SourceGaming Presents: Marvel vs. Capcom 4

With the recent news that Disney will be licensing out its properties to other game developers to use, a resurgence in support for a new entry to Capcom’s long running and well respected fighting game series; Marvel vs. Capcom soon followed. To say that this is an exciting prospect is an understatement! Following our articles for a Konami-Smash Bros. themed roster and a Nintendo Kart roster, TheAnvil, Spazzy_D, and Nantendo, this time joined by Wolfman_J decided to go full throttle figuring out a perfectly balanced roster for Marvel vs. Capcom 4!

Please note that this is presented as more of a wishlist, and less of a prediction. After all, it is reported that Marvel have prohibited use of its X-Men and Fantastic Four characters from use in games in the near future. A hypothetical Marvel vs. Capcom 4 would likely be very different.

Without further adieu, TheAnvil, Spazzy_D, Nantendo and Wolfman_J present to you their vision of Marvel vs. Capcom 4!!!

The picture pays homage to the traditional select screen layout of the first 3 MvC games, and more typically using the yellow outlined boxes found in the first 2 games. The comic book pages you find on the left and right were inspired by Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3’s character select screen! We initially settled on 66 characters, being a significant mark-up from the high point of 56 (MvC2), but pushed the boat out a little further by including a single clone on each side. Interestingly enough, UMvC3 was to have 58 characters initially, though scheduling of releases cut that to 50. Each character is arranged opposite his or her ‘rival’ character, as well as being arranged by series for easy navigation.

Characters were typically chosen with a set of principles in mind, these include:
–MvC veterans. There are 3 MvC games, each with a selection of characters that are weren’t in the other two games. How important are certain characters to MvC as a whole?
–What’s probable ( currently relevant). Marvel was heavily basing their choices on marketing for MvC3 particularly, but they actually did the same for each version. MvC1 featured the Onslaught storyline which had recently been a huge deal in the years preceding it, and MvC2’s new Marvel characters were Marrow and Cable, both relevant to the comics at the time of production. A more recent example would be Rocket Raccoon and Hawkeye, who were chosen for MvC3 to help promote future movies.
–Think outside the box (obscurity). Each game has had its share of surprising and obscure characters, chosen for their bizarre nature, and for their moveset potential. Good examples include Shuma-Gorath, Nemesis and Pheonix.
–Look at the characters that fans really wanted.
This Japanese, and this Western poll were great sources in this regard.

You can read below our thought processes and tidbits behind the characters that were selected. We initially had many characters, including both veterans and newcomers who unfortunately couldn’t make the cut, and some who were a stone throw’s away from being included in the roster.

Marvel
The Avengers:
Characters included: Hulk, Ms. Marvel, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, Squirrel Girl, The Machine Man.
Although nearly every Superhero has his or her own series, they occasionally crossover to form a super team known as ‘The Avengers’. Heroes like Captain America, Iron Man and Spider-Man have all frequently been a part of the Avengers but as these heroes all have multiple characters from their respective franchises in Marvel Vs. Capcom 4, this section is devoted to those that only have one character or those that are exclusively a part of the Avengers.

Of the veterans the only one in this category is the Hulk. Big, green and angry, the Hulk plays a lot like he does in previous iterations of MvC. On to the newcomers, the next major Avenger with only one fighter to their series is Ms. Marvel, a.k.a. tThe current Captain Marvel: Carol Danvers. With a movie coming out, she seems like a prime character that Marvel would hope to push in the future.

Next we have two characters who have already appeared in the movies as the Avengers’ two bad ass females. Sporting polar opposite powers, Black Widow is a martial arts pro and the ultimate spy who seems fit to fight toe-to-toe with the some of the best heroes. Scarlet Witch is a psychic who can mess with people’s minds and chooses to fight from a distance with psychic blasts. Both are in the current Avengers and have seen a huge boost in popularity recently.

The final two are not very common Avengers but have been associated with them in some form. First we have the ever-amazing Squirrel Girl whose own serialization has seen massive success and this makes her prime for her fighting game debut. Lastly we have The Machine Man – well, officially the Machine Man. Drunk, spiteful, and perpetually surly, robot Aaron Stack is a collection of seemingly endless and random limbs, tools, and devices, all of which make him a designer’s dream for moves and abilities. –Nantendo, Wolfman_J

The X-Men:
Characters included: Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops, Nightcrawler, Magneto, Deadpool.
The X-Men, along with Street Fighter are truly the pioneers of the entire legacy of Marvel vs. Capcom. X-Men vs. Street Fighter was the very first time Capcom and Marvel characters were able to do battle with each other. The success of the X-Men only fighting game; Children of the Atom led to the genius idea of pairing the two companies together in a move that created one of the most beloved gaming experiences of all time.

