"Original Marvel vs Capcom 2 Characters to Appear in Capcom Fighting Games"

Capcom producer Shuhei Matsumoto has opened the door for the return of beloved original characters from Marvel vs Capcom 2. Dive into his insights as we approach the release of Capcom's latest “Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection.”

Capcom Producer Teases Possible Returns of Original Marvel vs Capcom 2 Characters

Says It's Always a Possibility, Capcom Still Feeling Things Out

The return of original Marvel vs Capcom 2 characters in a "new game" remains "always a possibility," according to Capcom producer Shuhei Matsumoto. Speaking at EVO 2024, the world's premier fighting game tournament, Matsumoto hinted at exciting prospects for fans.

Since the last entry, Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite, there hasn't been a new installment in Capcom's crossover fighting game series. However, fans can look forward to the soon-to-be-released "Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics," a remastered collection of earlier games, which Matsumoto is producing.

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

This particular game introduced three original characters: Amingo, an anthropomorphic cactus-like creature; Ruby Heart, a protagonist and notorious sky pirate; and SonSon, the monkey girl granddaughter of the protagonist from Capcom's 80s arcade game, SonSon. These characters have been largely absent from modern iterations of the series, aside from minor appearances such as cameo roles 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 suggested that these characters could make a comeback, with the arcade classics collection providing the perfect opportunity. "Yeah, there's always a possibility. This is actually a great opportunity for us because when we do release this collection, there are going to be a lot more people who'll be able to familiarize themselves with the characters who only appeared in these versus series," Matsumoto said through a translator.

He also hinted that these original characters could appear outside the Versus series if there's enough interest. "If there are enough people who are interested in these characters, then who knows? Maybe there is a chance they could appear in Street Fighter 6 or another fighting game. This is another great reason to re-release these old games; it gets people to learn more about the IP and the series." He noted that this presents a great influx of creativity for the Capcom team and "creates a bigger pool of content for us to work with."

Capcom's Plans of More Marvel Crossover Hinge on Fans' Interest

Capcom has been planning "for about three to four years" to bring this new collection to life. "We've been talking with Marvel for quite a while. And back then, we just didn't have the opportunities to release this game. But now, after those discussions with them, we were finally able to do so," Matsumoto explained.

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

Matsumoto also expressed Capcom's interest in creating a new Versus series title and re-releasing other past fighting games that may not have rollback support or availability on current platforms. "There’s a lot we’re looking forward to and big dreams, and now it’s a matter of timing and seeing what we can do one step at a time," he said.

The producer also highlighted Capcom's eagerness to re-release other legacy fighting games on modern platforms. "We have a lot of other legacy fighting games that we know fans out there really want them to be re-released again on modern platforms. And the feeling is mutual on the development side," he told IGN.

"The best thing that we can do right now is to re-release these classic titles that some of our fans may not be fully aware of. And of course, there's constraints, there's different schedules, it's going to require collaboration with other non-Capcom parties in order to make this happen. And that could take some time, but we feel that the best that we can do right now is to re-release these games to energize the community," Matsumoto concluded.