Marvel vs. Capcom 2 Characters Return?

Capcom producer Shuhei Matsumoto has hinted at the possible return of cherished original characters from Marvel vs Capcom 2. Read on for more of his comments before the launch of Capcom's latest “Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection.”

Capcom Producer Hints at Potential Return of Original Marvel vs Capcom 2 CharactersSuggests It's Always a Possibility, Capcom Still Assessing the Situation

The return of original Marvel vs. Capcom 2 characters in a new game can always be a possibility. This is according to Capcom producer Shuhei Matsumoto, who was present and spoke at EVO 2024, the world's premiere fighting game tournament.

There hasn’t been a new entry in Capcom's crossover fighting game series since Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite. However, a new remastered collection of the earlier games, "Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics," which Matsumoto is producing, is due out soon this year.

The Marvel vs. Capcom series, of Versus series, features characters from both Capcom and Marvel franchises. During the June 2024 Nintendo Direct, Capcom unveiled a trailer for its latest release, which includes six classic games of the series, including Marvel vs. Capcom 2.

This game in particular introduced three original characters: Amingo, an anthropomorphic cactus-like creature; Ruby Heart, one of the protagonists and a notorious sky pirate; and SonSon, the monkey girl granddaughter of the protagonist from Capcom's 80's arcade game, SonSon. These beloved characters have been largely absent in modern iterations of the series, except for minor appearances, such as their cameo appearances on wanted posters in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, and as playable cards in Capcom's card fighter games.

Addressing fans at Evo 2024, Matsumoto hinted that these characters might return, and the upcoming arcade classics collection offers a chance for this. "Yes, it's possible. This is a great chance, as the collection will introduce many more people to characters from the versus series," Matsumoto reportedly stated through a translator.

He also implied these original characters could appear beyond the Versus series if interest is high enough. "If enough people are interested, who knows? They might appear in Street Fighter 6 or another fighting game. Re-releasing these classic games helps people learn about the IP and series." He added that this boosts Capcom's creativity and "expands our content pool."

Capcom's Future Marvel Crossovers Depend on Fan Enthusiasm

Capcom had planned "for about three, four years" to make the new compilation a reality. "We've been negotiating with Marvel for quite some time. And back then, we just didn't have the chance to release this game. But now, after those discussions with them, we were finally able to do so," Matsumoto said.

He added, "In terms of past Capcom-developed Marvel titles, this has been something that myself and the team have been hoping to re-release for years and years now. It was just a matter of timing and ensuring that everyone was on board."

Matsumoto also mentioned that Capcom wants to create a brand new Versus series title and "not just that, but other past fighting games that might not be supported with rollback netcode or are available on a current platform," he said. "There's a lot we're looking forward to and big aspirations, and now it's a matter of timing and seeing what we can do one step at a time."

The producer added that Capcom is eager to reissue other classic fighting games on modern platforms. "We have many other classic fighting games that we know fans really want reissued on modern platforms. And the feeling is mutual among developers," he told IGN.

"The best thing we can do now is reissue these classic titles that some fans may not fully know. And of course, there's limitations, there are different schedules, it will require collaboration with external parties to make this happen. And that could take time, but we feel the best we can do now is reissue these games to invigorate the community," Matsumoto concluded.