While the X-Men have fallen by the wayside, and Marvel are reluctant to promote them due to film rights, we could not ignore their legacy when selecting the roster.

Nearly every X-Men character we chose were veterans. X-Men staples Wolverine and Storm and Cyclops. The latter who makes his grand return after missing MvC3. Additionally we have Magneto, the master of magnetism and the X-Men’s main villain and of course; Deadpool, the merc with the mouth!

Our sole newcomer (aside from Scarlet Witch, who is kind of divided between X-Men and Avengers in terms of which series she hails from) is Nightcrawler. Eternally popular, he is arguably the most important X-Men character who has not yet been playable in one of these games! His main powers include line-of-sight teleportation, and inhuman acrobatic ability. –TheAnvil

Spider-Man:
Characters included: Spider-man, Carnage, Doctor Octopus, Ultimate Spider-man.
Spider-man is one of Marvel’s most prolific franchises, and thanks to the movie rights reverting back to Marvel we could expect a healthy dose of its characters entering the fray in Marvel vs. Capcom 4.

Our sole veteran, Spider-man is an all-star of Marvel, you couldn’t even think of having the game without him! Our new blood includes Carnage, an evil psychopath fused with a symbiote! Doc Ock, a criminal genius scientist with 4 metal limbs fused to his spine who was believed to have been cut from MvC3. Finally we have Ultimate Spider-man, otherwise known as Miles Morales who is the sole Marvel clone character. –TheAnvil

Iron Man
Characters included: Iron Man, M.O.D.O.K..
Iron Man is, unsurprisingly, a character we wanted to include in this game from the start. Iron Man has a long and storied history in the Marvel universe and has been part of the Marvel Vs. Capcom franchise from the very beginning. In addition to this, his portrayal in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by Robert Downey Jr. has made him a household name, which means he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. One of Iron Man’s most prolific villains, M.O.D.O.K also makes his return from Marvel vs. Capcom 3. M.O.D.O.K. really embodies the spirit of Marvel vs. Capcom through his wacky moveset and unusual anatomy! That being said, Iron Man as a franchise didn’t have too many other possible character additions. War Machine was briefly considered as a clone, but it was ultimately decided that other characters could fill that roll in more interesting ways. — Spazzy, TheAnvil

The Fantastic Four:
Characters included: Dr. Doom, The Silver Surfer.
It seems odd that the Fantastic Four team members never seem to manage securing a spot in any Marvel vs. Capcom roster, but we’ve inadvertently continued that tradition. Dr. Doom, the metal-faced foe of the Fantastic 4 is not only one of the most prolific Marvel villains, he’s one of the most popular Marvel vs. Capcom characters thanks to his hidden missile assist attack. He’s quite frankly crucial to competitive gameplay.

Also entering the fray is the herald of Galactus turned hero, The Silver Surfer. Who uses the powers cosmic bestowed on him by Galactus to save planet after planet from his wrath. Though he was denied access to Marvel vs. Capcom 3 due to difficulty in implementing his board, a similar problem initially kept the Ghost Rider out of the vanilla version of MvC3, and was later rectified in time for him to be included in Ultimate. –TheAnvil

Thor
Characters included: Thor, Loki.
Thor is an interesting character. A founding Avenger, Thor (much like DC’s Wonder Woman)  serves as the team’s connection to mythological worlds and concepts. While this obviously includes Asgard and the nine realms, Thor has also crossed over with many other pantheons including but not limited to the Greek and Shinto gods. 

Something to take note of is that Thor is both the name of a character (Thor Odinson) and a title bestowed upon anyone that is “worthy” enough to lift the enchanted hammer Mjolnir. Due to this, several individuals have been “Thor” in Marvel Comic’s history. The most recent and current recipient of the title is Jane Foster, the female Thor. While it might make some sense to include her as the Thor in a Marvel vs. Capcom game, we felt that the fact that classic Thor was still appearing in the movies and other media adaptations gave that version the edge.

