Marvel Rivals is the latest hot new game out on PC and consoles, amassing over 20 million downloads since its release on December 6th. I'm a big fan of the game, and while it may not be as cinematic as any upcoming Marvel movie we'll see one the 2025 movie schedule, I do think there's one character from it who needs to be in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
There are currently 33 characters available for Marvel Rivals, but only one has collectively captured the obsession of the fandom for better or worse. As many praise this character for how cute he is, and rage about how overpowered he is, we need to talk about why he should be getting a role in a Marvel movie.
People Love (And Slightly Hate Because His Character Is Too Powerful) Jeff The Land Shark
Jeff The Land Shark first appeared in a 2018 issue of Marvel's West Coast Avengers. Now, he's in Marvel Rivals and taking the game by storm. While this four-legged shark capable of living on land is not the strongest hero by any means, he is considered one of the more powerful characters thanks to his abilities in Marvel Rivals.
It's made him a bit of a villain amongst those who play the game, but only because his ability to eat and spit players off the map can get annoying. Overall, people are fans, and jokes aside, there's real love for the character on X:
- Jeff, the land shark is everything to me. His little singing omg I love him so much - @SpkyScryTrooper
- Jeff the Land Shark is not a demon or anything of that sort, he's a sweet baby and just wants some food - @pampurins
- I love sharks too much to be able to say even one bad word about jeff the land shark - @sivaranjani10
- idk how people hate jeff the land shark im having so much fun with the lil guy - @gothiian
- My sons favorite character in @MarvelRivals is Jeff the land shark. He’s always sticking his tongue out and getting all excited - @chuaahh
By and large, there's a ton of love for this relatively new Marvel character on the internet, and it isn't hard to see why. He has the same general look as Stitch in the upcoming Lilo & Stitch live-action movie, and after the record year Shark Week had, it's no surprise that Jeff is on the comeup. He's genuinely one of the cutest Marvel characters I've ever seen, and I don't think I'm in the minority on that opinion.
Why We Need Jeff The Land Shark In The MCU
With James Gunn throwing all his power into making DC great with awesome Superman trailers, I worry about the MCU losing some of the silliness he injected into it. Gunn did a great job of balancing the melodrama of a superhero adventure with some silly comedy. I'm shocked he never featured Jeff The Land Shark in a Guardians of the Galaxy movie, honestly, but he could show up anywhere.
With the character's increased popularity in Marvel Rivals, I think Marvel should be considering adding Jeff The Land Shark to a movie if it hasn't done so already. Look, I know the top Marvel pet at the moment happens to be Dogpool, but I think we can do better than that.
Imagine Jeff The Land Shark charging ahead with The Avengers as they take on Robert Downey Jr.'s Doctor Doom in the upcoming ensemble film. It's glorious to think about, even if it is silly. So, let's make it happen.
Marvel Rivals is available to download on PC, Xbox, and PS5. Meanwhile, if you are looking to watch the Marvel movies in order, anyone with a Disney+ subscription can check out the vast majority of them. There's never a bad time to go on a superhero binge spree, so why not do it now?
