8 DLC Characters We’d Love To See In Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite

Is Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite essentially just one big popularity contest? As of writing, we're still a ways off from knowing the full roster (leaks aren't always 100 percent accurate, after all), so it's too early to make a final judgment, but so far, that certainly appears to be the case. It makes sense that both parties involved in the crossover want to push the beat 'em up to as wide an audience as possible, but if such a decision is being made at the expense of including lesser-known characters, the strict adherence to including only those individuals with global appeal could well end up hurting Infinite's success more than help it. With the exception of a handful of newcomers (Gamora, Sigma, Jedah), the game's edging dangerously close to familiar territory rather than breaking new ground. Don't get me wrong, I'm as happy to see the likes of Iron Man, Dante and Spider-Man return just as much as the next guy, but it wouldn't hurt to see the roster spiced up with some more fresh blood. After all, it's not as if either party is short of material. We'll see what the future brings, but for now, here are eight combatants we'd love to see make into the game as DLC. 8) Juri I'm wary of putting Juri on this list, not because I think the character is an unpopular choice (far from it), but rather, because of the series she hails from. It'd be absurd to think Capcom wouldn't include at least a handful of characters from Street Fighter to fill out the ranks on its own side of the brawler, but there's a fine balance to be struck as to ensure Infinite's title doesn't inadvertently become Street Fighter vs. Marvel instead. Ryu and Chun-Li, as the series' most iconic faces, were always going to have spots reserved, but if we're to believe their creator is going to follow the same pattern as Infinite's predecessors, and that's looking to be largely true, then one or two more are likely to join them in the future - if not at launch, then certainly as DLC. Akuma is, as he always is, at the front of that queue, but I'd rather see someone else replace the Raging Demon. There's no denying that Street Fighter IV introduced some absolute stinkers as far as brand new characters are concerned (please never return, El Fuerte), but one managed to integrate herself just fine. After just two appearances, Juri's already managed to accumulate a huge fanbase, so one can only assume she's a potential candidate for DLC. 7) Lisa Trevor The near endless pool of potential that Resident Evil's bestiary provides seems almost totally lost on Capcom. Nemesis is scheduled to reprise his role from Marvel vs. Capcom 3 as a playable character, which is cool and all, but I can't help but look at his ugly mug and wonder what could have been. The terrifying visage and tear-jerking backstory that the developer created for poor Lisa Trevor are far more interesting than the one-dimensional nature of Resident Evil 3's S.T.A.R.S. stalker, so why not give the unfortunate victim of Umbrella's heinous experiments her time to shine? Given that Infinite appears to be aiming for a more modern roster - the Marvel side is almost entirely made up of characters currently starring in their cinematic universe - Lisa's a much better fit in that regard, what with the recent(ish) re-release of Resident Evil Remake for current-gen consoles. 6) Jack Krauser For whatever reason, Capcom appears to have dropped everyone's favorite sunglasses-wearing villain for Infinite. Indeed, Mr. Wesker is, so far, at least, noticeably missing from the sequel's incomplete roster, and while there's every chance Chris Redfield's nemesis (no, not that Nemesis) could still return, I'd rather see the open space given to another antagonist. Chris' inclusion may have already sullied any chances of Leon S. Kennedy finally making his debut in the crossover franchise, but that doesn't mean Resident Evil 4 has to be ignored yet again. Jack Krauser, Leon's former buddy-turned-enemy and the lucky owner of some tremendously gravelly vocal chords, would make for an excellent replacement for Wesker, not least because of his impressive skill set. The hardened soldier is famously a dab hand at hand-to-hand combat but besides that, having decided to jack himself up on Las Plagas juice, Krauser's quite literally got a trick up his sleeve (if that sleeve was to be made of skin) in the form of a mutated arm blade with which to skewer his opponents. 5) Edward Falcon No, that's not some random image of a cartoon, ever-so-slightly romanticized depiction of a British pilot you see above, but rather, Edward Falcon, the main character and poster boy of the Power Stone series. For those not familiar with the name, don't be surprised, Capcom itself has seemingly forgotten about the 3D arena fighter since its inception, having released just one sequel back in 2000, Power Stone 2, for Sega's equally short-lived Dreamcast. Which is, without sugar coating it, a crying shame, given the various unique elements both games brought to the genre. Similarly to Nintendo's Super Smash Bros., which, as we now know, turned out to be a wildly successful formula, Power Stone's interactive environments and mid-battle item pickups injected an element of fun into an otherwise, let's say, serious genre, a stark contrast to the combo heavy and technical natures of Tekken and Street Fighter, at least. Falcon's, or any other Power Stone character, for