Additionally, Loki the villainous half-brother of Thor finally enters the fight. Loki has received a huge amount of prominence from Marvel in recent years, greatly helped by his prominent roles in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Loki boasts many powers that would make him an interesting fighter, these include teleportation and illusion casting. His staff also gives him an interesting tool for combat! — Spazzy, TheAnvil

Captain America:
Characters Included: Captain America, The Winter Soldier.
No surprise here, the Avengers’ tent-pole hero’s always got a spot reserved. His shield tosses and superserum-enhanced pummeling are a staple, both for Marvel Comics and Marvel vs. Capcom, and with the Avengers enjoying the most popularity it’s ever had there’s no way he’s staying out of the fight. However, he’ll also be joining this fight alone; no Falcon or Baron Zemo, sadly. We at Source Gaming also doubt he’ll use his current incarnation as an apparent ersatz Neo-Nazi. Just, you know, a guess there.

In addition to the Captain, The Winter Soldier takes his long awaited spot! The Winter Soldier, formerly Captain America’s close friend and sidekick, Bucky Barnes was similarly frozen, and revived… Only upon his revival, he was no longer Bucky, but was programmed by his captors to be the dastardly soviet assassin, The Winter Soldier. – Wolfman_J, TheAnvil

Howard the Duck:
Character Included: Howard the Duck
The only character agreed on by every voter here. Created by Steve Gerber and artist Val Mayerik, he’s is an example of what happens when Marvel’s friendly, controlling corporate attitude is stripped away entirely. A duck from outer space, presidential candidate, and one time Iron Man, Howard is a stranger both on earth and within Marvel’s continuity, something with which he’s painfully aware – in some respects, he’s more subversive than Deadpool with how he actively tries to disrupt the company. Perverted and nasty, he’s a dark parody of classic cartoon characters long before that was ever in vogue. He can function as both a joke character and a legitimate contender, thanks to his unique martial art “Quack Fu.” – Wolfman_J

Devil Dinosaur:
Character Included: Devil Dinosaur
You know who’s cooler than any superhero? A DINOSAUR THAT’S ALSO A DEVIL! One of Jack Kirby’s characters after returning to Marvel (where, at DC Comics, he wrote the Fourth World Saga and Kamandi), he’s similar to many of “the King’s” contemporary heroes: a creature primordial in strength and design, and almost “pure” in its savagery amidst a volatile world. Devil Dinosaur is literally that – a giant, powerful dinosaur that stomps around in Dinosaur Times and hangs out with Moon Boy and later Moon Girl. He doesn’t have dreams or aspirations; he’s literally just a giant, awesome beast. And that’s what we’re looking for here. Forget flashy powers or anything like that; this is a character of pure power. – Wolfman_J

Doctor Strange
Characters included: Doctor Strange, Shuma-Gorath.
Doctor Strange, Marvel Earth’s Sorcerer Supreme, makes his return in our hypothetical Marvel vs. Capcom 4 roster. The Doctor is a classic Steve Ditko creation whose personality and purpose were provided by Stan Lee. He is an absolute staple of Marvel media, and with a movie on the horizon, I can not see Marvel not wanting his inclusion in this game. His magic based move set also helps differentiate him from the vast majority of the other playable Marvel fighters.

Along for the ride is Shuma-Gorath, an eldritch abomination that has appeared in the last two Marvel vs. Capcom games. While Shuma-Gorath might not be the most important Marvel character, he is amongst the most unique. He also doubled as a Conan villain when Marvel owned the license to that property…that’s gotta count for something. — Spazzy

Blade:
Character Included: Blade.
Blade’s an…odd choice, admittedly. He’s small time, and as a violent vampire hunter is far from the attitude Marvel’s been cultivating from their movies. But that’s just it; he was their original success in film. A daywalker – the son of a human woman and a vampire – Blade first appeared in Gene Colan’s Tomb of Dracula, as just one of the eponymous lord’s many foes. But the real story of Blade was a film trilogy whose second installment by Guillermo del Toro remains one of the best comics movies to this day (incidentally, all three scripts and the third’s direction were done by current DC Comics film scribe David Goyer. Comics are like that). The film excised everything but his birth, training by fully human partner Whistler, and hatred for vampires. Far surpassing the original design in popularity, the movie incarnation quickly became the definitive one, folding back into the comics in a way that would predate Marvel’s slavish devotion to corporate synergy. He’s got all kinds of fun weapons too, especially the “glaive,” the most ridiculous knife ever advertised in Nineties weapons magazines. – Wolfman_J

Guardians of the Galaxy
Characters included: Rocket Raccoon, Thanos.
Guardians of the Galaxy is a super popular and relevant franchise…and that is super weird to long time comic book fans such as myself. The Guardians have a long history in comics dating all the way back to 1969, but they have been the stars of poor selling and niche titles for the majority of that time. What a difference a hit movie makes. James Gunn’s 2014 Guardians of the Galaxy has elevated the property to “A” status, and as such the franchise’s character got a hard look from us when formulating this roster.

