Marvel Rivals’ Deadpool is a Hodgepodge of Comic References, Viral Memes, and Overwatch’s Most Infamous Hero Ever
Marvel Rivals may have kept players waiting for a playable Deadpool for over a year, but their patience has been rewarded with a truly special take on the character. There are some interesting things that NetEase does with its take on the Merc With a Mouth, be it the distinct costume or having Alejandro Saab — an actor who has never played Deadpool in the past — portray the character. However, Deadpool shines not just because of these welcome differences, but because NetEase also pulls from virtually every interpretation of the anti-hero there has ever been. The result is a Deadpool that feels like the quintessential version of the character, with something to appreciate for every kind of Deadpool fan.
Love the Deadpool films and Ryan Reynolds’ spin on the character? Expect some nods to those movies, such as the “Maximum Effort” gag being brought up. Maybe you prefer a specific era of Deadpool comics? Rest assured, those runs will likely be referenced through his dialogue, which is packed with comic homages and, of course, fourth wall breaks. Even if you see Deadpool as a source to deliver pop culture references, the NetEase version accomplishes that. Marvel Rivals’ Deadpool is genuinely funny, delivering a range of jokes for fans that fall into different categories of humor, ensuring everyone chuckles at some point when the character is in their match. Gameplay-wise, his complex kit may take some getting used to — and one version is proving controversial due to its similarities to a particular Overwatch character — but overall, NetEase’s Deadpool is a home run that feels more lovingly crafted than any hero that came before him.
Why Marvel Rivals’ Deadpool Deserves to Be Celebrated
After playing just one match as Deadpool, fans of the character will spot countless things to praise. First and foremost are all the little details; take Deadpool’s interactions with Galacta. As one of Marvel’s resident fourth-wall breakers (She-Hulk also boasts this ability), Wade Wilson is able to talk back to Galacta. Every time she delivers one of her usual messages about pushing payloads, time running out, and so on, Deadpool will reply, leading to a brief back-and-forth where he quickly gets on the cosmic being’s nerves. Another great touch is that Deadpool is the first — and likely last — hero with a 0-star difficulty level. Beyond that, his animations are incredible, from a humorous pose where he bends over as Rogue drains his powers to a goofy run resembling Woody’s movement in Toy Story.
Marvel Rivals characters always reference their comic book histories in conversations, but Deadpool’s dialogue takes things to the next level when it comes to the sheer number of specific references. His love for Jeff is a nod to his time babysitting the affordable creature in Kelly Thompson’s 2019 run, which saw Wade become the king of Monster Island. Conversations with Rogue reference a very brief fling between the pair when they were part of the Uncanny Avengers in 2015, while Galacta pokes fun at Wade for failing to impress Lady Death, another love interest. There’s even a nod to Wade dating Shiklah, a monster queen from the phenomenal Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn run that saw a significant amount of depth added to the mercenary.
Yet any Deadpool fan will know that his fourth-wall breaks go beyond referencing other comics and regularly veer into nods to pop culture. Through dialogue, he’ll ask the common internet question about Mr. Fantastic’s stretchiness, acknowledge Loki’s time with the TVA in the trickster’s Disney Plus series, and even poke fun at NetEase’s favoritism for Luna Snow. He makes fun of toxic Duelist players and teases Cyclops’ addition to Marvel Rivals, too, and he also embraces meme culture. For instance, fans of internet memes will appreciate the following jokes:
- Deadpool catches himself saying 6-7 and immediately swears to himself.
- Deadpool calls Hawkeye Hawk-tuah.
- Deadpool shouts “it’s Morbin’ time” in a chat with Spider-Man.
Marvel Rivals’ Deadpool May Feel Like Overwatch’s Brigitte, But Only in a Good Way
In terms of personality, Deadpool is genuinely perfect; the voice fits, the attitude fits, and whether one prefers nods to lore or silly internet jokes, Deadpool delivers on both. In terms of gameplay, there’s plenty to praise too, even if some players are a bit concerned about how not all versions of Wade Wilson are created equal. While the charming RPG-like character upgrades and unique trait of being available in all three hero categories are positives, Deadpool’s Strategist kit is raising eyebrows for hero shooter veterans. Specifically, it’s because of a resemblance to Overwatch 2’s Brigitte, a character that was hated by players for years.
While the current version of Brigitte isn’t a character Overwatch 2 players would think twice about, she was terribly frustrating when she was first added to the original game. Her design led to the much-hated GOATs meta, which saw heroes refusing to die because of their self-sustaining abilities. Her shield bash stunning characters essentially made low-health, high-skill heroes like series mascot Tracer unusable, and she effectively made Overwatch less fun for several months. When players realized that Marvel Rivals‘ Deadpool essentially works like Brigitte, with his melee attacks healing himself and those around him, red flags were quickly raised. However, though Deadpool’s aura-healing from melee hits is very reminiscent of Brigitte, he trades her shield and CC (stun) abilities for movement like dashes and double jumps. As such, he’s hardly the menace Brigitte was, instead filling the brawl healer void that Marvel Rivals previously had.
That said, though Strategist Deadpool may feel like a less annoying Brigitte, that doesn’t mean he’s perfectly balanced. There’s a problematic exploit where he can jump on allies’ heads to build his Ultimate at the start of the match, and said Ultimate being able to get extended to 20 seconds has many declaring Deadpool is overpowered in Strategist and Vanguard form. At the same time, his Duelist form is lacking compared to the other 2 variations, while all the Deadpools suffer from visual clutter. Yet even with these flaws, Deadpool is a delightfully fun and chaotic mess to play as, which perfectly suits who he is as a character. Sure, his balancing and certain mechanics can use a bit of fine-tuning, but once that happens, Marvel Rivals’ Deadpool will be the complete package. With NetEase’s Deadpool arguably being the most well-rounded take on the character of all time, the phrase “better late than never” undoubtedly rings true.
- Released
-
December 6, 2024
- ESRB
-
T For Teen // Violence
- Developer(s)
-
NetEase Games
- Publisher(s)
-
NetEase Games