This new supervillain could transform Marvel Rivals’ Duelist class, leaks suggest

Hold onto your cloaks, Marvel Rivals fans—a new supervillain might be stepping into the fray, if recent leaks are to be believed.

According to a Dec. 30 leak by X (formerly Twitter) user X0X_LEAK, a lesser-known baddie could soon join the game’s roster. The post was delightfully cryptic (as leaks often are), but it teased The Hood’s abilities with just enough detail to get people talking—or maybe sighing.

Here’s what we’re working with:

“THE HOOD
He has dual guns to shoot with and can transform into his demon form!

Abilities:
Dual gun shooting
Dual Gun Overheat Cooling
Shield
Shield health management
Clone Projection
Clone Range Control
Clone Detonation
Demon transformation”

Dual guns? Demon transformations? Clones? It’s like Marvel mashed Star-Lord, Scarlet Witch, and Loki into one highly flammable package. Oh, and he also has a shield because why not?

Not quite the big reveal fans hoped for

Despite the flashy description, fans aren’t exactly rolling out the red carpet for The Hood. X0X_LEAK had hyped up something “big,” and judging by the comments, this wasn’t it. One reply from X user bphmxt summed the disappointment up by commenting “So an even more annoying Loki with guns?! Sweet!! 😭.”

Ouch. And they’re not alone in their skepticism. Reddit hasn’t exactly been lighting up with excitement, either. When Redditor The_Karate_Nessie shared a character concept for The Hood a few months ago, it crashed harder than Peter Parker’s social life—racking up a whopping three upvotes. That’s right, three.

But maybe The Hood does deserve some love with those abilities. Sure, he isn’t as recognizable as some Marvel heavyweights, but he still has serious potential to shake things up in Marvel Rivals. Let’s face it: Duelists in the hero shooter could use some love. Sure, Scarlet Witch has an ability similar to teleporting, but she can’t actually teleport in Marvel Rivals, and she leaves herself open to attacks when floating in the air. The Duelist roster has long struggled with survivability. Spiderman aside (because we all know he just does whatever he wants when picked by a player), most Duelists seem to spend more time respawning than actually dueling.

The Hood’s leaked abilities could change all that. A shield with health management? Perfect for deflecting those relentless DPS spammers. Clone Projection with Detonation? That could throw even the best opponents off their game—imagine tricking an Iron Man player into wasting an ultimate on a clone. And then there’s the pièce de résistance: demon transformation.

In the comics, The Hood’s demonic form (thanks to a little help from Dormammu) gives him superhuman strength and durability. Translating that into Marvel Rivals could mean a powerful, temporary buff that lets Duelists finally go toe-to-toe with beefier classes without being squished in three hits. Sure, some fans are rolling their eyes at the idea of “Loki with guns,” but that comparison might not be so bad. Loki is one of the game’s most creatively designed characters, and adding The Hood’s unique kit could help refine what it means to play a Duelist.

While the response to The Hood leak has been lukewarm at best, there’s plenty of potential for him to bring something fresh to the Duelist class. He’s got a fascinating power set, a bit of an underdog story (even among villains), and the kind of flashy abilities that could genuinely be fun to master.