Rocket Raccoon, the foul mouthed raccoon tech genius, actually made the roster of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 before the release of the Guardians movie. As a result, many players did not know who the character was at the time. Now that he is among the most popular characters in the Marvel universe, his return in any sequels is basically assured. Due to the limited number of roster spots, Rocket is the only team member to appear in this game. Star Lord was heavily considered, but it was decided that other newcomers could be far more unique then he likely would be.

The mad titan, Thanos, returns to the series after his hiatus in Marvel vs. Capcom 3. The character adds another villain to the game, and his role in the upcoming Avengers: Infinity Wars movie(s) make him a character that Marvel will want to promote. While he is technically not just a Guardians villain, his connection to the cosmic side of Marvel led us to classify him as such. — Spazzy

Ghost Rider:
Characters Included: Ghost Rider
Many Riders have taken on he name, The Ghost Rider, but perhaps none more known than Johnny Blaze. The man who sold his soul to Satan himself to save the life of his father. When in the presence of evil at night, his body becomes engulfed in flame, and his head becomes a flaming skull. With his trusty motorcycle, the Ghost Rider is always a welcome addition. As long as he isn’t Nicolas Cage. –TheAnvil

Daredevil:
Characters Included: Daredevil
Matt Murdock, the superhero who cannot see. Daredevil is widely popular Marvel character, who has more relevance than ever thanks to his highly eponymous acclaimed TV series. Daredevil was blinded by a radioactive substance falling from a truck while pushing a man to safety. The radioactivity gave him a radar like ability, and this, combined with his incredible acrobatic ability, and his trusty club, the man with no fear is a great addition to any roster! –TheAnvil

Capcom
Ace Attorney
Characters Included: Phoenix Wright.
A unique and popular Ccapcom character who debuted in Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3. Phoenix Wright isn’t your traditional fighter, choosing to fight criminals using the justice system rather than his fists. This made him an enjoyable and unique different fighter from the cast. With more games coming out still, he is both relevant and well-liked so he will be staying. –Nantendo

Devil May Cry
Characters Included: Dante.
While the Devil May Cry series is a popular Capcom IP that saw three characters included in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, this time only Dante is returning. This is primarily due to the lack of any new Devil May Cry titles outside of HD re-releases. To make matters worse, the latest title was the prequel/reboot that saw a new Dante and& Vergil take the stage. The Dante we have chosen to use is the original as he is both the most popular, iconic and the one used in titles such as Project X Zone as well as and the anime. DMC Dante will be included as a special costume however. –Nantendo

Lost Planet
Characters Included: Bren Turner.
Lost Planet was a popular title in the last generation and even saw a character added in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. Yet, I imagine most of you do not know who Bren Turner even is. This hot-blooded teen is a new transfer student from E.D.N. II and a skilled VS pilot. He is also the main character of the Japan-only Nintendo 3DS and& PS3 title E.X. Trooper, a spin-off to the main Lost Planet series and its most recent title. Not only is he a stand-out character but his design and abilities fit perfectly for the vs. Capcom series of games. –Nantendo

Monster Hunter
Characters Included: Felyne.
The Monster Hunter series has a special situation with the vs. Capcom series. In an interview, one of the creators of the Monster Hunter franchise stated that he did not want any Monster Hunter material to appear in crossovers which is why we have not seen anything from this goliath of a series in previous MvC games. However, in recent years we have seen many crossovers both within the Monster Hunter franchise itself and outside of it. The most notable thing with all of these crossovers appears to be that they involve the Felynes rather than the Hunters. So, it is our believe that a Felyne character for Marvel vs Capcom 4 is fair game. –Nantendo

Viewtiful Joe
Characters Included: Viewtiful Joe.
Returning from Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3, Viewtiful Joe is a popular Capcom star that does not need to be cut. His series stays stagnant with its representation however, as the series also has not changed at all since the last vs. Capcom game. –Nantendo

Strider
Characters included: Strider Hiryu.
Strider Hiryu is a cyber ninja. That should pretty much be all the justification that’s needed for this character’s inclusion. Just as a reminder, the character IS a Strider (a high tech clan of ninja’s from a dystopian future) whose name is Hiryu. Hiryu is the youngest Strider ever to reach the elite special A-Class rank. He is a master of plasma weapons and his skill with his light sword, cypher, is unmatched.

