It’s 2026, folks. Marvel Rivals came outta nowhere back in December 2024 and straight-up body-checked the hero-shooter genre. I’ve sunk more hours into it than I care to admit, maining Spider-Man so hard my thumbs practically file lawsuits against me. While NetEase’s free-to-play juggernaut keeps delivering new heroes and battle passes faster than you can say “I am Groot,” whispers from the DC side of the fence have grown into full-on shouting matches. And this week, the tea got scalding hot: James Gunn himself said a DC-flavored Marvel Rivals is “Totally possible. I’d be open to it.” I nearly choked on my energy drink.
Now, before we all start ordering commemorative Bat-shaped controllers, let’s pump the brakes a smidge. Big Jim didn’t say a DC hero-shooter is in the works – he just left the door wide open. But when the co-CEO of DC Studios gives even a “maybe,” the internet does what it does best: spins wild fantasy rosters like there’s no tomorrow. And honestly? If DC decided to take a page out of NetEase’s playbook, they’d be sitting on a goldmine the size of the Batcave. I’m here to tell you why, and to fan-cast Batman’s massive family into a hero-shooter so delicious it’d make even the Joker crack a genuine smile.
First, a quick history lesson for the uninitiated. Hero-shooters rose, fell, and then rose again like a cinematic phoenix. Overwatch 2 still holds the fort, but Marvel Rivals proved one thing beyond a shadow of a doubt: recognizable characters sell like hotcakes. Remember Concord? Yeah, neither does anyone else. Sony’s attempt launched with a wet thud and got taken offline in two weeks flat. It wasn’t “hero-shooter fatigue” that killed it – it was a lack of beloved faces. You can’t just slap some generic sci-fi soldiers on screen and expect players to care. Marvel Rivals gave us Iron Man, Wolverine, and Jeff the Land Shark, and we ate it up. DC has an even deeper bench of icons. Superman, Wonder Woman, the Flash… but let’s not beat around the bush. The real money-printers wear capes and pointy ears.
Batman and his sprawling brood of sidekicks, villains, and anti-heroes are a hero-shooter designer’s dream. Over decades of comics, cartoons, and films, Gotham’s Rogues Gallery has ballooned into an absurdly rich character pool – each with personality, gadgets, and motivations that map directly onto tank, damage, and support roles. In Marvel Rivals, the classes are Vanguard, Duelist, and Strategist. Same diff. Let’s dive into the Bat-files and assign positions like a kid in a candy store.
Tanks (Vanguard) 🛡️
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Batman – Look, I know some of you just did a spit-take. But hear me out. Bruce is a master tactician with armor that could stop a freight train. Give him a grappling hook for mobility, smoke bombs for area denial, and a passive “Prep Time” that buffs resistances the longer he stays in combat. Tank status, no question. Plus, his brooding alone can absorb psychological damage.
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Bane – The guy who broke the Bat is a shoo-in. Massive hitbox, Venom-fueled rage mode, and a charge that pins enemies like a scorpion. He’s practically already coded.
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Killer Croc – A sewer-dwelling juggernaut with scaly damage reduction and a claw swipe that knocks back. If he doesn’t have a legendary skin where he’s wearing an oversized trench coat, we riot.
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The Penguin – A tank? Yep. Oswald Cobblepot waddles in with trick umbrellas that deploy shields, shoot gas, and let him helicopter-dash. A greasy, British-accented tank who taunts “Coo-coo-kachoo!” after every elimination. I’d main him just for the lols.
Damage (Duelist) 💥
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Red Hood – Jason Todd is the Punisher with more daddy issues. Dual pistols, a knife for melee combos, and an explosive helmet ultimate that clears objectives. His passive “Under the Red Hood” could let him revive once per life with reduced health. Chef’s kiss.
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Nightwing – Dick Grayson swings in with Escrima sticks and acrobatic flair. He’d be a hybrid that plays like Spider-Man crossed with Genji – diving backlines, deflecting projectiles, and flipping right out of trouble. The quips alone would be S-tier.
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Deathstroke – Slade Wilson is a one-man army. A mix of ranged swords, pistols, and a healing factor that kicks in after takedowns. Give him a flashbang and a teleport dash, and you’ve got a high-skill-ceiling menace.
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Harley Quinn – Damage with a splash of chaos. Her mallet smashes through shields, her pop-gun deals chip damage, and her ultimate calls in hyenas (or a giant mallet from the sky). Harley’s voice lines would break the fourth wall and my sanity, and I’m here for it.
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Scarecrow – Fear toxin would make a phenomenal control-DPS hybrid. Enemies hit by his gas become disoriented (inverted controls, anyone?) and take increased damage. His ult unleashes a hallucinatory Bat-demon that scatters the enemy team. Absolute nightmare fuel.
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Mister Freeze – Ice-based DPS with a philosopher twist. His cold gun can slow enemies, create slippery surfaces, and freeze chokes solid. Picture him as a more intellectual Mei, dropping lines about Nora while turning you into a popsicle.
Support (Strategist) 💚
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The Joker – Healing? From the Clown Prince of Crime? Yes. A chaotic support that “heals” teammates by injecting them with laughing gas that regenerates health over time. His gadgets spread AoE buffs, and his ultimate drives enemies into a frenzy that forces them to attack each other. Utterly unhinged, perfectly balanced.
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Poison Ivy – Nature’s nurse. She drops spore fields that heal allies and damage foes, entangles enemies with vines, and her ult summons a giant plant that shields teammates while vomiting restorative pollen. Plus, skins with different floral themes? Print money already.
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Ra’s al Ghul – The Lazarus Pit makes the ultimate support ability. Ra’s can temporarily resurrect a fallen ally within a short window, but at the cost of his own movement speed. His sword attacks infect enemies with a lingering poison that debuffs healing received. Tactical and regal.
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The Riddler – A brainiac buffer. Edward Nigma leaves question-mark traps that reveal enemy locations when triggered. His staff shoots energy puzzles that heal allies and scramble enemy minimaps. Passive ability: “Riddle Me This” gives the team a small damage boost for every correct answer (just kidding… unless?).
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Batgirl – Barbara Gordon brings tech support. Hacking enemy constructs, deploying med-packs from her utility belt, and calling in an Oracle-style surveillance ultimate that marks all enemies through walls for a short duration. She’s the glue holding the squad together.
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Catwoman – A slippery support that steals health from enemies with whip attacks and redistributes it to nearby allies. Her ultimate, “Heist,” lets her copy the ability of any teammate for 10 seconds. Imagine a double-Deathstroke incursion. Bananas.
This lineup barely scratches the surface. We haven’t even touched the Court of Owls, Clayface, or the Batfamily’s extended cut like Signal and Bluebird. The point is, Batman’s world is a bottomless treasure chest of ready-made hero-shooter fuel. DC doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel – just slap a Bat-symbol on it, make sure the netcode isn’t a dumpster fire (looking at you, launch-era Overwatch 2), and let the fans do the rest.
James Gunn’s comment may have been a casual “we’ll see,” but in 2026, the gaming landscape is absolutely starving for a new heavyweight contender. Marvel Rivals proved the concept works; now the ball’s in DC’s court. If they can wrangle a dev team that respects the source material and gives us a polished, free-to-play experience that doesn’t nickel-and-dime us into early retirement, I’ll be first in line to download. No pressure, but my Joker healing build is literally a fever dream waiting to happen. Make it so, DC – the gamer in me is begging you not to let this be another what-if.
Until then, I’ll be in Marvel Rivals, imagining what could have been every time I see a grappling hook.