2026 Is Officially The Golden Age For Carnage

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Carnage is one of Spider-Man’s most disturbing and dangerous enemies, driven by a constant need for violence, even when not connected to Cletus Kasady. This was particularly clear in The Amazing Spider-Man/Venom: Death Spiral, where Carnage left Eddie Brock to bond with Torment, a new serial killer who targeted family members, ultimately intending to make the final victim part of the ‘spiral’ of deaths.

Even in some of Carnage’s most famous stories, like Maximum Carnage, Carnage, U.S.A., and Absolute Carnage, he’s always been seen as secondary to Venom. This is particularly noticeable in video games, where Carnage usually only appears if Venom is already featured, which makes sense given their origin. However, the more brutal symbiote may finally get the spotlight this year.

Carnage Could Have A Heyday In 2026/2027

I was so excited to hear the news from EVO Japan 2026! Hulk and Black Panther are joining Captain America and Iron Man as the starting lineup for Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls, forming the ‘Fighting Avengers’ team. The trailer also showed a sneak peek at the next character coming, and honestly, all the hints seem to be pointing towards Carnage! I can’t wait to see if we’re right!

The story within Marvel Rivals has already hinted at Carnage by mentioning his name. Leaked audio also suggests he’ll be involved, possibly connected to the villain Gorr the God Butcher.

Marvel Rivals is increasingly aligning with the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday movie. The game will feature events related to the Avengers leading up to the film’s release this holiday season, and characters added to the game before then are likely to appear in the movie. For example, Cyclops is coming in Season 8.5, but the addition of Devil Dinosaur in Season 8 shows that a variety of characters, even unexpected ones, could be added to create a balanced gameplay experience.

While it hasn’t been officially announced, hints suggest Carnage might be coming to both Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls and Marvel Rivals. If both games were to feature Carnage around the same time, especially after building fan excitement, it would be a huge moment for the character in video game history.

Marvel Ensemble Games Are Enjoying A Renaissance

Venom is a popular character in many Marvel fighting games, including Marvel Super Heroes, several Marvel vs. Capcom titles, Marvel Nemesis: Rise of the Imperfects, Marvel Rivals, and Marvel Cosmic Invasion. Because he appears in so many games, many fans expect Venom to be added to Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls as downloadable content after the game’s release. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean his villainous counterpart, Carnage, won’t be a playable character from the start.

Marvel has a great chance with fighting and team-based games to introduce fans to characters they don’t see as often, while also including its most popular heroes. For example, the fighting game Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls will be the first time players can control Carnage, the villain Cletus Kasady. And with characters like Venom, Knull, and Klyntar already well-established in Marvel lore, the upcoming game Marvel Rivals is likely to feature even more symbiotes.

Marvel Tōkon: Fighting Souls is scheduled to be released for PC and PS5 on August 6, 2026.

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2026-05-22 05:10