tōkon, The Thunderbolts roster could have endless possibilities, but a few staples are likely to make it into the game compared to others. Out of all the likely Thunderbolts characters to get in, here are a few examples:
- Baron Helmut Zemo
- Red Hulk
- Winter Soldier
- Black Widow
- Venom/Agent Venom
- Elektra
- Taskmaster
- U.S. Agent
- Bullseye
- The Sentry
- Hyperion
If this team is the core behind the DLC of Year 1, the leader is perhaps the most important character to determine the rest of the team. If the leader is Baron Zemo, like the first Thunderbolts team, the rest of the DLC could all be villainous, similar to the Knights of Doom. However, with a leader like Red Hulk, Luke Cage, or the Winter Soldier, there could be a more diverse group, with anti-heroes or soldiers with a far different approach to gameplay than the rest of the characters in the game.
3. The Midnight Sons
Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls already has some characters from The Midnight Sons, the team of Marvel characters that deal with supernatural threats. In fact, the Samurai Outriders team of Ghost Rider, Deadpool, Loki, and Blade directly teases the rumors that Ghost Rider would be leading a Midnight Sons themed team for the base roster. Despite the inclusion of Ghost Rider and Blade already, a “true” Midnight Sons team could still be planned with other characters, drawing from mysticism and magic to create fascinating fighters.
Though it could be strange to have an over-abundance of supernatural characters on the roster, many figures from that side of Marvel have never been in a fighting game before. Much like Carnage, Green Goblin, or Magik, having brand-new characters to the genre is far more enticing that re-inventing characters who have always been in Marvel fighting games (except for Magneto). Some of the best picks from the larger Midnight Sons for Marvel Tōkon could be:
- Scarlet Witch
- Doctor Strange
- Moon Knight
- Morbius
- Nico Minoru
- Brother Voodoo
- The Hood
- Elsa Bloodstone
- Man-Thing
Moon Knight and Doctor Strange are perhaps the most requested characters for the game right now, with the former gaining significant popularity through Marvel Rivals. Scarlet Witch is also expected, mainly through leaks that revealed the character alongside Magneto, the latter of whom was shown as part of Doctor Doom’s existing team. That being said, it remains to be seen if these popular figures will usher in a faithful Midnight Sons team for Marvel Tōkon‘s first year of DLC.
2. The Fantastic Four
Since the beginning announcement of Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, fans have commented on how the four person team structure is perfect for The Fantastic Four, Marvel’s first team and family. In all honesty, a Fantastic Four team almost seems inevitable, with a leader like Reed Richards (aka Mister Fantastic) helping his family take on The Champion’s challenge. However, The Fantastic Four consist of more characters than just the core four, with perhaps some cosmic additions that might defy player expectations.
It’s possible that just two of the core Fantastic Four members will be on a team in Marvel Tōkon, with the other members consisting of characters the family has welcomed into the Baxter Building over their long history. This could set up an interesting narrative twist within the game, while also preventing players from accurately predicting the team. Some characters for a Fantastic Four team might be:
- Mr. Fantastic (Reed Richards)
- The Invisible Woman (Sue Storm)
- The Human Torch (Johnny Storm)
- The Thing (Ben Grimm)
- She-Hulk
- Franklin Richards (aka Powerhouse)
- Valeria Richards (aka Brainstorm)
- Moon Girl/Devil Dinosaur
- Crystal
- Medusa
- Nova
- Ant-Man
There is far more variety to The Fantastic Four beyond the main family, although just adding those characters to each DLC slot wouldn’t upset players that much. To avoid the obvious, Marvel Tōkon could add Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, whose pairing creates a unique dynamic whenever they appear in comics or games. Long-time Marvel figures like Nova or Ant-Man could exist through The Fantastic Four as well, donning new looks they’ve never committed to before in the defense of Earth from The Champion.
1. The Illuminati
A secret society consisting of some of the strongest figures in the Marvel Universe, The Illuminati coming into the light might create one of the most creative teams in Marvel Tōkon. This team was established to monitor the world, working behind the scenes to push forward events and exchange information, representing manipulation across multiple facets of Marvel’s universe. Although not malevolent like Baron Zemo or Doctor Doom are, the members of The Illuminati are not figures to be underestimated.
The crossovers within The Illuminati are not large, but they often contain some of the most well-known figures in Marvel. Some characters seen in The Illuminati, like Iron Man, are already in the game, with lore hinting that the exile of The Hulk was a direct result of his actions. This could line-up an eventual Illuminati reveal for DLC, with characters consisting of:
- Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic)
- Professor X
- Namor
- Doctor Strange
- Black Bolt
- Emma Frost (White Queen)
- Blue Marvel
- Beast
Even if Iron Man and Black Panther are already in the game, other members of The Illuminati could put together a surprising team for DLC. Seeing Mr. Fantastic fight outside the Fantastic Four could be very interesting, while lesser known picks like Blue Marvel might lead to inspiring play styles to try. For the sake of planetary threats like Black Bolt to get into Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, a potential Illuminati team for DLC is one of the most interesting paths developer Arc System Works could take.
What superhero teams do you want to see in Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!