Hiryu has a long history with the “Capcom Vs.” games, going all the way back the the very first Marvel vs. Capcom. His unique fighting style and significant place in Capcom history made him an important inclusion in this roster. Still, the general popularity of his franchise made it unlikely that we would add another character from Strider. –Spazzy

Captain Commando:
Characters Included: Captain Commando, Baby Head.
Finally making his return after sitting out the 3rd iteration of Marvel vs. Capcom, Captain Commando was without a doubt one of the most popular missing veterans. A staple of the Marvel vs. Capcom series, having debuted in the very first game; Clash of Super Heroes, Captain Commando was actually the very first official Capcom-mascot.

In addition to the Captain, making his fighting game debut is his often-teased comrade, Baby Head! Baby Head is a super-genius baby who fights using a mechanic suit, offering him a huge amount of potential for his moveset. Baby Head made notable appearances in the first 2 Marvel vs. Capcom games, as well as cameo appearances in games such as Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. –TheAnvil

Dead Rising:
Characters Included: Frank West.
Dead Rising has become one of the most noteable Capcom franchises in recent years, so it’s only natural that it would retain a playable character in Marvel vs. Capcom 4. Despite the newer games shifting attention away from its initial protagonist, Frank West, and towards newer characters such as Chuck Greene and Nick Ramos. Frank is very much still the symbol of the Dead Rising franchise, having been reintroduced due to high demand in games such as Case West and Dead Rising 2: Off The Record as well as in Dead Rising 3’s DLC.

Frank, who enjoys covering wars ya know, already boasts a hefty cross-over resume. Featuring in games such as Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, Lost Planet and of course, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. –TheAnvil

Three Wonders:
Characters Included: Lou & Siva.
Three Wonders is a relatively unknown mixed-genre Arcade game released in 1991. What made Three Wonders so special is that it lived up to its name. To call it a game doesn’t really do it justice, as it is in fact 3 games in one. The first game, Midnight Wanderers features two characters, named Lou & Siva, on a quest to find a magical Chariot, and to save Lou’s girlfriend Sena who has been turned into stone by the evil God, Gaia.

The events of the story that unfold in Midnight Wanderers are continued on in Chariot. Lou and Siva use the chariot obtained in Midnight Wanderers to this time battle Lars in a shoot-em-up game!

Three Wonders has had several references and appearances in other Capcom games. Lou & Firestorm appear as a special assist character in Marvel vs. Capcom 1 and Gaia, The Terror Twins and Don & Pull appear in the Japan only game Capcom World 2. Additionally Shiba Shintaro from Cannon Spike was based on Siva!

The huge array of different weapons, abilities and buddies (otherwise known as options) Firestorm, Chilly and Corkscrew make Lou & Siva one of the most compelling characters in Capcom’s catalogue!

Street Fighter:
Characters Included: Ryu, M. Bison, Chun-Li, F.A.N.G, Sean Matsuda.
Street Fighter and Marvel vs. Capcom go hand in hand. In fact if you want to go back far enough, MvC’s true origins lie in Street Fighter and the X-Men. As Capcom’s token fighting game franchise, Street Fighter is healthily represented in each iteration of Marvel vs. Capcom, and Marvel vs. Capcom 4 should be no different.

Veterans we chose to include were obviously Ryu, who is Capcom’s current mascot, as well as staple characters Chun-Li and M. Bison. The former of whom, has been playable in every MvC game!

