Marvel Rivals Should Finally Give Howard the Duck His Moment in 2026

Marvel Rivals should add Howard the Duck next, bringing sarcastic, feathery chaos to its weird roster after Season 1's record launch.

When Marvel Rivals stormed through its first full season, it didn't just nudge the competitive multiplayer scene—it planted a flag in it. Season 1 crossed 560,000 concurrent players on its first day and quickly added major fan favorites to the roster. Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Woman arrived first, while The Thing and the Human Torch followed on February 21, rounding out the Fantastic Four and proving that NetEase isn't afraid to mix heavy hitters with oddballs. That willingness to embrace the weird is exactly why Howard the Duck should be next on the road map.

Let's be real: Marvel Rivals has never been a game that takes itself too seriously. Its dialogue is packed with snark, and its roster already includes characters like Jeff the Land Shark, Squirrel Girl, and Cloak & Dagger—heroes who weren't exactly household names before the game made them stars. In that landscape, Howard the Duck isn't a stretch. He's practically a missing ingredient.

From cult comic to big-screen survivor

Howard first waddled into Marvel Comics back in 1973, debuting in Journey Into Fear #19. Created by Steve Gerber, Howard was written as a comedic protagonist whose adventures gleefully parodied the era's popular comics. He's a three-foot-tall bipedal duck from an alternate dimension of anthropomorphic animals, stranded on Earth-616 thanks to some cosmic nonsense involving a demon. Despite his cynicism, Howard decided to try heroism—and promptly found himself facing villains like Doctor Bong, Bessie the Hellcow, and Kidney Lady.

If that sounds absurd, that's because it is. Howard is not the kind of hero who politely waits his turn. He grumbles, rolls his eyes, and somehow gets the job done with a bad attitude and surprising competence. His 1986 live-action movie may have been a notorious misfire, but the character has enjoyed a quiet comeback through cameos in Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Endgame, and What If...?. As of early 2026, his next major MCU appearance remains unclear—so Marvel Rivals has a golden opportunity to give him a new playground.

Why Marvel Rivals needs the weird

Many of Marvel Rivals' confirmed and leaked characters—Blade, Ultron, Angela, and others—are fairly straightforward additions. They're popular, their powers translate cleanly to a shooter, and players immediately understand what they bring to a team. Howard is different. He would inject the kind of left-field energy that makes a hero shooter memorable, not just functional.

The game's community has already shown appetite for goofier picks. Jeff the Land Shark became a meme machine, and Squirrel Girl's upbeat chaos earned her a loyal following. Howard could fill a similar niche, but with more sarcasm and feathery fury. Imagine him trading barbs with Doctor Strange or staring deadpan at Galactus. The comedy writes itself, and NetEase has proven it knows how to turn that comedic timing into actual gameplay personality.

How Howard could play

There are several directions the developers could take. Howard's small stature would make him a natural strategist, similar to Rocket Raccoon. A triple-support lineup featuring Howard, Rocket, and Jeff would look like a petting zoo on objectives—but it could absolutely steamroll a coordinated team. That combination would be equal parts hilarious and genuinely dangerous in ranked play.

On the other hand, Howard isn't exactly harmless. His love of firearms and his proficiency in Quack-Fu could turn him into the game's wildest duelist. Not that Marvel Rivals desperately needs another damage dealer, but watching a three-foot duck out-duel a symbiote or web-slinger would be peak internet content. There's even a world where Howard functions as an anti-meta disruptor, using unconventional tools and taunts to tilt enemies before the fight even begins.

Below is a quick look at how Howard might fit each role:

Role	Why It Works	Why It's Delightfully Absurd
Strategist	Small, nimble, could offer buffs with cynical commentary	Triple-healer comps with Rocket and Jeff become a tiny menace squad
Duelist	Quack-Fu and firearm skills translate to aggressive play	A duck out-damaging Wolverine is exactly the chaos Marvel Rivals enjoys
Vanguard	Would be a bizarre but unforgettable frontline presence	Watching Howard tank hits from Thor would defuse every serious lobby

The case for a feathered future

Marvel Rivals has already built its identity around celebrating Marvel history without being bound by its most obvious choices. Howard the Duck has survived bad adaptations, cosmic disasters, and decades of being treated like a punchline. In 2026, a hero shooter that thrives on personality feels like the exact right home for him.

NetEase might want to stop quacking around and put him on the road map. Howard wouldn't just be another character launch—he'd be an event. Whether he shows up as a supportive strategist, a scrappy duelist, or something completely unexpected, the feathered cynic has earned a chance to prove that weird heroes win matches, too.