Marvel Rivalshas been a massive hit since its release at the end of 2024, bringing deep-cut aspects ofMarvel Comicslore to the attention of a new generation of fans, butlong-time Marvel executive Tom Brevoort doesn’t believe there is necessarily a correlation between the game’s success and Marvel’s publishing plans.
In the latest edition of his Substack, Brevoort dismissed the idea that Marvel Comics is taking cues fromMarvel Rivals, stating that the “popularity [of] Marvel Rivals likely has more to do with play mechanics than it does the characters themselves.”
This immediately struck many fans as odd; first and foremost, it seems unusual that a Marvel editor would downplay the appeal of the company’s own characters, while at the same time, it appears at odds with some of Marvel’s latest reveals of what is to come this year, which suggest the opposite of Tom Brevoort’s claim.
X-Men Editor Tom Brevoort Downplays Connection Between “Rivals” And The Company’s Comics
Brevoort’s Position, Explained
Tom Brevoort’s comments aboutMarvel Rivalscame in response to a fan asking whether the characters Cloak and Daggers' appearance in game would be a gateway to renewed attention on the heroic duo in the comics. “Feels like they’ve never been more popular than they are right now,” the fan wrote. In turn, Brevoort offered this response:
I tell you, Joe, I tend to think that popularity in Marvel Rivals likely has more to do with play mechanics than it does the characters themselves. Which is to say that I haven’t seen any major correlation between popularity in the game and a rise of interest in the character in print, outside of maybe one or two outliers. That said, we are planning to do something with Cloak and Dagger in the near future, so that potential audience will have something to take a look at.
In other words,the editor confirmed that Cloak and Dagger are returning to Marvel Comics, but demurred from citingMarvel Rivalsas the reason.
This has struck readers as a somewhat curious response, especially considering that Brevoort seems to somewhat contradict himself in the process, as well as, more generally, going against the grain of conventional wisdom on this matter. That is, it seems only natural that Marvel Comics would modulate its plans for certain charactersbased on their newfound popularity, thanks toRivals, just as it does when pushing heroes and villains to the foreground when they have a Marvel Cinematic Universe appearance upcoming.
Marvel Rivals' Impact Is Still Just Beginning To Manifest, Making Brevoort’s Comments Feel Premature
The Game’s Popularity Remains High Four Months Post-Release
Tom Brevoort’s admission that there are “maybe one or two outliers,” in terms of characters whose popularity has increased in the wake ofMarvel Rivals’release, is perhaps what makes his response here most perplexing for fans.Marvel Rivalshas only been out for several months at this point, meaning thatwhile the game’s impact on the popularity of certain characters, or interest inparticular details of Marvel lore, can be measured among the game’s online fandom, it may simply be too early to notice a corollary impact on comic sales.
The editor’s quick dismissal, in which he argues, somewhat speciously, that gamers aren’t interested in Marvel characters outside the context of the game, comes across, if nothing else, as self-defeating.
Effectively, that is what the fan who wrote in was asking Brevoort; whether Marvel had clocked theelevated interest in Cloak and Daggerstemming from their inclusion inMarvel Rivals, and if the publisher was going to attempt to parlay this into an upcoming comic. The editor’s quick dismissal, in which he argues, somewhat speciously, that gamers aren’t interested in Marvel characters outside the context of the game, comes across, if nothing else, as self-defeating. For some, it also strikes a disingenuous chord.
Brevoort himself notes “that potential audience,” of people discovering Cloak and Dagger, and other Marvel heroes, viaMarvel Rivals, “will have something to take a look at” when the publisher puts out a Cloak and Dagger comic in the near-future. If this comic, which Brevoort teased, ends up producing elevated sales numbers for Marvel, in comparison to what the heroes have previously been known for, it will go a long way toward proving the editor wrong in his comments here.
Part of the reason that readers find it difficult to accept Tom Brevoort’s comments about the lack of a directMarvel Rivals-Marvel Comics connection at face value is thatthere are several imminent Marvel releases that seem to suggest otherwise.It is hard to argue that the upcoming return of the2099 version of Doctor Doomisn’t tied to the character’s prominent role in the game, or thatJeff the Land Shark’s adventuresaren’t being reprinted to capitalize on his newfound fan-favorite status. While maybe these are the “outliers” Brevoort mentioned, it still seems at odds with his point.
Many would argue thatMarvel Rivalsis the best thing to happen to Marvel Comics in years, even if some at the publisher, such as Tom Brevoort, are hesitant to agree.
Ultimately, there is a dismissive quality to Brevoort’s answer that is likely to be the most frustrating dimension of his response for some fans. Marvel readers write to the editor seeking answers, and while the frankness of the answers he supplies can be appreciated in some cases, here, it comes across as downplaying a connection that fans rightfully recognize is incredibly valuable for the company. Many would argue thatMarvel Rivalsis the best thing to happen toMarvel Comicsin years, even if some at the publisher, such as Tom Brevoort, are hesitant to agree.
