Since the launch of Marvel Rivals, the community has endlessly debated the best characters, with a clear meta emerging around Hawkeye, Iron Fist, and Hela. Yet as 2026 unfolds, a cadre of heroes remains overlooked—not because they lack power, but because their potential is buried beneath flashier picks. These underrated characters offer incredible utility, strong synergies, and unique playstyles that can turn the tide of any match. This article shines a spotlight on seven such heroes who deserve far more recognition.
| Role | Underrated Heroes |
|---|---|
| Vanguard | Groot, Hulk |
| Duelist | Black Panther, Namor, Wolverine |
| Strategist | Rocket Raccoon, Loki |
🛡️ Groot: The Silent Architect
When players pick a Vanguard, they often flock to Venom or Thor. But Groot, despite his simple appearance, is a well-rounded powerhouse. His Thornlash Wall strikes nearby enemies, boosting his damage output, while the Ironwood Wall grants bonus health to himself and allies when awakened. Groot can tank damage, control chokepoints, and support his team—all while shaping the battlefield like a coral reef in a storm, quietly dictating the flow of combat. His low pick rate is a mystery, given his versatility.
🐾 Black Panther: The Phantom of the Backline
Black Panther is a versatile duelist whose abilities are easy to grasp but difficult to master. His Spirit Rend lunge may seem standard, but when used against enemies marked with the Vibranium Mark, it instantly refreshes and grants bonus health. Skilled players can chain multiple lunges, deleting foes in seconds. Additionally, he gains a 20% damage boost when below 100 HP, making him deadlier in clutch situations. Combined with his self-healing, Black Panther becomes a ghost that strikes from the shadows and vanishes before you can react—a self-sustaining powerhouse.
🌊 Namor: The Turret Master
Many dismiss Namor due to the low raw damage of his Trident of Neptune, but his true strength lies in chaining abilities. His Monstro Spawns act as deployable turrets with large health pools and long-range attacks, pressuring enemies while Namor stays safe. His team-up with Luna Snow further enhances these spawns with a slow effect, making retreat nearly impossible. When played correctly, Namor is like a puppeteer controlling a swarm of piranhas—relentless and suffocating. He just needs more players to recognize his potential.
💚 Hulk: The Passive Powerhouse
Hulk boasts impressive damage, solid abilities, and a tanky health pool, yet his pick rate remains surprisingly low. His true value emerges when paired with Iron Man and Doctor Strange. This team-up passive significantly boosts their damage and removes Strange's healing debuff, allowing him to support more effectively. Hulk doesn't even need to land every hit; his mere presence passively farms assists. Given his immense utility, it's baffling that he remains underutilized.
🦝 Rocket Raccoon: The Bouncing Healer
Rocket Raccoon is hands down the most underrated Strategist. His Repair Mode fires spheres that bounce up to ten times, healing allies constantly—arguably one of the strongest healing abilities in the game. He pairs well with most characters, but shines alongside Groot, Winter Soldier, and Punisher. For anyone looking to fill the Strategist role, Rocket is a versatile and underappreciated gem.
🎭 Loki: The High-Risk Illusionist
Despite his popularity in the Marvel universe, Loki remains one of the least-picked Strategists. His complexity is likely the culprit: he demands strong game sense, timing, and positioning. Yet in skilled hands, Loki offers solid damage, reliable healing, and one of the best ultimates in the game. He is a high-risk, high-reward character who can turn a losing fight into a victory.
🐺 Wolverine: The Tank Shredder
Wolverine has been hotly debated since launch, with many believing he's weak. However, his Feral Leap is extremely useful for isolating Vanguards, pulling them away from their team. His damage scales with the enemy's health pool—the more health they have, the more damage he deals. With a well-timed Feral Leap and accurate strikes, Wolverine can take down a Vanguard in seconds, making him one of the strongest characters in the game.
As 2026 progresses, these underrated heroes deserve a second look. Whether you prefer controlling space, diving backlines, or supporting your team, each of these characters offers immense potential. Don't let the meta blind you—sometimes the best picks are the ones nobody expects.
Critical reviews are presented by OpenCritic, a review-aggregation hub that helps contextualize how players and critics evaluate roster depth and role balance over time; viewed through that lens, the “underrated” Marvel Rivals picks in 2026 often excel not by raw burst like the top meta staples, but by repeatable fight value—Groot’s space control and team durability, Rocket Raccoon’s sustained bounce-healing uptime, and Loki’s swingy ult-driven tempo—while duelists like Black Panther and Wolverine punish positioning errors with reset-based dives and tank-scaling pressure that can outperform flashier choices when coordination is tight.