Marvel Rivals has all but announced its next playable hero, and it never had to say his name. A short teaser posted by the game on November 9 shows Jeff the Land Shark about to be flattened by enemy attacks — only to vanish in a puff of purple smoke, with a single word flashing across the screen: "BAMF!"
The official teaser arrived with the caption "Not this time! Looks like Jeff has someone watching over him…" and no character reveal attached. None was needed — the purple smoke and that sound effect belong to one hero in the Marvel universe, the X-Men's teleporting mutant Nightcrawler, known to comics readers as Kurt Wagner.
Created by Dave Cockrum and Len Wein, Nightcrawler debuted in Giant-Size X-Men #1 in 1975 and became one of the team's most beloved members. The German-born mutant teleports in a burst of brimstone-scented smoke, and his swashbuckling style, prehensile tail and acrobatics have made him a fan favorite for five decades. He would join a mutant roster in Marvel Rivals that already includes Wolverine, Storm, Magneto, Psylocke and Emma Frost.
Nightcrawler's arrival would surprise no one who has followed the game's datamines. Files pulled from the game months ago pointed to both Nightcrawler and Doctor Doom joining the roster in Season 11, with Doom rumored to fill a rare dual Vanguard and Duelist role, and the new teaser is the first official nod that the dataminers had it right.
Leaks have also pegged Nightcrawler as a Strategist and as the season's launch hero, though NetEase has confirmed neither his role nor his abilities. What the teaser does establish is that whoever rescued Jeff can teleport other characters out of danger, a rescue-style ability that would fit a support kit built around repositioning teammates.
The tease has also lent fresh credibility to a wider leak listing heroes reportedly lined up for 2027. Players decoding a starred-out list have landed on Dazzler, Dracula, Spider-Gwen, Green Goblin, Bishop, Cable, Miles Morales, Misty Knight, Captain Marvel, Vision and Clea, and leaker MultiverSusie has called that list "90 percent" correct while hinting that Ghost Rider belongs on it too. None of those names is confirmed, and NetEase has not commented on the list.
NetEase is expected to begin the full Season 11 rollout on November 10, with hero details and the season's second addition still to come. Two new heroes are expected across Season 11 in total, and the identity of the second remains officially unannounced for now. Season 11 of Marvel Rivals begins on Friday, November 13, 2026.
Sources: Marvel Rivals via Destructoid
