Marvel Vs. Capcom 3′s Roster: Who’s new, who’s back, and who’s missing

Capcom has been steadily trickling out names in Marvel Vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, but almost half of the game's 30-strong roster remains a mystery. We learned a few new names, like Ameterasu and Super-Skrull, at Comic-con, but there are still a lot of blanks on that list. Let's look at some of the most interesting new characters, the most important holdovers from previous games, and the very large group of characters who have yet to be announced, but really should be.

The best new guys

These are the newest additions to the series roster. They haven't been in any Capcom fighting game before, and they promise to satisfy a lot of fans. Of the 16 confirmed characters in Marvel Vs. Capcom 3, 6 are totally new. Here are the top four.

Deadpool: He's the Merc with a Mouth and a master of both guns and swords, so he's a natural fit for this game. He's suited for both melee and projectile attacks, so he might be a great fit for an all-around fighter, and maybe newbie bait . Add to that fourth-wall-breaking super moves, undoubtedly hilarious taunts, and a passionate fanbase, and Wade Wilson will probably be the most-picked new character in the game.

Dante: Take all of Deadpool's characteristics, but replace "funny" with "bishy." Wade might have a face like month-old pizza, but Dante's a classic anime pretty-boy with great hair, great complexion, and a penchant for long red coats. He'll probably be more melee-oriented than Deadpool, simply because if Dante's bullets are remotely effective in MvC3, he won't feel like Dante.

Amaterasu: Voldo meets Raiden, with the indie cred of one of the most beloved but somewhat obscure games to come from Capcom in years. Her inhuman form, strange hit boxes, a need to remaster the standard punch and kick moves will all make her an extremely challenging fighter, both to play and to fight.

Super-Skrull: This is a strange one, mostly because it's been confirmed that the Fantastic Four won't be in the game. The Super-Skrull has always been one of the big enemies of Marvel's First Family, and without them his presence is very curious. Still, considering he packs the skills of all four members, he might serve as a replacement to Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben.

The best old guys

Capcom's been doing this for well over a decade, and it's put together a library of several dozen fighters in the Marvel Vs. Capcom series alone. When you factor in the Street Fighter series, the Darkstalkers series, and Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom, that's a lot of possible characters for Marvel Vs. Capcom 3. So far only ten have been confirmed, and these are the most important four.

Ryu: He's the face of Street Fighter. Any roster without Ryu would just feel wrong. Besides, without Ryu, Deadpool will have less of a chance to re-enact one of his most awesome moments.

Wolverine: Tornado claw! Tornado claw! Wolverine has been the face of Marvel for 20 years, and is just as vital to any Marvel roster as Ryu is to any Capcom roster.

Chun-Li: Same as Ryu, but with girl parts. Cammy might have become the Street Fighter series' resident sexbomb, but Queen Thunderthighs remains the most recognizable female Street Fighter character.

Doctor Doom: Captain America and the Hulk might be more accessible fighters for their speed and strength, but Doctor Doom remains one of the trickiest. He was once top tier in Marvel Vs. Capcom 2, and it's doubtful Capcom will dare weaken the ruler of Latveria in Marvel Vs. Capcom 3.

The missing

While it's tempting to speculate about any new characters that might come from Marvel or Capcom, but there are plenty of characters from the first two games who've yet to be confirmed. These are the fighters whose absence on the Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 roster is extremely conspicuous.

Mega Man/Protoman/X/Zero/Volnutt: The game needs at least one Mega Man character. Marvel Vs. Capcom got one. Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 got four. Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom got three. At least one incarnation of the Blue Bomber or his friends have to be in the game.

Spider-Man: Wolverine might have been Marvel's big name in fighting games, but Spider-Man is the company's mascot, and like Logan has been part of the series since the beginning (not counting X-Men Vs. Street Fighter, since he's not an X-Man). Pete will almost certainly be in the game.

Cammy: See Chun-Li. She's the Street Fighter sex bomb, and while Morrigan and Felicia's feminine wiles are eye-catching, she can't quite match Cammy's irresistible combination of revealing leotard and flying knee attacks. The sheer number of dubious Cammy statues and action figures that come out seemingly every month make me think that players want her on the roster, and not just for aerial assists.

Gambit: Like Wolverine, Gambit has been part of the series since the beginning. He's still a beloved character in Marvel for his fashion sense alone, and his badass longcoat status is needed more than ever to provide balance to Dante's presence.

Zangief: Big. Russian. Awesome. Besides, so far the Capcom side of the roster seriously lacks a heavy hitter to go up against the Hulk.

Strider Hiryu: Ryu Hayabusa might be the go-to ninja for the last two generations of game consoles, but Strider proved his worth in Marvel Vs. Capcom 2. He's a dangerous fighter to any player skilled enough to take advantage of his high priority and damage, and offset the fact that he gets hurt faster than almost anyone else in MvC2. Besides, he's a ninja who can summon robot panthers and hawks. That isn't enough for you?