The Hood: New Hero Abilities, Lore, Launch Skin in Marvel Rivals

Marvel Rivals’ new hero The Hood is almost here, and the internet is abuzz. Let’s recap everything players should know, including his lore, abilities, and launch skin.

Marvel Rivals Officially Reveals The Hood

Since July 2026, leaks have been floating about about Marvel Rivals’ newest Hero. Many of them pointed towards the MCU’s most famous crime boss The Hood, who has a little help from demonic powers. The idea gained traction after Marvel snuck a familiar face into its Season 9 trailer cinematic. The Hood appeared in his trademark red cloak, walking through Thebes in an after-credits scene.

On August 4, 2026, Marvel Rivals confirmed fan theories by officially revealing The Hood as a Season 9.5 release. He will join the game extremely soon, appearing as a playable Hero.

The game released an in-depth Hero trailer, showcasing The Hood’s abilities and design. Fans saw his demon form in action, watching him fade into teamfights and deal heavy damage with his weapons.

The Hood’s Marvel Rivals Lore

NetEase also released an official description of The Hood’s in-game character, writing:

“From the shadows of the New York underground comes the newest power-hungry villain. […] Cloaked in a cursed mantle, Parker Robbins lost his faith in heroes alongside his father and his world’s Captain America – replacing it with an insatiable appetite for the power to change the world. Stealing an enchanted cloak from the Vault, he remade himself as the feared crime lord, The Hood. […] Now, The Hood treads a perilous path through channeling dark magic, devouring enemy firepower, and transforming into a demonic abomination of cosmic magic and steel. Even after a deadly clash in Thebes with Gambit and Doom 2099 over the Tablet of Death and Entropy, his dark journey is far from over…”

The Hood has lore connections to Spider-Man, Gambit, Captain America and several other existing Heroes.

Is The Hood a Vanguard?

The Hood is a Vanguard hero in Marvel Rivals, meaning he functions as a tank. His job is to hold the frontline, peel tricky DPS heroes off his weaker allies, and push forward into unfamiliar territory. Aside from enjoying his character design, the Marvel Rivals community considers him a welcome addition the game’s Hero roster since it has an overabundance of Duelists, and a Vanguard will shake things up.

The Hood: All Marvel Rivals Abilities

His kit focuses on his dual pistols. They start off with a simple alternating fire, but as players continue using the weapons in-game, they’ll notice a red demonic energy meter building up. Once it fills, The Hood’s pistols transform into rapid-fire magic rifles. He becomes more powerful the longer a fight/engagement goes on.

The Hood can also throw protective dark magic orbs and magic barriers. He seems to have a fade movement that makes him go invisible for short periods of time. In his Ultimate, The Hood turns into a large monster with a super-powerful gun on his head. Manga fans online are noting that this transformation looks very similar to Chainsaw Man’s Gun Devil. In this mode, his bullets can pierce through shields, making him a menace in teamfights.

So, to sum it up:

Ability List

• Primary Fire: Dual pistols
• Half-Demon Form High-Energy Rifles
• Protective Dark Magic Orbs
• Protective Magic Barrier Wall
• Ultimate: Gun demon mode, pierces shields and transforms him into full Demon Form

The Hood Launch Skin

The Hood will reportedly get a new skin as soon as he launches. Players can purchase it from Marvel Rivals’ in-game shop, starting on August 7, 2026.

The cosmetic reimagines The Hood in a punk biker fashion. He has a slick-backed pompadour, a leather jacket, and some snazzy red sunglasses. Plus, he sports mesh arm warmers, a septum piercing, and black nail polish.

Marvel Rivals The Hood Release Date

The Hood will release in Marvel Rivals on Friday, August 7, 2026. He arrives as part of the Season 9.5 update: for more info, check out our Marvel Rivals Season 9 roadmap guide. There are several additional surprises on the horizon, like new swimsuit skins and more hero balances.

Stay tuned for more Marvel Rivals esports and in-game news.