PLANESWALKERS ASSEMBLE!!!: Marvel Heroes in Standard

Hello my fellow Planeswalkers and True Believers (RIP Stan Lee), I am The MTG Hero, and today I’ll be covering the early standouts that caught my eye from the newest Universes Beyond set, Marvel Heroes!

As both a Magic and comic book fan, I have been looking forward to this release ever since it was announced. From everything we’ve seen so far, I think this set is leagues better than the standalone Spider-Man release. The cards feel more impactful, the mechanics are exciting, and there are already several that look poised to shake up Standard.

For this article, I’ll mostly be focusing on cards that I believe have legitimate Standard potential. As a result, don’t expect much speculation about Modern or Commander. Also, don’t be upset if I skipped your favorite Marvel character. That doesn’t mean the card is bad. It simply means it didn’t jump out to me as immediately as the ones featured here. Marvel Heroes is a massive set, and there’s always the possibility I overlooked a hidden gem.

So, in no particular order, let’s dive in!

King T'Challa is a 3/2 with flash that can come down at instant speed to punish your opponent for playing on your turn while drawing you extra cards from their effects. Once he transforms, he becomes a 3/3 that effectively attacks as a 6-power creature, draws two cards every combat, and can’t be taken down through damage. We already have a solid Azorius Flash shell in Standard, and King T'Challa looks like a perfect fit that gives the deck a more stable means of card advantage

Speaking of Azorius Flash, The Mind Stone looks like a perfect inclusion to take advantage of all the enter-the-battlefield effects the deck already plays. I don’t think it’s the card that suddenly pushes the archetype over the top, but it feels like it already has a home waiting for it. Blinking Aang, Swift Savior every turn is more than enough value to make The Mind Stone worth considering, and that’s before you start recycling your other ETB creatures.

Captain America, Super-Soldier is another incredibly powerful addition, this time for white aggro decks in general. He single-handedly protects your entire board from sweepers, forcing control decks to answer him before they can even think about casting a wrath effect. Even then, removing him isn’t easy, as your opponent will often have to spend at least two removal spells just to get him off the battlefield. That’s exactly the kind of resilience aggressive decks have been looking for.

As a result, I would say picking up a few ”Nowhere would be a smart move. I also expect ”Ultima” and ”Deadly to be the preferred sweepers going forward.

Although there isn’t a dedicated poison or infect deck in Standard yet, but The Serpent Society makes it impossible for your opponent to target it twice in the same game. If they spend removal on your first copy, the second one is almost guaranteed to stick around unless they have a sweeper or exile effect. Add deathtouch to the mix, and blocking becomes a nightmare.

At only three mana, I could totally see an Abzan Midrange shell emerging alongside Recommission, Emeritus of Abundance, and Skirmish Rhino.

As if Izzet needed any more help, Namor the Sub-Mariner turns every blue noncreature spell into another Merfolk token.

Whether you’re looping Boomerang Basics with Stormchaser's Talent or simply playing your normal draw-go game with counterspells, Namor the Sub-Mariner quickly snowballs the board and gives the deck another powerful way to close games without ever committing more than a single creature.

The Astonishing Ant-Man is the perfect build-around creature and has incredible synergy with the Simic Ouroboroid deck that dominated Standard for so long.

He can become a massive threat with the help of Quantum Riddler and Enduring Curiosity, then completely change gears by creating an army of tokens powered by Ouroboroid. I fully expect this deck to make a comeback, and don’t be surprised if you run into it repeatedly while climbing the ladder.

If you want to be extra cute, I could see adding some of the ”Doubling into the mix to really go over the top!

World War Hulk is an absolutely absurd Magic card. Free spells have always pushed the limits of what is acceptable, and now Standard gets access to one through an incredibly powerful Saga.

Cheating out Ghalta, Primal Hunger or Vaultborn Tyrant as early as turn five is going to end a lot of games on the spot.

While grinding Regional Championships especially the last Dallas Standard event, Smuggler's Surprise decks always seemed to occupy the top tables despite never putting up huge numbers on Arena. That may finally change, because World War Hulk looks like the missing piece that pushes the archetype into the spotlight.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I think Marvel Heroes has the potential to make a much bigger splash in Standard than many people expect. Rather than relying solely on flashy Commander designs, this set is packed with efficient creatures, powerful build-arounds, and role-players that slot naturally into existing archetypes while also opening the door for entirely new ones.

Whether it’s strengthening established decks like Azorius Flash, giving aggressive strategies more ways to pressure the board, reviving archetypes that have been pushed aside by power creep, or allowing overlooked strategies to finally break through the Standard metagame, I can’t wait to start brewing when the set goes live.

What do you think? Which Marvel Heroes card has you the most excited? Let me know in the comments. Until next time Planeswalkers, Hero out! And Excelsior!

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