Marvel Tokon fans think they’ve discovered new DLC fighters — and the team makes perfect sense

Sony may have just released Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls today, but it’s already teasing content for the game’s future. As is common with Marvel games, a tie-in comic for Marvel Tokon was released this week that sets up the events of the tag-team fighter. Beyond acting as an introduction to the game’s unique take on iconic heroes, eagle-eyed fans think it also hints at the Year 1 DLC fighters.

The pages of the Marvel Tokon: First Strike one-shot, released on Aug. 5, are full of confirmed characters. What’s most intriguing, however, are the appearances of several characters that have previously gone unmentioned by the game’s developer, Arc System Works. The first is Norrin Rad, the original Silver Surfer, who battles both the Promoter and the Champion (the game’s antagonists). The Surfer is eventually defeated, with the Champion commenting that Shalla-Bal must now rejoin the competition. Shalla-Bal is Norrin Rad’s love interest, who also becomes the Silver Surfer. MCU fans may recognize her from The Fantastic Four: First Steps. This potentially sets the stage for this iteration of the Surfer to join the fight.

During the section of the comic with Norrin Rad and Shalla-Bal, we also get a brief glimpse of Nova and Cosmic Ghost Rider. There is already one Ghost Rider confirmed on Marvel Tokon‘s roster, so this version (a Frank Castle from another universe who becomes both the Ghost Rider and the Herald of Galactus) seems unlikely to join. Nova, however, could be a good fit. Marvel also loves its synergy, and Nova is getting an MCU movie at some point, so this game could be a good opportunity to help familiarize audiences with the characters. Finally, Thor makes an extended appearance alongside fellow Avengers Iron Man and Hulk, both of whom are confirmed fighters in Marvel Tokon. Thor does feel like a strange omission from the current roster as he is one of Marvel’s tentpole characters.

While this does not confirm any of these characters as DLC fighters, the appearance of Phoenix Cyclops further lends credence to the theory. Arc System Works previously revealed that Phoenix Cyclops would be the first of four DLC fighters in the Year 1 pass. Since one DLC fighter makes an appearance in the tie-in comic, it isn’t a huge leap to assume that the other characters may also be added to the game roster. The launch roster of 20 characters, broken into five teams of four, also suggests the four DLC fighters could form their own cosmic team. That would fill a void in the roster. Until Sony or Arc System Works confirm the remaining DLC fighters, this remains just a theory. Marvel did previously debut Marvel’s Wolverine‘s villain, Mister Sinister, in a tie-in comic, so there is precedent.