Marvel Rivals' Deadpool is a hodgepodge of comic book references, viral memes, and the most infamous Overwatch hero ever

Marvel Rivals may have kept players waiting over a year for a playable Deadpool, but their patience was rewarded with a truly unique take on the character. There are some interesting things that NetEase is doing with their take on the Merc With a Mouth, whether it's the different costume or the character of Alejandro Saab – an actor who has never played Deadpool in the past. However, Deadpool shines not just because of these welcome differences, but also because NetEase draws from practically every interpretation of the anti-hero ever. The result is a Deadpool that feels like a quintessential version of the character, with something that any Deadpool fan will appreciate.

love Deadpool films and Ryan Reynolds' spin character? Expect some nods to those movies, such as the “Maximum Effort” gag. Maybe you prefer a specific era of Deadpool comics? Rest assured that these runs will likely be referenced through his dialogue, which is full of comedic homages and, of course, breaking the fourth wall. Even if you see Deadpool as a resource for providing pop culture references, the NetEase version delivers. Marvel Rivals” Deadpool is genuinely funny, delivering a range of jokes for fans that fall into different categories of humor, ensuring that everyone gets a laugh at some point when the character is in a match. As for the gameplay, his complex build can take a while to get used to – and one version is proving controversial due to its resemblance to a particular Overwatch character — but overall, NetEase's Deadpool is a home run that feels more lovingly crafted than any hero that came before it.

Why Marvel Rivals' Deadpool deserves to be celebrated

Marvel Rivals Season 6 and Deadpool Release Time

After playing a single match as Deadpool, fans of the character will notice countless things to praise. First and foremost, it's all the little details; take Deadpool's interactions with Galacta. As one of Marvel's resident fourth wall breakers (even She-Hulk boasts this ability), Wade Wilson is able to talk Galacta out of it. Each time he delivers one of his usual messages about pushing the payload, time running out, and so on, Deadpool responds, leading to a brief back and forth where the space beings quickly get on their nerves. Another cool touch is that Deadpool is the first – and probably the last – hero with a zero difficulty level. On top of that, his animations are incredible, from the funny pose where he crouches down as Rogue drains his powers, to the goofy running reminiscent of Woody's movement in Toy Story.

Marvel Rivals characters always refer to their comic book history in conversation, but Deadpool's dialogue takes things to the next level in terms of the amount of specific references. His love for Jeff is a nod to his time guarding the affordable creature in Kelly Thompson's 2019 run, when Wade became king of Monster Island. Conversations with Rogue refer to a very brief fling between the pair when they were part of the Uncanny Avengers in 2015, while Galacta makes fun of Wade for failing to impress Lady Death, another love interest. There was even a nod to Wade dating Shiklah, the monster queen from Gerry Duggan and Brian Posehn's phenomenal run, which brought considerable depth to the mercenary.

Still, any Deadpool fan knows that his fourth wall breaks go beyond referencing other comics and regularly turn to pop culture. Through dialogue, he asks a common internet question about Mr. Fantastic's stretch, acknowledges Loki's time with TVA on the Disney Plus gimmick series, and even pokes fun at NetEase favoring Luna Snow. He makes fun of the toxic Duelist players and teases Cyclops' addition Marvel Rivalsand also includes meme culture. Fans of Internet memes will appreciate, for example, the following jokes:

Deadpool catches himself saying 6-7 and immediately curses himself.
Deadpool calls Hawkeye Hawk-tuah.
Deadpool yells “it's time for Morbin” in a chat with Spider-Man.

Marvel Rivals' Deadpool might feel like Overwatch's Brigitte, but only in a good way

In terms of personality, Deadpool is truly perfect; the voice fits, the attitude fits, and whether one prefers to nod to lore or silly internet jokes, Deadpool delivers on both. In terms of gameplay, there is also much to commend it, although some players are a bit concerned that not all versions of Wade Wilson are created equal. While the charming RPG-style character upgrades and the unique feature of being available in all three hero categories are positives, Deadpool's Strategist set raises eyebrows for veteran shooters. Specifically, it is because of the similarity with Overwatch 2's Brigitte, a character that players have hated for years.

While the current version of Brigitte is not a character Overwatch 2 Players would think twice about it, she was terribly frustrating when she was first added to the original game. Her design led to the much-hated GOATs meta, which saw heroes refusing to die due to their self-sustaining abilities. Her stunning shield figures basically rendered low health, high skill heroes like series mascot Tracer useless, and effectively Overwatch less fun for a few months. When the players realized this Marvel Rivals” Deadpool basically functions like Brigitte, healing himself and those around him with his melee attacks, and red flags were quickly raised. Although Deadpool's aura healing from melee strikes is very reminiscent of Brigitte, he trades her shield and CC (stun) abilities for movement like dashes and double jumps. As such, she's hardly the threat that Brigitte was, instead filling a void between melee healers, Marvel Rivals used to have

That said, while Strategist Deadpool may feel like a less annoying Brigitte, that doesn't mean it's perfectly balanced. There's a problematic exploit where he can jump on allies' heads early in the match to set up his Ultimate, and said ability to extend the Ultimate to 20 seconds says a lot that Deadpool is overpowered in Strategist and Vanguard form. At the same time, his Duelist form is missing compared to the other 2 variations, with all Deadpools suffering from visual clutter. Still, despite these flaws, Deadpool is a delightfully fun and messy mess to play as, which perfectly suits who he is as a character. Sure, its balance and certain mechanics may need some fine-tuning, but once that happens, Marvel RivalsDeadpool will be the complete package. With NetEase's Deadpool being arguably the most comprehensive take on the character ever, the phrase “better late than never” certainly applies.