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Update: Capcom has revealed Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. It will feature 12 new characters beginning with Ghost Rider, Hawkeye, Strider Hiryu, and Firebrand from the Ghosts 'n Goblins series. You can watch the trailer here.
I can feel it coming. Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds has a panel at the San Diego Comic-Con, director Ryota Niitsuma will be in attendance, and online forums are going insane trying to solve riddles from a Twitter leaker. The rumor is that Capcom may reveal some sort of update to the title soon, and that means it's time to speculate on who will be in it.
Previously, I have tried to predict which fighters would make it into Super Street Fighter 4: Arcade Edition. I got exactly zero correct. To make up for my failure, I have studied fan polls, scoured for off-hand comments from Capcom creators, and trained in advanced roster-ology techniques to settle on these 12 all-stars.
Cyclops
Cyclops has achieved the respect of his peers and the love of beautiful women despite being constantly portrayed as a prick. Nevertheless, the leader of the X-Men would appeal to those who want an all-around fighter but found the likes of Ryu and Captain America to be a bit lukewarm.
But wait a second. What about Cyclops’s son from the future, Cable? Isn't it his destiny to rejoin Magneto, Storm, and Sentinel and reunite the god tier of Marvel vs. Capcom 2? Then again, Cyclops taught MVC2 players how to never give up, so he has a competitive pedigree, too. I can see this list is already off to a bad start.
Elektra
The Marvel Universe’s deadliest assassin, Elektra, began life as Daredevil’s tragic love interest in Frank Miller’s famous run with the superhero. Miller killed her shortly after her debut, but the writers always find ways to bring her back. Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has displayed a penchant for replacing older combatants with new characters -- like Final Fight’s Mike Haggar filling in for Street Fighter's Zangief -- so maybe Elektra can function as a “new” Psylocke from previous games.
Hold on a second: Psylocke is becoming more prominent in the Uncanny X-Force comics, so a return isn't too far-fetched. Then again, MVC3 has the Hand Hideout stage. Why design a level based on the ninja organization that is so commonly associated with Elektra stories without putting her in the game? I have no idea who will prevail in a battle between the cold-blooded red ninja and the cold-blooded blue ninja.
Doctor Octopus
Otto Octavius has pursued Spider-Man for decades both by himself and as the leader of the Secret Six. People have found files for him in MVC3’s coding when the game came out, which suggests that Doc Ock may have been under consideration. Like M.O.D.O.K., he's a character no one would think of, but he makes sense once you see him tearing people apart with his metal tentacles.
That likely means Venom won’t be in the game. Marvel doesn't want the Eddie Brock Lethal Protector Venom casual fans know to steal the spotlight from the Flash Thompson spec-ops version of the symbiote. We've also got Anit-Venom, but no one would know who he is. Although, he is in Spider-Man: Web of Shadows. Ah, screw it. Doc Ock was in the good movie, so he's in!
Ms. Marvel
Ms. Marvel is one of many superheroes who have risen from obscurity to become key players in current Avengers storylines. Some of you might not remember her because during the 90s, the X-Men's Rouge absorbed her powers, which is why she had flight and super strength in the cartoon and the other Vs. games. Ms. Marvel would be Rouge with laser beams and other powers, and that sounds pretty cool.
Yet the company's universe is filled with rags-to-relevance stories like Luke Cage, Iron Fist, and Spider-Woman. Ms. Marvel is nice and all, but she’s like settling for vanilla ice cream: We know what we’re going to get. A good Marvel vs. Capcom character is a chocolate sundae with rainbow sprinkles and whipped cream.
Black Panther
While Black Panther is currently subbing for Daredevil in the funny books, he has more than enough credentials to make it into this game. He is the king of Wakanda, an expert tactician and martial artist, and uses technology made out of vibranium, the strongest metal on Earth. Black Panther could be an agile fighter with lunging strikes; I'm thinking of Tatsunoko vs. Capcom's Ken the Eagle with a mix of MVC2's Sabretooth.
But where’s the big tie-in to promote? Ghost Rider has a movie and a new comic book coming out. The new Defenders series has been teased with Silver Surfer and Dr. Strange. And of course, rumors are circulating that Thanos is the villain of the Avengers movie (and he was also in a prior installment of the series). Sorry T’Challa, but I have to think this over.
Juggernaut
Professor X’s brother has made an appearance in all but one of Capcom's superhero-themed brawlers either as a playable character or as an assist. He also adds diversity to a potential lineup: With all the petite ninjas and ass-kicking lawyers that top fan polls, a human freight train should be able to ram right through them. He even had his own Internet meme.
Still, the Juggernaut would be a bigger, slower of Hulk, who’s already a lethargic giant. I'm also going against the wishes of people who want Gambit. Everyone wants him in because Gambit is cool. Even as an uncool youth playing the original Marvel vs. Capcom on a friend’s PlayStation, I knew the Ragin' Cajun was the best because he threw playing cards and played by his own rules.