F.A.N.G. was selected as a newcomer to represent Street Fighter V. His off-the-wall personality and moveset lend itself perfectly for the whackiness of a vs. series game. We also chose Sean Matsuda as the sole ‘clone’ character for Capcom’s side! –TheAnvil

Breath of Fire
Characters included: Ryu
Street Fighter isn’t the only Capcom franchise to include a noteworthy Ryu. Breath of Fire for the Super Nintendo is amongst the best JRPGs on a system that is known for having many shining examples of the genre. The series went on to spawn five sequels, the most recent being a mobile game in February of this year. While the plots of the games in the series are not exactly connected, the main protagonist of most games is a blue haired member of the dragon clan named Ryu. Ryu, having the blood of a dragon inside of him, can morph into a dragon for various attacks. Think Super Smash Bros. Corrin…. but in a Marvel game.  –Spazzy

Cyberbots:
Characters Included: Devilotte.
Cyberbots isn’t the most well known, or even notable Capcom franchise. It was a spin-off Arcade fighting game of Capcom’s Armoured Warriors, released in 1995. Without a new entry in over 2 decades, its characters are really all that has survived the passage of time.

Instead of Jin Saotome, who is incredibly popular and demanded in his own right. We decided that the villainess pirate Devilotte should finally get her chance to shine. Having appeared previously as a playable character in Super Puzzle Fighter II, she has made many cameo appearances in other games such as; Onimusha Soul, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and of course as an Assist character in the first Marvel vs. Capcom.

Thematically, her moveset would be similar to Doronjo from Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, using her lackeys Dave and Xavier to assist her in combat! –TheAnvil

Mega Man:
Characters Included: Mega Man X, Tron Bonne.
When planning out the roster, the questions wasn’t if Mega Man characters would be included, but rather how many characters the franchise would have. Mega Man has long been one of Capcom’s most successful and iconic brands. The blue bomber himself was the de facto mascot for the company in the 80’s, and the original franchise is regarded as the absolute pinnacle of console platforming. It should also be mentioned that every Capcom Vs. game, with the exception of Capcom Vs. SNK, has included a character from the series.

While the original Mega Man was originally our roster, it was eventually decided to give Mega Man X the nod this time around. This would give us a unique and highly requested newcomer while still honoring the classic Mega Man platformers. Tron Bonne was also added, as she serves as a good representative of another branch of Mega Man while also being a fan favorite. –Spazzy

Dino Crisis:
Characters Included: Regina.
Despite a rather lengthy sabbatical, Dino Crisis has managed to stay at the forefront of the minds of Capcom fans for many years. It’s not hard to see why, its initial run was comparable in success to Resident Evil, and Dino Crisis 1 remains one of the top selling Capcom games of all time. The main protagonist of the first 2 Dino Crisis games, Regina, a special agent of S.O.R.T. makes perfect sense to enter the fray with her wide arsenal of weapons! –TheAnvil

Zack & Wiki
Characters included: Zack & Wiki
Every Marvel Vs. game needs a few obscure characters to appease the hardcore crowd. Zack & Wiki, stars of 2007’s Zack & Wiki: Quest for Barbaros’ Treasure on the Wii, would be just that sort of addition. Zack, a pirate searching for treasure, and Wiki, his shape shifting companion, star in a unique and critically acclaimed puzzle game. The very nature of the game would result in a character with a very different sort of move set, which makes them perfect for this game. –Spazzy

Power Stone:
Characters Included: Rouge.
Power Stone, a 3D arena fighter was initially released for Arcade Units in 1999, and was later ported to the SEGA Dreamcast along with its sequel Power Stone 2. Even though Power Stone has seen nothing but a port of its 2 games to the PSP in the last decade, it still retains a huge fanbase. Rouge, a gypsy who specializes in fire attacks is one of the key Power Stone characters. According to director Ryota Niitsuma, Rouge actually narrowly missed being included on Tatsunoko vs. Capcom! –TheAnvil

Darkstalkers:
Characters Included: Morrigan, Felicia, Demitri.
Darkstalkers nearly always has a prominent role in Capcom’s cross over games and it’s easy to see why. Despite only having roughly 2 dozen characters in its repertoire, they’re so unique and memorable that they’re perfect for fleshing out rosters! Despite no new game in quite some time, it’s not through lack of trying internally at Capcom, and Ryota Niitsuma himself is a self-professed fan. Characters such as Jon Talbain and Donovan Baine were strongly considered for Marvel vs. Capcom 3.

