It's looking like the roster for Marvel's Avengers from Square Enix will be launching with 5 playable characters. The characters in question are the roster of original Avengers from the Marvel Cinematic Universe which includes Iron Man, Captain America, Black Widow, Thor, and Hulk. Hank Pym aka Ant-Man was teased at the end of the reveal which means he'll likely be the first post-launch Avengers, but Hawkeye has also been teased through E3 interviews.
With plenty of characters to choose from, let's look at 5 characters we want to be added and 5 we hope we don't see in Marvel's Avengers.
10 Don't Want: Iron Fist
Iron Fist is a character who currently isn't in the best spot with fans. As far as the comics go, he hasn't been a part of anything significant for quite some time, and most people know what happened with the Netflix show. In 2019, it's hard to sell a white guy so closely tied to Asian culture without a captivating story behind it
Iron Fist is a character people would be upset about not making the roster of Marvel's Avengers. At this point, he likely would be the last member of the Defenders people would want and it wouldn't even be close.
9 Want: Ms. Marvel
With rumors of Kamala Khan likely joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the years to come, it makes sense that she would make her way into Marvel's Avengers. Not only is she a great choice of Asian representation in the game, but she also will work wonders for selling this game to a younger female demographic.
Characters that provide both representation, as well as new demographics, are no brain inclusions. Her powers are unique and could be a blast to experience. Including her in Marvel's Avengers could set the stage for her MCU debut.
8 Don't Want: Brawn
You're most likely looking at this entry and wondering who this Hulk lookalike is. Well, Brawn (otherwise known as Amadeus Cho) is the 8th smartest person on Earth-616 and took over for Bruce Banner's Hulk in his absence. Since the return of the Hulk, Adameus Cho went with the hero name Brawn to make things less confusing.
Although he's a valuable member of the Champions and provides Asian representation, his powers are too similar to Bruce Banner's Hulk, so unless he's released in a Champions-themed pack, it doesn't make sense to prioritize his inclusion.
7 Want: Doctor Strange
Like many of the characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Stephen Strange aka Dr. Strange has quickly risen in popularity as well as connection to the Avengers. His building, the Sanctum Santorum, could be visited in 2018's Marvel's Spider-Man, so if the connected game universe is to be believed, then there's a chance that we will see him sooner than later.
None of the initial Avengers have any connection to magic, so the addition of Dr. Strange could provide players with the first playable magic user in Marvel's Avengers.
6 Don't Want: Hercules
Hercules suffers from being a lesser known hero in the Marvel universe, as well as having a power-set that doesn't offer much visual feedback. He's strong and formidable, but what makes him interesting revolves around the mythical beasts and challenges that he faces in his own personal journeys.
When it comes to adding heroes to Marvel's Avengers there are characters whose reveal trailers will spark excitement and Hercules isn't one of them. Maybe he could make his way in with some of his other Greek mythology counterparts.
5 Want: Wasp
Despite being one of the founding members of the Avengers in the comics, fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe have had to wait quite a while to see her in action as a member of the team. In a post-Avengers: Endgame world fans are hoping to see her join the Avengers as an official member.
The great thing about Marvel's Avengers is that they can make this reality happen way before it does in the films. With Hank Pym teased at the reveal, don't be surprised if either Janet or Hope van Dyne make their way into the Marvel's Avengers roster.
4 Don't Want: Luke Cage
Luke Cage suffers from the problem that many of the Defenders, as well as Black Widow, do. Their powers don't do much visually so when you have them in the mix, gameplay will likely feel less exciting.
Is Luke Cage a culturally important character with effective powers? Yes, of course. Does he translate well into a video game where you're playing as Thor, Iron Man, and Hulk? The answer to that is likely no. Luke Cage is the type of character you add in a group addition. Having him bundled with other heroes will make it more exciting and interesting.
3 Want: Guardians Of The Galaxy
The Guardians of the Galaxy went from obscurity, even to fans of comics, the forefront of Hollywood. They're now one of Marvel's most beloved groups of heroes and it happened almost overnight. With the role they recently played in the last two Avengers films it seems that at worst they're honorary members.
Rumors have surfaced that Eidos Montreal is currently working on a game based solely on the Guardians of the Galaxy, so if that's the case don't expect all of them to show up in Marvel's Avengers, but if the rumor is fake don't be surprised if the entire gang joins the fight.
2 Don't Want: Spider-Man
Now, a fan's initial reaction might be that Spider-Man is a key member of the Avengers and his popularity alone makes him a lock to be included. The case for why he shouldn't be added is based purely on the notion of console exclusivity. PlayStation 4 is home to Marvel's Spider-Man, which comes as no surprise considering Sony owns the rights to the character and most of his cast of characters.
If Spider-Man is added to Marvel's Avengers it will likely come at the price of him only appearing on PlayStation's hardware. Does Square Enix really want to deal with the backlash of a move like this?
1 Want: Black Panther
It's hard to deny the pop culture impact that the Black Panther film had, not only on the Hollywood system but the landscape of superheroes in general. Like the Guardians of the Galaxy, Black Panther has quickly shot to the top in terms of popularity. Marvel's Avengers will succeed long-term if they focus on putting characters people want in the game while at the same time making sure there are characters who represent all types of people. Black Panther represents a population of people who have never been represented that way in a superhero film. Doing the same in the game seems like a no-brainer move.