The Best ‘Marvel Rivals’ Characters To Start With

With the closed beta currently going on for Marvel Rivals, the upcoming NetEase Marvel hero shooter, loads of new players are hopping in for the first time. With 21 Marvel Rivals characters currently on the roster and Thor and Jeff the Land Shark’s imminent arrival, there are many options to choose from. The heroes are split among three different roles, including Duelist (DPS), Strategist (Healer), and Vanguard (Tank).

Here are some of the best Marvel Rivals characters to start with to learn more about the maps, gameplay, and flow.

The Punisher

One of the most straightforward but effective Duelists to hop in with, The Punisher has an easy-to-understand kit that packs a punch. Armed with two weapons, a rifle, and a shotgun, The Punisher can be effective both at range and up close. He can toss down a zipline to gain some verticality, a smoke grenade to obscure line of sight, a turret that can shred enemies, and a passive that can outline enemies briefly as they leave your sight. His ultimate turns him into a walking tank, absolutely destroying anything caught in his wake. Playing as The Punisher makes Marvel Rivals feel familiar, allowing new players to learn the game quickly.

Rocket Raccoon

The gun-toting critter (DO NOT call him a raccoon) is a great way to learn a Strategist character, armed with a minigun that deals damage but also heals. One trigger will blast enemies away, while the other pops healing orbs that can give your team a much-needed boost in times of danger.

He has a beacon that he can toss down that can both revive an ally and give nearby allies some extra shields for more protection. His jetpack lets him zip around, a get out of trouble free card when timed properly. His ultimate places a damage-boosting tower down, giving any allies in range a massive damage boost. He can also ride on Groot’s back, which, y’know, is just awesome.

Venom

Despite toting a 3/5 difficulty, I actually think Venom is one of the more straightforward Vanguard characters to learn. His main attack sends out symbiote tendrils to skewer enemies, dealing a ton of damage if each lands. His swing gives him a ton of quick movement and verticality, especially when combined with a dive that damages enemies as he lands.

He has a healing ability that heals him more the lower his health is, keeping him in the fight longer and less reliant on other healers. If Peni or Spider-Man are on the field, he grants them bonus attacks that can deal a good amount of damage. Venom’s ultimate brings him underground, casting a huge circle that deals damage to anyone caught in it when he attacks, while also recovering more health for himself. He’s a great self-healing tank that can deal a ton of damage.

Scarlet Witch

Scarlet Witch may be one of the hardest-hitting DPS characters in the game so far, but it is a dangerous glass cannon when used properly. Her main attack shreds enemies with chaos magic as long as they’re in your sight. Attacking with it also charges her special, a more concentrated blast of chaos magic that has longer range and deals more damage. She also has an ability that causes her to disappear and fly, letting her get out of dangerous situations quickly, but also getting closer to other flying characters to take them out.

She’s a ton of fun to sneak around with, getting behind the other team to deal damage before disappearing again. Her Dark Seal ability lets her toss a grenade pops a field of chaos magic, dealing continuous damage and stun to anyone caught inside. Her ultimate is terrifying and deadly, but takes a few seconds to pop off as she collects a ton of chaos magic and explodes. She can get killed while charging, but effectively using it can wipe a team at a critical moment.

Adam Warlock

Another healer, Adam Warlock, is really effective at quick team-wide heals. His main attack shoots off beams of energy from his staff, with an ability allowing him to charge and fire multiple shots in quick succession. Warlock has an ability called Soul Bond, linking nearby characters together to distribute damage among the entire team while providing healing over time.

This gives your Duelists and Vanguard less of a chance to die quickly. His other ability is an instant quick heal that gives one of your allies health while healing Warlock at the same time. His passive allows him to respawn immediately on occasion, keeping his heals around at critical team moments. Warlock’s ultimate resurrects fallen enemies and, if used at the right time, can bring your entire squad back while providing a bit of invulnerability to turn the tide.

Marvel Rivals’ current beta period runs until August 5, with daily Twitch drops for keys to be able to join in on the fun. So far, it’s an impressive hero shooter that really captures the magic of early Overwatch. With many more characters to play, there’s a lot more to dive into once you’re comfortable with these heroes. As a massive Spider-Man fan, I’m determined to get good with him, even though he’s one of the most challenging Marvel Rivals characters to play with. With more heroes on the way, the heroes above will give you a fantastic foundation to be ready for anything.

Marvel Rivals is launching free to play in 2025 on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.