One of the powerful and popular group of superheroes from the Marvel Universe were excluded from NetEase Games’ Marvel Rivals.

NetEase Games’ latest video game, Marvel Rivals, is currently one of the most popular hero shooter games in the world thanks to its engaging, round-based PvP gameplay. The game currently offers an impressive roster of 33 popular characters from Marvel comics, but players are wondering why the studio didn’t feature a single character from this highly popular group of heroes that even got a movie in 2021.

The Eternals were excluded from Marvel Rivals‘ roster (Image via NetEase Games)

In the Marvel comics, Eternals are a fictional race of humanoids. They first appeared in The Eternals #1, which was released in July 1976. The characters made their debut in the Marvel Cinematic Universe with their own feature film called Eternals. The film was not well-received by the fans but that shouldn’t stop NetEase Games from adding these characters to Marvel Rivals as they have a lot of potential. It’s unclear why they were left out, but many believe it could have something to do with Chloé Zhao, the director of Eternals.

Eternals aren’t a part of Marvel Rivals‘ roster

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Marvel fans are familiar with the ten superpowered beings known as Eternals: Ajak, Sersi, Ikaris, Kingo, Sprite, Phastos, Makkari, Druig, Gilgamesh, and Thena. Thanks to 2021’s Eternals, the group of heroes was popularised among a wider audience, but unfortunately, the film wasn’t the best adaptation as the film received a lot of criticism.

The horrible reception of the film ruined the Eternals’ reputation, but it’s strange that Marvel Studios didn’t try to popularise the characters through the 2024 video game Marvel Rivals. This is probably the best medium to reach Marvel fans and featuring superheroes from the Eternals would’ve created more hype for the heroes.

Many characters are missing from the game’s roster, but the absence of the Eternals is particularly odd because most fans are aware of this group. There are some speculations online that claim that Chloé Zhao could be the reason behind this as her 2021 movie ruined Eternals for Marvel fans.

Did NetEase Games exclude Eternals because of Chloé Zhao’s statements?

Marvel Rivals could fix the Eternals’ damaged reputation (Image via NetEase Games)

The reason behind the Eternals’ exclusion was never revealed, and it’s certainly not due to licensing issues because the franchise is completely under Marvel Studios. Many fans online have speculated that Chloé Zhao’s statements could be the reason behind this. In case you don’t know, one of Zhao’s past films was banned in China due to her controversial statements.

Zhao’s Oscar-winning 2020 film Nomadland was banned in China because she once criticized the Chinese government. As per Telegrafi, she claimed in a 2013 interview that “China is a country where there are lies everywhere.” For the movie, Zhao won the Academy Award for Best Director at the 93rd Academy Awards. Let’s hope that NetEase Games adds these characters to the game because they have a lot of potential and hopefully, they will redeem themselves.