The Marvel Cinematic Universe is an unparalleled success, and for good reason. A clear vision for its first three Phases thanks to the guidance of Kevin Feige, consistently stellar casting thanks to the expertise of Sarah Halley Finn, and brilliant directors like James Gunn and Ryan Coogler have delivered numerous classics under the Marvel Studios banner. Thanks to a clear respect for the source material and characters, there have been far more hits than there have been misses, with the likes of Robert Downey Jr. now synonymous with Iron Man. However, like all things, the MCU isn’t perfect, and Marvel Rivals may soon have a chance to showcase one character’s full potential: Gorr the God-Butcher.
While The Incredible Hulk being nerfed in the MCU has made him a target for critics, and Taskmaster’s lack of personality has also been a major point of contention, it’s arguably Gorr that feels like the biggest letdown of all. There are pieces of his story that work — his origin and his final scene are emotional and well-acted, which is no surprise given that it’s Christian Bale playing the character. Yet Bale’s involvement is exactly why Gorr is so frustrating, as he could have been allowed to do so much more. All his god-butchering is shown off-screen, and he spends more time terrorizing children than feeling like Thor’s greatest threat. In Marvel Rivals, Gorr has to feel like the big bad that he is in the comics, putting the roster on notice and being one of the game’s most intimidating characters as soon as he appears.
Knull’s involvement in Marvel Rivals’ seasonal storytelling helps set the stage for Gorr, giving NetEase threads to pull on for gallery pages and his codex entries.
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Marvel Rivals May Be Adding Gorr Very Soon
There are three particularly damning pieces of evidence that suggest Gorr could be coming to Marvel Rivals in the near future. The first is a reference to Fury’s iconic “Gorr was Right” comment from the comics, which set Thor on the path to becoming Unworthy due to the sheer magnitude of the statement. Marvel Rivals’ Season 8 battle pass features a text bubble spray of this memorable line from Jason Aaron’s run. The second bit of proof, as highlighted by Twitter user X0XLEAK, is that every old line of dialogue mentioning or referencing Gorr is no longer present in the game. This is likely because this dialogue no longer lines up with NetEase’s vision for the character, with the studio potentially being far along into the design process for its take on the God-Butcher.
Put the consoles in the correct order.
Put the consoles in the correct order.
That theory is strengthened by the most irrefutable evidence of all: leaked voice lines featuring spawn room dialogue from characters speaking to Gorr. Spider-Man talks about being tired of dealing with freaky aliens, while Adam Warlock and Blade draw attention to Gorr wielding Knull’s necrosword — with Blade even considering swapping out Dracula’s blade for it before thinking better of that decision. Doctor Strange refers to Gorr by name, telling him to stop whispering in his mind, while Captain America also interacts with the Thor supervillain. Though Gorr’s half of these conversations are not present, as the actor may still not be cast, it’s now extremely likely that Gorr will release in a future Marvel Rivals Season. And when he does, hopefully the disappointment of Love and Thunder’s take on the character will be erased.
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What Marvel Rivals Has to Get Right About Gorr
With Marvel Rivals representing a huge chunk of the Marvel Universe, it’s only natural for tones to clash as the likes of Punisher interact with Squirrel Girl. However, it’s important that there aren’t tonal shifts with Gorr himself, which is a problem that occurred in some of his Love and Thunder scenes. Gorr shouldn’t be sharing banter with any cast members, and should always be plotting or scaring characters in his pre-match conversations and battle chatter. Additionally, while the MCU changed Gorr’s design to better showcase Bale’s performance, there’s no need for NetEase to remove the character’s tentacles and demonic vibes in favor of a more human character model. Marvel Rivals has had some neat redesigns of default costumes, but overall, Gorr should resemble his comic counterpart instead of the movie version.
Gorr’s hero role in Marvel Rivals has obviously not been leaked yet. However, given his use of the necrosword and his regular use of violence, Strategist is fairly safe to rule out.
In the comics, Gorr stands at 6 foot 7 and looks like he can stand toe to toe with Thor. So, while a tall Duelist model like Blade is possible, making Gorr a melee-focused Vanguard would also work. As for his abilities, Gorr being able to shatter planets should guarantee a massive AoE Ultimate involving the Necrosword, as there’s already a quick-cutting one via Blade’s Thousand-Fold Slash. Draining health from foes to self-heal would make sense, too, and it could be interesting if there was a risk-reward mechanic highlighting how weak Gorr is without his signature weapon. Perhaps the blade could be thrown, dealing a huge chunk of damage if it connects but lowering Gorr’s health drastically when not in-hand, allowing the enemy team to capitalize. Regardless, with Marvel Rivals likely to get Thanos and Doctor Doom this year, and Gorr now being on the way, it does seem like NetEase has heard the criticism about the game needing more villains. So long as the developer continues to do right by the characters it features in its hero shooter, Gorr fans have good reason to be excited, as redemption is on the horizon for the deadly alien.
Marvel Rivals
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 78/100 Critics Rec: 84%
- Released
- December 6, 2024
- ESRB
- T For Teen // Violence
- Developer(s)
- NetEase Games
- Publisher(s)
- NetEase Games
Marvel Rivals is a Super Hero Team-Based PVP Shooter!
Assemble an all-star Marvel squad, devise countless strategies by combining powers to form unique Team-Up skills and fight in destructible, ever-changing battlefields across the continually evolving Marvel universe!
A Deep and Varied Marvel Roster
Choose from a vast array of fan-favorite and cult-classic Marvel Super Heroes and Super Villains from across the Avengers, Guardians of the Galaxy, X-Men, and many more from across the Marvel Multiverse.
Fast and Fun 6v6 Action with Ever-Changing Game Dynamics
With intricate environments, fast-paced gameplay, and ever-changing battlefields, there's never a dull moment in Marvel Rivals! Battle as Super Heroes and Super Villains with incredible abilities and combine your powers to bring unexpected fun to the battlefield in a matter of seconds.
Dynamic Hero Synergy
Coordinate unique combinations between characters to ignite surprising Team-Up Skills! Unleash the synergy of combined superpowers and invent new tactics that can turn the tide of combat. Ride on Groot's back as Rocket Raccoon to take on your enemies as a dangerous duo, unleash Gamma energy as Hulk to charge Iron Man's armor for massive damage, and so much more!
Creative Environment Destruction
Tear your way through iconic Marvel worlds across destructible environments! From Asgard to the Tokyo of 2099, use superpowers to alter these environments, reshape the terrain, and craft a strategic advantage on the battlefield! Take cover to dodge attacks or use makeshift weapons to strike down enemies. Players will find countless ways to utilize the environment to claim victory!
Continually Evolving Universe and Robust Post-Launch Updates
The Marvel Multiverse brings infinite possibilities! Each seasonal drop will introduce new Super Heroes to the battlefield along with challenging and diverse maps! Unlock new content to implement across various gameplay strategies while experiencing thrilling action and endless possibilities in these adventurous team battles!
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter, Action, Multiplayer