Morrigan the succubus, and Felicia the half-ct return as staples of the Marvel vs. Capcom series, and we chose a newcomer in Demitri. A vampire. Demitri was not permitted by Marvel for use in MvC3 due to his “Midnight Bliss” moves, however we believe it would be very easy to include him without him being able to use Midnight Bliss. –TheAnvil

Resident Evil:
Characters Included: Leon Kennedy, Jack Krauser
While Resident Evil 6 got an achingly deserved shellacking from critics, Capcom’s zombie and other monster killing horror/action series remains one of their few reliable franchises for commercial success. Its iconic, with a long running film series, multiple installments on almost every console out there, and a deep love for its best installments. Possibly the biggest of those was Resident Evil 4, the turning point that led to its current style of gameplay and storytelling, so it makes sense to bring in two newcomers for that game. Cop turned secret agent Leon Kennedy has the same kinds of powers held by previous MvC characters like Jill and Chris, while secret agent turned cult mercenary Krauser can grow a giant plant knife out of his arm, a bow, and cool little exploding robots. – Wolfman_J

Ghosts ‘n’ Goblins:
Character Included: Prince Arthur, Firebrand.
Arthur’s back, baby, and just as silly as ever! As always he’s a prince, Ghosts is traumatically difficult, and he’ll still have his breakable armor, heart print boxer shorts, and collection of spears. Arthur was one of the first fun surprises of Marvel vs Capcom 3, and a sign that the roster might reference odder or more cult heroes than previous installments. There’s no reason not to keep him around, especially since he’s got that awesome theme song.

In addition to Arthur, we really wanted to bring back Firebrand. Firebrand is a Red Arremer, a gargoyle like Demon from the Ghosts franchise. That is not the reason he should be in this game, however. Firebrand is the star of his own popular spin off series – the Gargoyle’s Quest games. This games deserve their own representation. Plus, he’s a super cool fire breathing demon. Who doesn’t want one of those in their fighting game? –Wolfman_J, Spazzy

Ōkami:
Character included: Amaterasu
A goddess of the sun and nature, the white wolf Amaterasu was one of the most wanted characters for 3, and despite Ōkami’s poor sales she has remained a beloved icon of the company. While she can fight well with shields, rosary beads, and swords, her most well known power is her wonderful Celestial Brush, which allows her to impact the world with the ease of a paintbrush on canvas. Fire, water, wind – it’s truly breathtaking. – Wolfman_J

Final Fight:
Character Included: Mike Haggar
With a wrestling belt as a suspender and giant set of muscles, Mayor Haggar is the goofy hero of Final Fight, Capcom’s beat-em-up series that drew from contemporary action films. After his daughter is kidnapped by the Mad Gear Gang, he and various sidekicks go out and beat the snot out of anyone in their way. Similar to Street Fighter’s Zangief, he’d be the game’s biggest grappler and a tie to Capcom’s arcade past. – Wolfman_J

Bionic Commando
Character included: Nathan Spencer
Bionic Commando was one of the many idiosyncratic games Capcom was making during the NES era, a shooter/platformer in which a nameless “commando,” using a “bionic” cable arm, could swing from ledges with a fluidity equally useful for combat and exploration. While its 2009 revival, in which the hero was given giant, ridiculous dreadlocks, failed to set the world aflame the series’ name still has weight. While the possibilities of an extendo-limb may seem limited, Spencer’s mixing it up with hand to hand combat worked well in the last game. – Wolfman_J

Asura’s Wrath
Character included: Asura.
Asura’s Wrath is one of the most recent ‘new’ IPs developed by Capcom, having been released for Xbox 360 and PS3 in 2012. Asura’s Wrath is a beat-em-up game, with its lead protagonist, the demi-God Asura being the perfect candidate for a game such as Marvel vs. Capcom. The official Marvel vs. Capcom 3 twitter account even sent a tweet out acknowledging this. –TheAnvil

Red Earth
Character included: Tessa.
Red Earth is a fantasy-themed 2D fighting game released by Capcom in 1996. Similarly to Cyberbots, it has never really seen much in the way of sequels, although its characters have lived on through various cross-over appearances. Including such titles as the ill-received Capcom Fighting Jam, a cross-over game featuring Street Fighter, Red Earth and Darkstalkers characters, as well as the debut of fan-favorite Ingrid.

Tessa, the Witch, is one of four main characters from Red Earth. She’s certainly no stranger to cross over fighting games, having been included in SNK vs. Capcom: SVC Chaos!

If you enjoyed our roster feel free to bug us on the SourceGaming twitter, and on our own personal twitter pages about what you’d like to see us tackle next!


   

  


 
Do you agree with our picks? Which characters would you like to see in Marvel vs. Capcom 4? Which rosters would you like us to tackle next? Let us know in the comments below!