that matter, appearance fits perfectly with the aesthetic that Capcom's shooting for this time, too, so really, his inclusion largely comes down to whether there's any room on the roster for lesser-known combatants. Marvel vs. Capcom 3's character sheet did include Viewtiful Joe, after all, so there's still hope. 4) Loki So we've known since before it was even announced that the heroes and villains on Marvel's side of the fence had a higher chance of being picked if they were a current part of the MCU and, as expected, the usual suspects have already been confirmed to return, but what about the new blood? An entirely new generation of moviegoers and non-comic book fans have been introduced to the likes of Black Panther (who's confirmed to be coming as DLC), Ant-Man and Thanos (again, already confirmed), but one so-called newcomer is noticeably missing. Mention of Thor's estranged brother Loki has, so far, been alarmingly lacking, both in terms of his absence from leaked lists and as teasers from Capcom's PR machine. You'd think, given his role as the primary antagonist in The Avengers and, indeed, his upcoming appearance in Thor: Ragnarok, that the Asgardian would be a shoo-in for Infinite, but alas, Capcom and Marvel obviously have other ideas. There's every chance, of course, that both parties are holding fire on such an announcement in order to have it coincide with Ragnarok's launch later this year. There's roughly a gap of two months between the launch of Infinite and Thor's third solo outing, after all, which is the perfect amount of time for Capcom to hammer Loki into shape for his series debut. 3) Daredevil You'd think Daredevil would have been designated an auto-include for Infinite, given the runaway success status that Netflix's original series has so far achieved, but no sir, the blind superhero doesn't appear to have made the cut. At least not for launch. Perhaps the absence is down to his being a part of Marvel's televised empire rather than the bigger, more influential silver screen, or maybe Capcom simply took the critically panned 2003 film to heart and harbored a burning hatred for the character ever since. Whatever the case, there's obviously a reason why Matt Murdock, to date, has never been included in the series, but if we're to believe that popularity has a large bearing on who's in and who's out for Infinite, then I struggle to believe that the Hero of Hell's Kitchen isn't at least being considered. Ultimately, I fear that Murdock, along with the rest of his super-powered cohorts, just aren't deemed 'special' enough to rub shoulders with the Avengers and their intergalactic enemies. We'll see what the future brings, but I certainly won't be holding my breath for Daredevil's inclusion, despite his renewed popularity. 2) Asura Capcom's playing it far too safe with Infinite so far. It's a recurring theme that's started to emerge with each subsequent entry of this article and, overall, a tentative criticism that's applicable to both sides of the crossover. Barring the total absence this time around of Marvel's Astonishing X-Men, Infinite's roster remains largely unchanged from what's come before. A handful of newbies (Captain Marvel, Jedah) have been added in order to shake up the status quo, but it's not quite enough just yet. Why that is, I'm not going to speculate on, but it's certainly not down to a lack of material. Devil May Cry, Dead Rising and Resident Evil are always going to be represented in some form or fashion, purely due to their popularity, but that still leaves plenty of room for other, lesser known, beings. Instead of Ghosts 'n Goblins' Arthur - who, by the way, is largely considered to be a joke character - why not have a representative from other Capcom IPs take his place? Asura's Wrath didn't exactly set the Western world on fire with its progressive genre ideas, but it did spawn some interesting characters, not least its namesake. I'd much rather take control of an enraged demi god hell-bent on revenge than a pint-sized, lance throwing knight, I know that much. Take the plunge, Capcom, you won't regret it! 1) Legion Wolverine, Cyclops, Storm, Magneto: those names have become synonymous with the Marvel vs. Capcom franchise since its inception. In fact, before the stage of battle was opened up to any and all characters from both sides, gaming's most memorable mashing of worlds began life on a much smaller scale. X-Men vs. Street Fighter was what kickstarted the series' success back in the late 90s, so it's hardly surprising that a total lack (so far) of the former for 2017's installment has left longtime fans feeling mildly betrayed. Despite what we've been led to believe by leaks and the sort, those in charge believe that the Mutant fad peaked long ago, and that most people have long since forgotten about Xavier's gifted disciples. The more likely and straightforward explanation, of course, is that Marvel wants to distance itself from the X-Men due to not owning the film rights, but why let that get in the way of an entirely separate form of entertainment? At the very least, give us a token representative for the series. Legion is my top choice to fill the role. The mentally unstable antihero not only ticks the box of being current (the TV series has proven to be spectacular), but he's arguably the strongest mutant out there. What better way to represent your race? Do I think there's a cat in hell's chance of Xavier's son making it into Infinite? Not in the slightest, but a man can dream, right?