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Marvel Rivals has taken the nerdy fandom by storm. Its focus on Marvel lore, its authenticity to its roster of characters (of which it features a robust cast), and the smooth gameplay make it a title that’s both fun to play and refreshing in a world where Overwatch 2 has gotten stale.
That being said, one primary factor is at play here that makes the game so noteworthy. It ensures the title is in headlines all the time and has the fanbase react in the most hilariously positive way.
The MCU needs some cheesecake factor.
Let’s talk about what Rivals gets right, and can the MCU learn a bit from this and perhaps even lean into it a bit?
How Marvel Rivals Does Cheesecake Right
Now, yes, there is a lot to say about adding cheeky costumes (most notably for the female characters) in the title, and the aspect of sexualization is by no means a new conversation, nor has the comic book industry been free of it. Costumes specifically for women have at times tended to push the envelope; that much is clear.
But at the same time, Marvel Rivals seems to have struck a balance by utilizing physical allure with a purpose. The character designs across the board are dynamic and fresh (well, some more than others, as Wolverine’s wasn’t received quite as well), and it’s clear the game is targeting a certain demographic that enjoyed games like Stellar Blade. But that’s not all, there are tons of fighting games like Street Fighter 6 and Tekken 8 that balance s*x appeal, cheesecake factor, and exciting visual designs for their characters all at the same time.
And people clock into those like it’s work. Because it’s fun, exciting, visually appealing, and well, the robust cast of sexy characters doesn’t hurt either. Rivals seems to have this sense of balance down to a tee, and that’s partly why people enjoy it so much.
The art style complements the fact that the design team recreates classic comic book characters with such energy, style, gravitas, and yes, s*x appeal, which makes these characters stand out in all the best ways.
The best example of this is the game’s most recent, Emma Frost.
The White Queen is notorious for flaunting her near-perfect curves, barely there outfits, and being ever the telepathic seductress fans have come to know and love. She’s posh, she’s sophisticated, she’s sexy, and she’s 3-dimensional.
The character design team behind her was able to communicate her entire personality via her design. She’s bodacious, she’s curvy, she’s confident and seductive all at once. Making her a Vanguard, the game’s title for tank-like characters, was a bold move indeed, as it makes her stand apart from the rest of the ladies on the roster. Her tall stature and muscular thighs are an inspired choice and only add to her allure.
What about female attractiveness in the MCU
The MCU could stand to learn a few things from this because, indeed, the juggernaut that is Marvel Studios is an expert in dishing out films, setting up characters, and providing great stories (though that’s debatable these days), but they often struggled with a few things. Weak villains, uninteresting romances….and well, looking at Rivals’ success, it’d appear they could lean a bit into those seductive qualities, too.
Now, that’s not to say they haven’t approached it before, and that’s also not to say that it has to be done disrespectfully. Egregious amounts of anything are always bad, so all good things in moderation. The MCU seemingly already knows this, as we’ve seen tons of shots of our male leads shirtless or in powerful poses, leaning into that s*x appeal for the ladies, which is honestly fantastic, as it’s about time.
Think of Chris Pratt shirtless in Guardians of the Galaxy, or Chris Evans’ Captain America ripping apart blocks of wood in Age of Ultron, or even him holding down an entire Helicopter in Civil War. Or how characters joke about his a** being ‘America’s A**!’ Not to mention the countless times we’ve seen Chris Hemsworth show off his insane physique as Thor.
Hell, Paul Rudd got jacked for Ant-Man, and there are tons of more examples along the lines. It does seem, however, that aside from a few standout moments — like Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow channeling her comic book femme fatale roots in Iron Man 2 and The Avengers, Cate Blanchett igniting screens as the sultry Hela in her body-hugging outfit in Thor: Ragnarok, and Brie Larson’s Carol Danvers just casually looking hot and turning heads in a white tank top showing off her enviable assets in The Marvels — that the MCU perhaps toned that element of physical allure down a bit over time in their efforts to overcorrect the issue.
Some of the comic book costumes can indeed be quite impractical for battle, but the MCU can find a good middle ground by making some fresh redesigns that perhaps lean into showing off some of the premier Marvel Heroines’ exquisite beauty.
What Marvel Rivals’ Success Shows Us
Marvel Rivals is doing pretty well for itself despite its open embrace of sexualized characters, and the reason is that its handling of the situation is quite well. Comic book accurate skins for characters like Magik, Sue Storm’s Malice, and Psylocke not only add to the cheesecake factor but also pay homage to the characters’ roots in the comics.
Comic book fans care deeply about respect for the source material, and having skins of this nature alongside a great understanding of the character’s personality traits goes a long way to show the fanbase that their characters are still respected.
The MCU, however, has largely played it too safe with its female characters, which is weird considering there is such reverence for the male appeal for many of its stars, as discussed earlier.
Perhaps the MCU can learn from Rivals’ success and lean a bit more into that cheeky side of things, considering they cast some of the most beautiful actors in the world to play these iconic characters.
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